I'm working through Stephen Olford's book on expository preaching with several of my people here at Eastside Church (it's a good book and it's also endorsed by my pastor, Jeff Adams!). Last night we went through chapter 15 that deals with "The Preacher and Application." Dr. Olford makes a comment in that chapter that I believe speaks volumes to our generation, and it should encourage us as pastors in our preaching of the Word of God. We don't need to dumb-down the message; we need simply preach and teach the Bible. That's what God expects of us; the rest and the results are up to Him. Dr. Olford says,
"Shallow preaching will produce nothing more than shallow Christians."
Here's the whole quote in context (the whole paragraph is very good; all the bold highlighting is mine):
The Mind Must Be Educated by Our PreachingTo obey from the heart involves this educative process. The emphasis here must be on the exercise of discernment. The writer to the Hebrews underscores this need for discernment when he says, "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age [those who have reached maturity], that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. 5:13-14). The problem with so much preaching today is that the average communicator is "unskilled in the word [our standard] of righteousness" (Heb. 5:13). As a consequence, our people have no discernment between good and evil. Shallow preaching will produce nothing more than shallow Christians. We must apply truth to the mind if we are going to have an educated church.
So, even though many pop-Christian books and authors today say we need to tell more stories and entertain the people, we should be encouraged in our labor in the Word and prayer in order to educate God's people in God's Book. That, after all, is what God expects of us as pastors, preachers, and teachers.
2Timothy 4.1-5I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
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