By Chris Philbeck
As I write this column, I am finishing my first full month of retirement. It’s strange, after serving in the local church for 45 years, to walk into church on Sunday and not give any thought to the details of the service. I don’t think about the lights, the sound, or the programming. My wife Sandy and I simply worship the Lord together. It’s been incredibly refreshing.
The church we’ve been attending has been involved in a summer series on the life of David titled, “Imperfect.” We’ve heard three sermons that have been excellent, but one was particularly moving to me. The text was 2 Samuel 6:14-23, the account of David leaping and dancing as he brought the Ark to Jerusalem. The outline for the message examined the story through Michal’s Window (Michal was David’s wife), through Israel’s Window (a historical look at the Ark), through David’s Window (a window into David’s heart of worship), and what the preacher called the Priority Window (a look at the Davidic worship system David put in place as a priority).
Speaking to My Heart
The outline was masterful. It was historic, it was insightful, and it was instructional. But it was the application statements that really spoke to my heart.
- First, music and praise are still indispensable to the way of worship.
- Second, different occasions call for varied but right-hearted ways of worship.
- Third, the way of worship is the way back.
I loved the third application point, that as you look at David’s life you see his highs and his lows. You see moments when you are appalled by his sin, and moments when you are amazed by God’s restorative grace. But that restorative grace didn’t happen by accident because the common theme in David’s life, no matter what the circumstance, including his own sin, was that he always returned to God in genuine worship because worship is the way back.
- When David sinned with Bathsheba worship was the way back (Psalm 51).
- When David mourned the death of his child, worship was the way back (2 Samuel 12:20).
- When David’s pride cost 70,000 innocent lives in Israel, worship was the way back (2 Samuel 24:18-25).
Worship was the way back for David and worship is the way back for people like you and me today. As I listened, I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I remembered different times when worship had been the way back for me; something I have thought about many times since that Sunday morning.
Explaining God’s Word
I’m sharing this story is because it serves as a great reminder of the power of biblical preaching. As skillful as the messenger was that morning, the power and conviction came from the clear explanation of God’s Word. The illustrations and stories enhanced the message by making them more relatable and applicable to modern life, but it was the explanation of the Word of God showing the work of God in David’s life that captured my heart. And it reminded me of a quote from Roy Anderson in an article on preaching in Ministry Magazine. He said, “Sermons are not works of art for the purpose of display, but tools to achieve specific results.” In order for this to be true there must be a deliberate emphasis on content. In this message, it was the biblical content that brought the power and conviction; the historical content, the biographical content, and the practical content seen primarily in the actions and responses of David.
Developing Biblical Content
The development of biblical content takes work. It takes time and commitment. And while I know firsthand how busy each ministry week can be in the local church, you have to be committed to carving out and protecting the time necessary for genuine biblical preaching. I will confess that there were times during the last 10 years of my ministry when leading a large church with five satellite campuses ate into my sermon preparation. But I was fortunate to have my son on staff in an associate role to help me in content research. Since he had spent his entire life listening to me preach, he had a unique and personal insight into the way I developed a sermon. This was a great help to me.
You may not be in the position of having someone help you like this during the busy times of ministry. If that’s the case, then be all the more relentless in guarding your time of study and preparation because there is so much at stake. Let me mention three things.
First, the authority of God is at stake. When you don’t have the time (or you don’t take the time) to develop biblical content ,whatever you substitute will not only pale in comparison, but it will ultimately miss the mark of conviction and change that God wants to bring into the lives of the listeners.
Second, the ongoing consecration of your life is at stake. After 45 years of being a preacher I can say with integrity that the greatest benefit that comes from preaching is the work God does in my own life as I study and prepare. I’m sure any honest preacher would say the same. When you neglect the study and preparation necessary for genuine biblical preaching you neglect your own spiritual growth.
Third, the spiritual health of your church is at stake. Preaching that’s built on style rather than substance or content breeds shallow Christians who are more likely to be, to use Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:14, “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching….” In short, they have no spiritual foundation.
It’s been three weeks and I’m still thinking about that sermon from 2 Samuel 6. And I’m thanking God for the reminder that worship will always be the way back for my life. I’m also thankful for the power of genuine biblical preaching.
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