Choosing to Preach Discussion

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Kallie Hutton on Aug. 23, 2010 at 18:47

The attitude and motivation with which one comes to preaching dictates whether or not a preacher will come across as arrogant and superior. If a preacher comes before his or her congregation with an air that they and they alone have heard the voice of God, they will appear to be arrogant. If a preacher speaks to their congregation with judgement, then that judgement will be felt by the listeners. But, if a preacher stands before people with love, then everything changes. Preaching should not be used to announce God’s judgement or to flaunt one’s own knowledge and understanding, instead preaching should be the pedestal for proclaiming God’s love for His people through His word. When people know that a message is being delivered out of love, they can receive even the most difficult teachings.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Philip Williams on Apr. 01, 2010 at 22:04

Everyone’s answers are so long.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Johannes Weber on Nov. 29, 2009 at 19:06

One of the writers below has based his response on a dictionary definition of preaching. I want to base mine on the definition of "arrogant":

Arrogance: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions (Merriam-Webster Online)

Preaching, if we go with Dr. Anderson’s definition (helping people hear from God) is an attempt to communicate superior truth. That truth, however, is not internal to the preacher, but comes from the One who is truly superior (because he is omnipotent and omniscient) and who therefore – by definition – cannot make "presumptuous claims or assumptions". Neither does a just and yet loving God behave in an overbearing manner.

Preaching that lives up to its biblical purpose is therefore not at all arrogant. That does not mean that people will not offended by it, but it is not arrogant. I would suggest on the contrary that genuine preaching is deeply humble, especially when the Spirit leads the preacher to communicate uncomfortable truth. Real preaching flows from obedience and humility, not from an attitude of superiority over the listeners but from an attitude of inferiority before the Almighty God and his word.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Kapil Sharma on Oct. 31, 2009 at 18:34

I think one way that preachers can avoid the charge of arrogance in preaching is the attitude they display while preaching. To me it is usually clearly evident whether or not certain sermons are soaked with humility on the part of the preacher or just sheer unapologetic arrogance. Sometimes the words that preachers use are essential in this. When Preachers consistently or solely use the word "you" instead of "we" when exhorting or challenging it can come across that the preacher is in a superior righteous position than the congregation. Ultimately however it will not depend on words but the way in which the pastor tends to his own heart since it is of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. There will be times though that even if the pastor does not speak in a arrogant way, that will take offense, but those times I believe that people are not offended by the preacher but rather what the preacher believes, especially as it pertains to issues such as hell judgement and the wrath of God.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Sunhee SunHee Jung on Oct. 31, 2009 at 16:25

I think that in the sense of “delivering” a sermon as “making claims or pretensions to superior importance or right”, preaching is arrogant but in a positive manner. If the preacher has a strong conviction because he/she believes that it is from one’s heart of the truth of the Gospel, then, I can say it can be called “arrogant” in this sense of one’s faith in Christ. On the other hand, preaching doesn’t need to be arrogant for delivering His gospel to the congregation if preacher recognizes that the true deliverer is a Spirit of God. It means that God’s Word is the truth, so it needs faith to carry on to the congregation as it is the only truth. But it doesn’t mean that people have to be pushed or forced. Just through humble attitude, with divine love which pours out His heart, boldly speak out. Even though a preacher’s message being strong may appear arrogant, but because of the action of God’s love, it will be fulfilled with joy and heals. Arrogantly preach for His truth as standing at the end of the day, humbly deliver it to the people as imperfect human being before God.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Barry Neufeld on Oct. 01, 2009 at 15:57

<B>Is Preaching Arrogant?</B>
It depends on your definition:
From Dictionary.com
Preach: [preech] [prit&#643;]
–verb (used with object)
1. to proclaim or make known by sermon (the gospel, good tidings, etc.).
2. to deliver (a sermon).
3. to advocate or inculcate (religious or moral truth, right conduct, etc.) in speech or writing.
–verb (used without object)
4. to deliver a sermon.
5. to give earnest advice, as on religious or moral subjects or the like.
6. to do this in an obtrusive or tedious way.
ar&#8901;ro&#8901;gant Show Spelled Pronunciation [ar-uh-guh nt] [/’ær &#601; g&#601;nt/]
–adjective
1. making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud: an arrogant public official.
2. characterized by or proceeding from arrogance: arrogant claims.

