Most ministers are trained to go to the Scriptures to find their preaching material. I affirm the value of that practice. But in the process of preparing a church sermon each week, they sometimes forget what their bottom line is.
Preaching is not an end in itself. In other words, the goal of these messages is not to have people say that you are a dynamic speaker. Of course, if that’s how your listeners feel, great!
Carefully explaining what the Bible teaches also falls short of the ultimate purpose. Again, it’s obviously to their benefit if listeners learn more of what the Bible has to say under your ministry.
In short, preaching should seek to make people more Christ-like. We preach bible sermons to challenge listeners to put into practice the words of our Lord, along with the many other commands found in the Bible.
If after years of ministry your congregation is essentially the same people they were spiritually as when you came, you probably haven’t done your job all that well. Think about Christ. After three and a half years with His disciples, there were huge changes in how they lived. Were they perfect? No. But in many ways their lives had been radically transformed.
In what ways will those in your congregation be more Christ-like as a result of the years you invest with them as their spiritual leader? That’s a question all pastors need to wrestle with, and it relates directly to their preaching.
It’s also another reason why early on in your sermon outline preparation you need to figure out not only what your sermon subject is, but the desired response being called for as well.
