Passage: 5 Church Essentials | Lesson 04
September 27, 2015 | Darren Lo
For those that haven't been able to make it to Passage, we've been going over 5 Essentials of the Church: Sound Doctrine, The Gospel, Church Membership, Expositional Preaching, and Discipleship & Growth (taken from the 9marks of measurement for the church)
This past Sunday, we discussed ways to approach preaching and the elements that are part of preaching. We couldn't get to the evaluation part of the lesson, so here is are six tips on how to evaluate a sermon:
Evaluate prayerfully.
Leading up to Sunday, spend time on your knees. Pray for your pastor as he prepares his sermon, that he would clearly and compellingly preach the gospel. A good pastor knows well the burden of rightly dividing the word of truth and cherishes the prayers of his people. Additionally, pray for yourself to have ears to hear and for the Holy Spirit’s help in evaluating the sermon. Pray also that the congregation would respond in faith and obedience.
Evaluate for understanding.
Sermon evaluation involves more than if you liked or didn’t like the sermon; it comes down to if you understood the main point(s) of the passage preached. It doesn’t matter how eloquent or engaging or humorous your pastor is, you have completely missed the point if you haven’t focused on understanding the message. As you listen, identify the main points and consider their application for your life.
Evaluate critically but not critically.
Yes, you read that right. The difference between the two is the subtle difference between critique and criticism.
In the positive sense, we should evaluate a sermon critically like the Bereans evaluated Paul’s sermons—by testing it against Scripture and considering its applications.
In the negative sense, we should avoid evaluating sermons with a spirit of criticism. In our efforts to examine the content of the message, we must be careful not to slip into tearing down the messenger. Every pastor has weaknesses and shortcomings. There is no need to pick apart his grammar or nervous habits. You need not keep a tally of his misspeaks and overused phases. Dissecting your pastor’s weaknesses distracts you from the message and breeds contempt toward the messenger, neither of which is healthy. Trust me, chances are that your pastor is harder on himself in these areas than you are.
Evaluate in terms of “we” instead of “me.”
We live in an age of rampant Christian individualism where the nature of the Christian life is primarily viewed through the lens of personal growth and discovery. As a result, we often only consider how a sermon or passage of Scripture applies to us personally. However, there’s another lens we should never overlook—the corporate, or congregational, nature of the Christian life. When considering the application of the sermon, don’t just think about how it applies to you individually. Also consider what it would look like for your congregation to live out these truths collectively.
Evaluate without comparison.
Thanks to podcasts, you can now listen to hours upon hours of sermons each week from a variety of gifted preachers all over the world. Certainly, there are personal spiritual benefits to listening to other pastors’ sermons. At the same time, be careful not to let this access encourage unhealthy comparisons between your pastor’s sermons and those from prominent preachers. God has given your pastor a particular flock to shepherd that he did not give these other pastors. While his sermons may not be as polished or precise, he better knows the strengths and weaknesses, the trials and tendencies, of your particular congregation better than any podcast preacher. For instance: is your congregation filled with legalists or hedonists? Your pastor will know, and will therefore know which way to lean when preaching. God has uniquely situated him to apply Scripture to the life of your church.
Evaluate to encourage.
As you listen to the sermon, look for positive aspects of the sermon and truths God teaches you through it, and make it a point to tell your pastor. When you do, be specific. Don’t just shake his hand and say, “Good sermon.” Say something like, “The Lord really challenged me when you explained that second part of the passage about generosity.” In the long run, good, helpful feedback will make him an even better preacher, which will contribute to your own spiritual growth and build up the church to the glory of Christ.
Adapted from http://9marks.org/article/how-to-evaluate-your-pastors-sermons-2/
Posts