Yes, I suppose That Preaching could be considered arrogant, depending on one’s point of view. When Jesus preached in Nazareth, he said:
“18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Jesus went on to say more things about what he could and would do. To the Pharisees, this was the most arrogant thing they had ever heard, so they ran him out of town.
Ultimately, it was because the religious people thought Jesus was arrogant that they crucified him.
St. Paul frequently gave the reasons for his authority and superior knowledge in the church. The apostle Paul also could be considered arrogant when he said: In 1 Cor. 4:14-17
14I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Paul is not only insisting that he is their spiritual father, he is calling believers to imitate him!
I could quote other passages, but if the preacher takes Jesus and Paul as his example, There are many who would consider them very arrogant.
This is one of my criticisms of the “seeker sensitive churches.” By dumbing down the Gospel message and appealing to those who are suspicious of absolute truth and long term commitments, a Gospel of spiritual pablum is being fed. St. Paul calls it “milk and not solid food.” 1 Cor. 3:2 The result is carnal Christians, full of envy, strife and divisions.
A preacher is arrogant in the negative sense if they are preaching a different Gospel: one that attempts to please men and build themselves up. St. Paul describes true arrogant people:
“18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?”
A preacher who speaks God’s message boldly and with power will be sure to offend some and be considered arrogant.
Yes, I think “true” preaching is arrogant.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Irene Yeung on Oct. 01, 2009 at 01:49

Preaching is to help people hear from God. Hence, preachers are the channel of God to disseminate His words to His people. Thus, preachers are endowed with the divine authority to preach His words on the pulpit. But this does not necessary mean that they are arrogant in speaking God&#8217;s words, if they embrace the following two elements:
1. Love
Preachers have to have the heart to love their listeners. When the preachers show their love for them, the preaching will be perceived as exhortation from God to guide them back to the righteousness. I have a life example at church. We have a brother in the fellowship who has such great love for brothers and sisters that he is very concerned with their spiritual growth. Whenever he talks to anyone, he will ask about their spiritual life; and definitely persuade them to have the daily devotion if they have not done so. He also challenges us to reflect on our own sins in life. Though he is not a formal preacher at the pulpit, his speeches are filled with bible teachings. However, we do not find him arrogant, because he shows his love and care for brothers and sisters. He cries with us in our difficulties; and laughs with us in our blessings. We are sure that he is standing by our side in our lifetime struggles. Instead of seeing him as an arrogant preacher who judges us with bible teachings, we see the loving heart of a brother in Christ who knows what the ultimate factor is in seeking the Lord; and invites brothers and sisters to go with him. His care for brothers and sisters shows the aroma of Christ rather than an air of arrogance. Consequently, if the preachers can preach with a loving heart, and show their care for the listeners, their messages will be well received by the listeners.
2. Live out the biblical teachings in humility
No one will accept any teaching if they see inconsistency between the words and behavior of the teacher. Such inconsistency is detrimental to preaching as the preachers will be evaluated to be arrogant by their listeners, since they cannot live up to what they preach, but judge the listeners with what they cannot accomplish themselves. On the contrary, if the listeners see that the preachers are trying to practise what they preach in their lives; and thus struggle with them in the same fashion; they will be more receptive to the preaching, and will not see the preachers as arrogant, since the preachers are submissive to God&#8217;s words as they do. Living out the preaching is a more powerful way of preaching God&#8217;s words to the listeners. The life example will lead the listeners to appreciate more deeply the bible truth.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Joseph HyunHo on Sep. 30, 2009 at 19:30

The message of a preacher is from the Spirit of God, and this message must be so powerful for Christians to live the gospel or non-believers to repent their sins and accept Jesus as their savior and king. The Scripture says, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

However, in the present church context, it seems that there are serious problems in a sermon. If a speaker proclaims the message from the Sprit of God, why does most churches of not have a power to change a Christian life or world? According to the stats, I see that many pastors tend to more depend on their knowledge and wisdom than the Spirit of God because the statistical data shows that many pastors do not pray one hour a day. In addition, they are very busy because there are too many programs in the present churches. Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10: 27). Listening to God’s voice is primarily important for a preacher.

