Choosing to Preach Discussion

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Kallie Hutton on Aug. 24, 2010 at 15:19

Can preaching be confrontational? It depends on your definition of confrontation. If by confrontation you mean a war-like approach, then I do not believe it is appropriate. If you preach with a war-like mentality then you listeners are you enemy and that is counterproductive. If you start going after sins with anger and aggression while condemning and chastising, the only responses you will get from your listeners will be guilt, fear, indignation, stubbornness and rebellion. Perhaps it is because I come from a younger generation, but when I hear a preacher telling me what to think and how to act my first reaction is to do the opposite; I don not want to be told what to do. I do not want to be told how to think, I do however want to be challenged TO think. Confrontation is a good thing if it is done correctly. Confronting an issue out of love and understanding with the goal of repentance and restoration instead of condemnation will lead to conviction instead of guilt. Conviction leads to life change but guilt leads to self-hatred. If you want your listeners to experience life change, confront with love, if you want them to wallow in sin and self-hatred, confront with anger.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Danny Stebeck on Dec. 12, 2009 at 14:31

I don’t see how one can avoid preaching from being confrontational. For one, the basic structure of preaching is that one person is standing before many and making declarations. Without the a full balance of dialogue and interaction it stands to reason it is set up to be confrontational. One may then argue more aptly whether it is boldly confrontational or gently confrontational? If there is no person standing before people making some form of proclamation then I doubt that we are talking about preaching.

Of more interest to me however, is the source of the passion for confrontation. I have always been told that if one wants to know what battles the preacher is personally fighting then look at the trend of his messages. I remember one well know TV preacher always railing against certain sins only to be exposed finally for secretly harbouring those very same sins. Confrontation that is rooted in the preacher’s dissatisfaction with self is dangerous. Thus I see why Paul confronts Timothy with the need to guard his ‘life’ and doctrine closely.

I believe that we must acknowledge the dangers, work past the pitfalls, but never abandon the practice of preaching that is confrontational.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Kapil Sharma on Oct. 31, 2009 at 19:36

Well the first thing that comes to mind is that its important that we realize that ultimately its not us who should be overpowering anyone. The overpowering should happen by the Holy Spirit. If its just us overpowering people and not the Spirit then there might be any transformation taking plus at all. I think that in many ways preaching is confrontational. I remember how I felt during the the first message I ever heard which was at CLA in Langley. At point the preacher said that Jesus was the only way and that no other religion had the answers that Jesus Christ did. This confronted everything i I believed in at the time and at one point i was about to walk out on the message, but in retrospect I think it was very beneficial to hear that at point in my life. Somethings there needs to confrontation as we are called to exhort and rebuke fellow Christians. But the messages can not be confrontational everytime, as there are times when the rhythm of the message must revolve around gentleness and encouragment. So balance is key. A balance that Jesus has as at times he turned over tables and other times reminded people to look at the doves.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Barry Neufeld on Oct. 01, 2009 at 16:49

Can Preaching be Confrontational?

It doesn’t matter if they are shaking their fist and yelling at the top of their heads, or gently whispering, preachers who explain Luke 16:18 (Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.) are going to be accused of being confrontational. Everyone knows a friend or loved one who is “messing around” and a good percentage of people sitting in the pews of most churches have probably breached the bounds of their marriage vows at one time or another. Nobody likes to be reminded of how strict God’s rules are. But a preacher who is true to the word of God can’t sugar coat the Gospel. A preacher afraid to confront sin is not worthy of the task.

In my years of experience as a probation officer, I have yet to see any addict willingly attend a treatment center based on reasoned argument or emotional pleading. They need to be confronted and shown the consequences of continued drug abuse and non-compliance. Sin is an even greater addiction than heroin, crack or crystal meth. And it is more devastating. The preacher of the gospel must be willing to confront people.

I like the advice of marriage counselor Dr. Barbara Markey. When she deals with couple who have been cohabiting prior to their wedding, she doesn’t shake her finger at them or put them down. She simply points out the facts that couples who cohabitate prior to their wedding have a much higher risk of divorce—- 90% to be exact. She says: “You don’t need to MINIMIZE IT on the one hand or CATASTROPHIZE IT on the other: You don’t want this to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”(FOCCUS Manual) She advises to just state the facts and then promise them you are there to help them reduce the risks.

