{"id":20246,"date":"2002-07-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2002-07-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2002\/07\/01\/preaching-for-change\/"},"modified":"2002-07-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2002-07-01T00:00:00","slug":"preaching-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching for Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jesus said, “You experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry \u2026 ” (Luke 11:46). How can preachers keep themselves from doing this?<\/p>\n

One of the most significant challenges to my preaching came when a colleague said, “Randy, I want you to do something that someone did for me. Listen to a couple of your sermon tapes. Diagnose the percentage of time you spend preaching against things versus preaching for things.” I consider myself a positive person. But I was appalled that the majority of my time I spent preaching against something. It’s simply easier. Instead, we need to tell people what we live for<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What effect does this kind of preaching have?<\/p>\n

Preaching is similar to raising children. One strategy for correcting an overweight child is to pick on them about their weight. But it doesn’t work. Instead, whenever there’s a small success, stand up and brag on them. Preaching should celebrate more than scold.<\/p>\n

Recently I was encouraged by my congregation’s response to community needs. I simply said, “I’m overwhelmed by what you have been doing. I just want to say how proud I am of you.” I didn’t add, “But let’s do more.”<\/em><\/p>\n

If you simply brag on them, that really motivates.<\/p>\n

How can you help a congregation want<\/em> to change?<\/p>\n

Sermons allow us to be passionate about change by being vulnerable about our struggles. I find tremendous impact when people know that I’ve made mistakes, but that I am passionate about what Christ can do to change me.<\/p>\n

Recently my daughter lost my wife’s cell phone at the mall. I was having a really bad day. I told her, “You need to go back. Look at every store. I don’t care what it’s going to take.” I was really hard on both my wife and my daughter.<\/p>\n

Later that day I wasn’t paying attention while driving and hit the curb. It destroyed the wheel. When I saw my daughter, I said, “The cell phone you lost is going to cost about $20 to replace, and that was irresponsible. But I was irresponsible, too, and it’s going to cost me $500. I’ll tell you what. I will cut you some slack, if you will cut me some slack.”<\/p>\n

Sharing that story gave people a sense of my vulnerability and my real passion to be more grace-filled and forgiving. That kind of preaching and that kind of example encourage life change.<\/p>\n

Randy Frazee is pastor of Pantego Bible Church in Ft. Worth, Texas.<\/p>\n\n

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Our Messiah’s mission is to seek and save the lost. This series challenges Christians to discard laissez faire<\/em> faith and to adopt a mission of evangelism and<\/em> social action.<\/p>\n

What is Christ’s agenda in the world?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Text:<\/strong> Luke 4:14-30<\/p>\n

Big Idea:<\/strong> Jesus’ agenda of salvation to all people challenges comfortable Christianity.<\/p>\n

What is our part in Jesus’ plan?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Text:<\/strong> Luke 10:1-24<\/p>\n

Big Idea:<\/strong> The eternal stakes of Jesus’ agenda compel us to join his mission of outreach.<\/p>\n

Expanded outlines with illustrations are free to subscribers of PreachingToday.com or may be purchased at PreachingTodaySermons.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Sermon Sparkers<\/h2>\n\n

Jesus’ Agenda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n