The Purpose of Preaching

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JustaServant

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I would like non-Catholics to answer.
What is the purpose of preaching to your congregation?
Is it to:
  1. Direct people on how to live Christian lives?
  2. Get them “saved”.
  3. ?
Not meant to be a hostile question, so don’t read anything into it.
 
For Friends, each “vocal ministry” a man or woman give to the Meeting is seen as a “convergence” of where God and man intersect with one another. No one is to speak unless moved by God to do so. Each Friend is to listen for the Voice of God in the vocal ministry of those Friends moved to offer ministry.

We have no paid clergy…all are ministers…all share in the Priesthood of Christ, all share in His Incarnation.
 
JustaServant said:
I would like non-Catholics to answer.
What is the purpose of preaching to your congregation?
Is it to:
  1. Direct people on how to live Christian lives?
  2. Get them “saved”.
  3. ?
Not meant to be a hostile question, so don’t read anything into it.
Click to expand...
Just some scriptures:

Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

and

Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ.

So, to answer your question, all of the above, though I wouldn’t use the phrase “get them saved”, as if “getting them saved” is something we can do. The Spirit uses the word (and sacraments) to bring people to bring people to saving faith. It is, therefore, a means of grace. Further, the word is an intrument of the Spirit to teach us how to live in His grace, to grow in His grace. Hence, hearing the word brings us Gospel, and law.

Jon
 
The reason I am asking:
When I was a pastor (albeit a short time) I wanted to do sermons that were applicable, lessons that would assist Christians in thier lives. Dealing with the root causes of various sins that afflict us all, and coming up with solutions to that would be practical.
What I found in the churches I pastored was, people were simply not interested.
Some wanted hellfire and brimstone (as in screaming). Others wanted doctrinal teaching (as in Calvinism, ect.). They wanted nothing applicable to their lives.
Now, this could be attributed to the fact that these were Baptist churches. Many in these churches were very dysfunctional, and it seemed to me what they wanted sermons that would never challenge or find solutions to that dysfunction. They wanted that dysfunction affirmed.
As Jon said the Word is an instrument of the Spirit to teach us how to live in His grace, to grow in His grace.
Maybe I preaching like a Lutheran in a Baptist church. 😉
Thoughts?
 
JustaServant said:
The reason I am asking:
When I was a pastor (albeit a short time) I wanted to do sermons that were applicable, lessons that would assist Christians in thier lives. Dealing with the root causes of various sins that afflict us all, and coming up with solutions to that would be practical.
What I found in the churches I pastored was, people were simply not interested.
Some wanted hellfire and brimstone (as in screaming). Others wanted doctrinal teaching (as in Calvinism, ect.). They wanted nothing applicable to their lives.
Now, this could be attributed to the fact that these were Baptist churches. Many in these churches were very dysfunctional, and it seemed to me what they wanted sermons that would never challenge or find solutions to that dysfunction. They wanted that dysfunction affirmed.
As Jon said the Word is an instrument of the Spirit to teach us how to live in His grace, to grow in His grace.
Maybe I preaching like a Lutheran in a Baptist church. 😉
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Perhaps. Lutheran homiletics is different, from what I can tell, from Baptists, evangelicals, etc. Most of the time, a sermon is related to the lectionary, or at least the season of the Church year. The key then is to make that particular reading or season part of the hearer’s life. The meaning of the law, the importance of Gospel, how they are different yet both important.

Sonds like you might have been a good Lutheran pastor. 😃
Jon
 
JustaServant said:
I would like non-Catholics to answer.
What is the purpose of preaching to your congregation?
Is it to:
  1. Direct people on how to live Christian lives?
  2. Get them “saved”.
  3. ?
Not meant to be a hostile question, so don’t read anything into it.
Click to expand...
For Pentecostals, preaching can be teaching about biblical truth and and what it means to be a Christian disciple. It can also be directed to those who do not know Christ with the aim to proclaim the gospel to those who do not know it.

I heard a prominent full-gospel minister say once that truly Pentecostal or Spirit-filled preaching should penetrate and cut into people’s heart–making them aware of God’s greatness and making sinners uncomfortable and aware that they need God.
 
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