T.D. Jakes is considered by many as a good preacher, but when you see him in action: screeching at the top of his lungs, wagging his head and prancing back and forth, a Northerner would wonder if he is mentally stable. A sophisticated and blasé Torontonian like Bruxy Cavey’s wife would dismiss him as being mentally unbalanced in need of deliverance from the sin of anger. But in the south, this is merely a style of rhetoric that people enjoy. Soft spoken Max Lucado (also a southerner) can be just as effective in with a gentle confrontation. So we must realize that what is considered inappropriate confrontation is culturally conditioned.

In a speech in Chicago in April 1903, president Theodore Roosevelt said: “There is a homely old adage which runs: ‘Speak softly and carry and big stick; you will go far.’ “

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Josh Buys on Sep. 30, 2009 at 22:41

I realize that what I am about to say may find some if not a lot of resistance in the current cultural climate, but this is a subject near and dear to my heart as God has walked me through it in very real ways in the last two years. The truth is that God at times IS confrontational. Both Jeremiah and Isaiah are at times nothing but confrontational. Here is the key, though, they are confrontational on God’s terms and with God’s words. I have not yet been able to bring myself either in a church setting or in an evangelistic arena to be overtly confrontational, but I have witnessed preaching that confronts, convicts and causes change in people’s lives. I have also witness confrontational preaching break through people’s walls so that they are receptive to the message of God’s grace and love. Because of this I have come to a place where I believe that God places unique messages in the mouths of those He calls to preach,and even though hard preaching at times is hard even for me to listen to I have seen it be the needed hammer to break down the walls of misconception and rebellion so that the Good News can seep into the lives of those exposed. In conclusion, I don’t believe the office of the Prophet has come and gone. I believe the God still calls people into account through men and women whom He gives the authority to to distill His displeasure. I believe this because as much as I believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever I also believe that people in a fallen world continue to act in the same if not deeper rebellion both inside and outside of God’s church as they did in the time of Jeremiah. Now, to push back, most confrontational preaching is a power trip and not the voice of God for a rebellious people, but nonetheless to dismiss confrontational preaching as ungodly is to dismiss the biblical evidence and to walk in a place void of accountability and the voices God puts on this earth to call His church back to the center of His will.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Chris Maclure on Mar. 26, 2009 at 11:37

It’s important to distinguish the preacher and his/her preaching from the power of God’s Word when it comes to convicting people of the reality of sin in their lives. It is only the Holy Spirit working through revealed truth that is to confront an individual and call them to change. This is the only authority a preacher has. This Word can be spoke with passion, conviction, and focus, but it cannot be spoken down to people.
A confrontational or warlike approach is an arrogant, prideful position for a preacher to take. We are only one means through which God teaches and leads his people forward. A preach must communicate as a participant who is learning along with the congregation. They need to share out of person experiences, both successes and failures, to demonstrate God’s grace and continued work in drawing people towards himself.

lk 12:49-53

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Ryan McDonald on Mar. 01, 2009 at 18:18

The answer to this is in my opinion no. If you look at Jesus’s sermons he confronts issues but never people in sermon form. Instead he prefers to tell stories which are not directly confrontational. When Jesus is confrontational with someone it is usually in a small group or personal setting never in a public sermon for all to hear. People won’t listen to you if your first words are confrontational and ultimately we want to be heard. In my opinion I never want to be warlike in how I preach I want to be a peace maker a bridge builder a gentle reminder and nudge but confrontation as one of my mentors once wisely told me is the Spirit’s job and I am not the Spirit

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Jeffery Chan on Feb. 17, 2009 at 23:41

Preaching is confrontational.

In answer to the second subquestion about winning people by overpowering them, I would say that it is never appropriate to attempt to win people by overpowering them. God gave people the ability to choose, even to choose to go against God. Christ in his preaching and in his calling of people to repent and sin no more gave people a choice whether to listen to his preaching and follow him or to turn away. He never overpowered them.

