Choosing to Preach Discussion
#10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Kent Anderson on August 26, 2006 19:10
Why are preachers hesitant to let listeners in on the joy of discovery? Why do we tend to want to keep this to ourselves? Are we afraid that our listeners will distort the result if we let them participate? Is this concern justified? Will they not do what they want with the sermon whether or not we give them permission?
(from page 83)
Replies
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by George Bedlion on Dec. 03, 2007 at 00:38
We do become attached to our ideas, creations, and work- sometimes too attached. I think this is part of why it is so hard to let go of our discoveries and let the listeners discover on their own. We want our discoveries to be clear, unambiguous, and fully understood. Of course this is impossible but sometimes our vanity, and perhaps our attachment to our creations, prevent us from allowing listeners to have a more active and uninhibited experience with our sermons. I think listeners will distort what we say no matter what so we should become less attached to our experience and more willing to give the listeners a chance to embrace discovery in a more meaningful way- personally.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Keith Whitaker on Oct. 19, 2007 at 11:06
Allowing the congregation in on the discovery process as it relates to a particular passage has both risk and benefit. The risk is that people may come to misinformed conclusions either as a result of poor guidance by the preacher or poor analysis by the listener. This being said, however, we must not think that this risk outweighs the benefit. Leading a congregation through the discovery process and helping them arrive at an informed conclusion has, as I see it, two important benefits. First, the preacher is in a sense equipping the congregation to study God’s word rather than spoon feeding them the end result. Second, the preacher opens up room for the Spirit of God to speak to his people through the journey of discover (perhaps like Laurie’s reference to the “eureka” moment-below). At times in my life I have learned much more about God by engaging a process rather than having truth spoken to me.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Laurie Tyndall on Oct. 01, 2007 at 16:24
I think there is nothing better than an inductive sermon that allows the listener to discover the "eureka" of God’s word. 2 Tim 3:16 reminds us that all scripture is there for our investigation. A preacher should not be hesitant to equip his or her listeners in internalizing God’s word and His truths in ways that encourage them to take ownership of what has been preached and place it upon their own hearts. Preachers who are hesitant to do this, may be under the false assumption that they have a corner on understanding God’s word over others. God can speak and be heard by anyone who has an ear to hear.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Sally Peng on Sep. 30, 2007 at 00:06
I think I can understand if a preacher chooses to deliver a sermon that contains only the results of his process of discovery. After all, preachers are supposed to speak what they think God has inspired them to say and that may not include how they came to that. However, I think it would be wise to share with our listeners how God inspires us and how we got to the conclusion. Our listeners are indwelled with the same Spirit, and are therefore accountable to the message we deliver. If the sermon is truly inspired by the Spirit, we should trust that the listeners will get the message that God wants to tell them. If we spoon-feed them they will still have to analyse and digest the message if they take it seriously. So why don’t we invite them on our journey of discovery so they can feel the joy we have felt.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Andre VanWoerden on Feb. 22, 2007 at 13:27
I think preachers do share their discoveries but forget to share the journey of discovering—they present the polished results of their discovery by way of a coherent exposition of the text because that is, after all, the end result we’re after, isn’t it? But I think that by inviting listeners on a journey of discovering the text for themselves, the Bible will have a much greater impact on their lives because they have discovered it for themselves and experienced excitement of it. So the challenge for the preacher is to discover the truth and then, rather than sharing that discovered truth, to help listeners discover that same truth through more of a subversive process.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Philip Yung on Feb. 01, 2007 at 18:13
Sometimes I think we are hesitant to let listeners in on the process we take is discovering the text because we want to come across as being sure of the truth we present. We want to make statements and sound confident in our preaching. However, I’ve found that when I let my listeners in on the questions I’m asking the text as I’m in the process of discovering, where I am struggling to understand what God is saying and finally discover his message for me, I become even more confident in my presentation of truth, because it was something actually discovered and not mindlessly applied. And I know that they see that when I take them on that process.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by Tim Durksen on Jan. 31, 2007 at 16:53
I like what HeeJin had to say. When i discover something amazing before i preach you will find we wandering around the office expressing my excitement and joy for discovering this amazing truth about God. When i preach i love to let my excitement for what ive found bubble over. I think when people see genuine excitement for what they have found and want to share with people they want to hear everything that a preacher has to say.
re: #10 - The Joy of Discovery
Posted by HeeJin Kim on Jan. 24, 2007 at 19:17
Preachers may often feel that it is their right to deliver God’s sermon to their listeners. However, if a preacher laid out his or her thought process, the listeners may come to the same conclusion themselves. This way, it will be their own conclusion and will impact them and change their lives more than it might have been otherwise.