The doctrinal preaching of the Word of God is a vital necessity. The proclamation of the Scriptures with clarity and precision is God’s method of transforming the lives of men and women. It is the authoritative link between the heart of God and the souls of men. The modern world has had enough of theories, conjecture and rationale–it hungers for the truth of God plainly spoken. It longs for the “thus saith the Lord.” It is waiting for men of God, like Jonah to whom God spoke: “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”
Unfortunately, the preaching of the Word has fallen out of favor with many evangelical church leaders. Today there is a growing opposition toward doctrinal preaching of the Scriptures. Social action is more appealing to many Christian leaders. They question the use of mere words, when the lost of this world are looking for deeds.
In addition, Church growth experts contend that biblical preaching is old-fashioned; videos, panel forums, discussions, music, and multimedia presentations are now filling the place once occupied by preaching. Evangelical leaders defend their views by stating that the churches are filled, para-church ministries are in demand, and Christians are busier than ever. But what is the spiritual condition of the church? Are these new methods in agreement with the Word of God? Let us examine these issues more closely.
Evangelical leaders are calling for radical changes in traditional methods. A growing number of church leaders throughout North America maintain that the faithful preaching of the Word of God is no longer an effective means of reaching the lost and developing mature believers. The cry now is for preaching that addresses “relevancy” and the “felt-needs” of the audience.
This technique is now being espoused by many church growth institutes and ministries throughout the U.S. and Canada. However, under closer investigation one discovers that this technique was examined and rejected by Bible-based Christians 70 years ago, when the modernist preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick urged its use in Christian churches. In 1928, he scolded godly men of the Book, writing, “Preachers who pick out texts from the Bible and then proceed to give their historic settings, their logical meaning in the context, their place in the theology of the writer, are grossly misusing the Bible. Let them not end but start with thinking of the audience’s vital needs, and then let the whole sermon be organized around their endeavor to meet those needs. This is all good sense and good psychology.”1
In his book on reaching out to “Baby Boomers,” Doug Murren, the pastor of a large charismatic congregation in the Pacific northwest, provides readers with the following seven suggestions for preparing relevant messages:
1. Visit the “how-to” sections in your local bookstores 2. Regularly have a small group submit a list of their greatest challenges at home and on the job. 3. Similarly, acquire inventories of needs from several secular (unsaved) people in your community. 4. Periodically, examine issues of Time, Newsweek, and USA Today, as these publications are on the cutting edge of the felt needs and fears people are facing. 5. Apply practical aims to every study, message or program in your church. 6. Practice composing practical, catchy titles for your messages. 7. Limit your time to 20 minutes. And don’t forget to keep your messages light and informal, liberally sprinkling them with humor and personal anecdotes.2
It is remarkable that all of these suggestions are adapted to meet man’s social, emotional, and material needs; furthermore, not one refers to the Word of God or to meeting man’s most important need–spiritual separation from God. These new methods are not resting on the bedrock of the Scriptures, but on the shifting sand of psychological and humanistic principles.
This raises several questions: What consequences will these new methods bring? Is this new preaching method harmless? Is it merely an evangelistic fad and nothing more? Furthermore, should Bible-believing Christians embrace it as an effective evangelistic tool?
Professor James Davidson Hunter, a researcher from the University of Virginia, has studied the views of evangelicals at 16 leading seminaries and Bible colleges and reported his findings in his 1987 book, “Evangelicalism: the Coming Generation.” Hunter argues convincingly that seminaries are moving away from doctrinal orthodoxy. Among the students he interviewed, over 50% said that the Bible should not be taken literally in matters of science and history. There were 33% who disagreed with the statement, “The only hope for heaven is through personal faith in Jesus Christ”: 46% felt preaching to unbelievers “about hell” is in poor taste.3
Jay Kesler, president of Taylor University, a Christian college in the Midwest, stated, “I agree with Hunter’s observations of the changes taking place not only at Christian colleges and seminaries, but in evangelical culture generally.” In 1994, Josh McDowell Ministries conducted an extensive study on the Christian character of evangelical young people in the U.S. In the study, 3,795 young people between the ages of 11-18 were asked 193 questions concerning their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Although 86% stated that they had trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior, the results of the survey uncovered an array of troubling statistics. The study revealed that 45% watched MTV at least once a week: 57% said that the Bible was not a reliable standard of truth. The study also revealed that many young people are cheating, smoking, gambling, watching X-rated movies and engaging in premarital sex.4
Research has shown that many Christians do not possess a satisfactory understanding of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. Why are evangelical young people engaging in such harmful activities? Why is there so little understanding of biblical doctrine? One reason must be the failure of the evangelical churches to preach and teach the great doctrines of the faith. When the Holy Scriptures are taught with conviction, lives and lifestyles will be transformed to the glory of God (Isa. 66:2).
The New Testament models this practice of doctrinal preaching and demonstrates the blessing that will follow. The preaching of doctrine characterized the ministry of the Lord Jesus and the Apostles. As Christ was teaching His disciples, it was said of Him, “He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine” (Mk. 4:2). As others heard His teaching, it was said, “the people were astonished at His doctrine” (Mt. 7:24). The early New Testament Church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42), and they were exhorted to “Preach the word…exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2). They were entreated to refute the false teachers with doctrine, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers” (Titus 1:9). Doctrinal preaching was the charge, challenge, and resource to all who sought to serve and honor the Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, doctrinal preaching, by divine design, shields the church from the unrelenting assault of false teachers. Doctrinal preaching by definition involves reproof, correction and instruction (2 Tim. 3:16). This powerful corrective, therefore should address doctrinal error and the false teachers who are bringing the error.
Paul charges: “Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom. 16:17). The failure to do so will open the door to false teachers, causing many sincere believers to be spiritually imperiled.
A sad account given by Henry Theissen, a former professor of theology at Wheaton College, points out that in the absence of passionate doctrinal preaching, error found fertile soil: “Oratorical preaching may bind the congregation to the preacher; but when the preacher leaves, the people leave also. It has been often demonstrated that only when people are thoroughly taught the Word of God do they become strong Christians and effective workers for Christ. There is a definite connection between doctrinal preaching and mature spiritual growth. T. DeWitt Talmage may be cited as a man of great oratorical powers who built up a large congregation by his ability. However, soon after Talmage’s death, the Brooklyn Tabernacle fell into the hands of Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (known to us today as the Jehovah’s Witnesses).”5 Today, the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide is estimated at 11.5 million.
May this illustration serve as a clarion call to all serious believers. New Testament churches must put aside the current popular fads, the glitter and sparkle of the newest trends, and return to the rock-solid foundation of doctrinal preaching and the unchanging power of the Word. Then the church will be strong, believers vigorous for Christ, and the world attentive to the life-changing power of the gospel.
Endnotes:
1 Harry Emerson Fosdick, What is the Matter with Preaching? Harpers Magazine, July, 1928, p. 135
2 Doug Murren, The Baby Boomerang, Regal Books, Glendale, CA, 1990, pp. 227-228
3 James Davidson Hunter, Evangelicalism: The Coming Generation, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1987, p. 198
4 Josh McDowell, Help Your Teen Make The Right Choice, Focus on the Family Magazine, Nov. 1994, p. 4
5 Henry Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1949, p. 30