However, Jesus confronted on many occasions. He confronts the rich young ruler (Matt 19:21). He confronts the pharisees (Matt 12:34; 23:27). He confronted the social structure (Matt 5). Furthermore, Jesus himself used war-like language at times (Matt 10:34) saying that he "did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Christian Preaching is inherently confrontational. To preach is to share what God is speaking to a certain people at a certain time. Preaching is sharing the Word of God. And, if we are faithful to preach the Word of God, we know that "The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb 4:12)

The Word of God is confrontational. Therefore faithful preaching is also confrontational. However, we must remember that it is the Word that is confrontational, not our words. It is God who confronts, not us. If God’s Word is warlike, then to be faithful to the Scriptures, we must present it as it is. At the same time, to be faithful in preaching God’s Word, we must also respect the God given dignity that they have by not attempting to strong-arm them or overpower them, for God himself has not done that.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Teresa Lam Lam on Nov. 30, 2008 at 23:17

At one occasion after a special meeting, a group of Christian women commented that the guest speaker was very powerful. The speaker was famous for his warlike approach to preaching. They even asked their pastor who was present at the time to learn the guest speaker’s approach.

I heard both of them spoke before. I had seen people leaving the venue while the guest speaker was preaching and rebuking the audience who were leaving the venue. Although he preached the Word of God but I find him a bit arrogant in his attitude. He had in depth exegesis and expounding the Scripture. He did point out the problem of people but his attitude would not win the heart of some people at least. I gather that those people who praised him might be thinking the message is not for them. I agree with Dr. Anderson that preachers who really experienced the love of God will preach with love. I know the other "soft" preacher. He is not gifted in preaching. But his love for people’s soul and his gentleness have won a lot of people to Christ. Who would you prefer?

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Yong Wang on Sep. 29, 2008 at 20:10

Can preaching be confrontational? This question first appeared a Yes to me. After all, the Scriptures have the function of rebuking (2 Timothy 3:16). Since preachers preach Bible, it makes sense that preaching can be confrontational.
However, after reading the three sub-questions above, I have changed my idea. My answer to this question is: Preaching can be confrontational but it is not always appropriate.

A warlike approach to preaching is not appropriate. What is the preacher trying to achieve? To win over a fight or argument? To let the listeners submit to his or her authority? Even preacher chooses the confrontational style out of love for the listeners, the question is will the listener willingly sense and receive this kind of expression love. Definitely not! I doubt this is the best way to convince the listeners. What’s more, it happens primarily in the cognitive domain. Often, preacher may win the argument but the listener’s life will not change. God is not gloried.

I should not deny the fact that sometimes confrontational approach works well for certain person under certain conditions. The effect may not be shown right away but can be seen in the future. For example, people who have turned away from God and now is strongly against God, doing something to destroy God’s kingdom, often it involves spiritual warfare. A loving gentle approach may not work best under situation like this.
Preaching should not be confrontational most of the time.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Teresa Lam Lam on Sep. 22, 2008 at 14:02

The Greek word for preaching is kerusso which means "to encounter", "to call out", to "stand up and raise your voice", calling people to attention to an authoritative message. By default "preaching is confrontational. But nowadays, people don’t like the preachers or teachers to raise their voice. Some of my Sunday School students will describe me as "yelling to them". The fact that nowadays the absolute truth is twisted requires us as preacher to be confrontational in our message. We need to proclaim the truth, like John the Baptist (Mat 3:1), apostle Paul (Acts 9:20).

Young people especially do not like to be told what is right. They want to have their own opinion. It is a spiritual battle. We need to speak the truth with love. We need to pray for wisdom and God’s revelation when we prepare and also when we deliver our message. The process is dynamic. We need the Spirt of God to fight the battle. Only Him can overpower the listeners. We are only the channel to be used by God. But we as believers are all called to preach by Jesus. Let us pray for the Spirit of God to fall upon us, anoint our mouth to preach the Good News. Lord, please help me to relate Your message to this generation effectively and profoundly.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Kevin O'Coin on Sep. 12, 2008 at 09:43

I think what we have to look at is what we mean by confrontation. The question posed speaks of confrontation with words like "overpowering" and "warlike." If this is the case, I could conceivably say yes, but with extreme reservations, knowing that I myself have never seen this done successfully, and in our humanness this kind of knife-edge balance between confrontation and bullying is almost too narrow to walk.

If, however, we think of confrontation differently, then not only can preaching be confrontational, but it must be. I like to think of confrontation as anything that poses an alternative pathway. I purposefully don’t use the word "option" because if all we are doing is giving someone a choice akin to their many other and equally-valid choices, or portraying God’s Word as a mere suggestion for their lives, then we are not preaching biblically. If, however, we present God’s counsel as the best way (realizing that some may call us arrogrant), then we are by nature being confrontational because God always calls us to something different. When we proclaim the counter-cultural, upside-down kingdom of God, we are putting a roadblock in someone’s way — it is done in love, but it still calls people to stop and turn around. Confrontation doesn’t have to mean war, but it means challenge, and that is the responsibility of any preacher who wants to honour the Scriptures.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by George Bedlion on Nov. 07, 2007 at 16:44

There is something gritty, something tough about preachers who preach God’s word. This type of preacher is difficult to define, hard to create comprehensive descriptions of but you know him or her when you hear their words. I think there is a time to be gracious and tender as a teacher yet also a time to be confrontational, willing to battle in a loving way…. These types of preachers bring a gracious arsenal of holy confrontation and patience that, if called for, should be engaged. It reminds me of Jacob wrestling with the Angel of God all night until Jacob’s strength was spent and his hip out of place. Jacob wrestled, he strove with God all night for his blessing. And the Angel obliged, wrestling him until the only way to get Jacob to stop aside from killing Jacob was to injure him. He later became known as Israel, the one who strives with God. This seems warlike to me. Ecclesiastes says there is a time for war and a time for peace. The problem for preachers is knowing when to be on the offensive to confront and teach or when to be more passive, quiet, and tender.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Mike Keigley on Sep. 25, 2007 at 15:21

The prophets of the OT rarely shirked from their heavy messages. Jesus confronted those he loved and the Christian church was founded on the blood of the martyrs who believed that the message was greater than their own lives. Preachers should be sensitive to what God is saying to the congregation. This means listening and being in touch with need of the congregation. Preaching may well be like parenting. If your child is about to do something dangerous, you will respond with the appropriate response. At the basis of this response is love. Confrontational preaching is necessary if the preacher discerns form God that this may be necessary. This should not be the only type of preaching that preachers have in their repertoire. Imagine a parent who always shouted at their children even when they were not in danger.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Thomas Calamunce on Sep. 24, 2007 at 18:29

In Matthew 16:23 Jesus became confrontational with Peter when Peter said that Jesus would never be killed and then raised on the third day. Preaching can be confrontational. There are things in the Bible which are non-negotiable, and in order to assert these things certainly one of the ways to do this is through preaching. Perhaps this is not the best approach to winning people over to Christ but there are times when a believer needs to snap back into place and the only way this can be done is through loving confrontation. The bottom line is that preaching is a part of a SPIRITUAL war. Within the war there are battles which are waged. Maybe in preaching you don’t use your most potent and destructive weapons since the preacher does not know who is in the audience but weapons are none the less appropriate.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by zachariah rippee on Jan. 20, 2007 at 12:55

First, I believe you don’t have to have a group to preach to. If you have one person
who God has moved you to speak to, preach to them like you would preach to 100s.
I believe that there are moments, moments when satan is lurking around, so twisted in our listeners hearts, that the only way we will uproot him is to be confrontational. But we need to remember that we are comfronting satan and sin, not the person whom God made, like he made you and me.

re: #2 - Can Preaching be Confrontational?

Posted by Jon Mair on Jan. 18, 2007 at 18:45

I think in preaching the idea of confrontation is not appropriate because it is such a one-way form of communication. Confrontation can be used in one on one or small group situations where there is opportunity for dialouge. If confrontation is used in preaching it pits the speaker against the audience and ends up simply being a ramming of information. When that happens the listener will often either shut off or storm out. This does nothing to reach that person but simply makes them upset. Therefore I think confrontation is an option just not for use in preaching situations.