Then, it is so important for a preacher to live and obey the Word of God.
In other words, a preacher has to live the gospel, and he has to give an example of how the agent of the kingdom of God lives in this broken world.
For a preacher, integrity is so important. If a preacher gives an example of how the agent of the kingdom of God in this world, he can avoid the charge of arrogance and tell people truth well.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Soo young Lee on Sep. 30, 2009 at 18:01

Firs of all, preacher has to show their life what he has spoken. Most preachers who are very arrogant in both their lives and their presentation on the pulpit live in different lives. Preachers stand s at the pulpit claiming to people what they have done in their lives as if the pastor never did something wrong like the listeners. However, preachers live should not prove what they have said on the pulpit.

How can a preacher avoid the charge of arrogance?
i think that…

1.To show themselves to be humble life what they has said on pulpit. “as a preacher we are the 1st listeners” it means we have to be in charge of listening the God. Standing on pulpit is one of part of call of God. So all preacher need humble heart before God.
2.To preach only Gospel, do not reflect their own thoughts rather than the word of God. The idea from experience, own knowledge, emotional sense, should be twist the meaning of the original Bible’s text. However many preachers depend on their message from their own idea or researches rather from the Bible. Preacher have to stick to the Bible and preach the gospel.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Josh Buys on Sep. 23, 2009 at 16:54

The answer to this question is two-fold. What I mean is that it is possible, and I have seen and heard it with my own ears, for preaching to be arrogant and carry an aire of superiority. This preaching comes from a flawed Christian world view which divides the world into an us and them paradigm, or a saved vs. lost construct. The key to preaching effectively and void of arrogance is humility and identification. It is only the grace of God that separates Christians from non-Christians and a mere moment of submission will reconcile the latter in an instant. We are ALL fallen, ALL in need of a Savior. This is subtle but effective. The difference is preaching, "You need Jesus!" or, "I need Jesus, and you do to, we’re all in the same boat, helpless without Christ". This is truthful, and loving and identifying. That brings us to the second part of the answer which is that some will view even compassionate and truthful preaching as arrogant not because it is but because it convicts. Rejection of the Gospel requires an excuse and those excuses are myriad. In the end, then, we go in love and in the realization that those to whom we preach are much more like us than unlike us and we go understanding that the Gospel will offend in this world even when we go with a right heart.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Jeff Edwards on Nov. 15, 2008 at 18:53

I just read 2 Timothy 4:2-3 again: "Preach the Word… For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine." It sounds like Paul was preparing Timothy for the charge of arrogance. I don’t think we can avoid it. Just as others have said below, it comes with the territory.

I also agree with others below that we can avoid sounding superior by not pretending to be superior. Additionally, I try to:
- tell my own struggles with the issue,
- speak with "I" and "we" rather than "you",
- point to God and his Word as the authority, not me,
- and present the breadth of Christian views on a topic so that it doesn’t sound like my opinion is the only one that counts.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Jason Harder on Nov. 07, 2008 at 11:33

First off, one needs to distinguish between the act of preaching and the preacher. I have personally met a few preachers who are very arrogant in both their lives and their presentation from the pulpit. It should be no surprise that what is in a preacher’s heart will be evident in the way they conduct themselves from the pulpit, thus making their message sound very arrogant.
To steal a term from Kent’s class, “as a preacher we are the 1st listeners”. If this humble spirit of being the 1st listener can be sensed by the people being the 2nd listeners (congregation) the odds of the sermon coming across as arrogant will be minimized. To accomplish this the preacher need to be able to show the listener they are working though the same issues in the selected passage as the listener is. The sermon has the danger of becoming arrogant when preacher starts to act like they have it all together and they start “preaching” down to the listeners. No one likes to be spoken to like that.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by John Jeong on Sep. 27, 2008 at 13:02

Is preaching arrogant?

An extreme arrogant person usually believes in only what he or she believes as truth, and because of this, very often he or she tries to persuade or to teach someone when the person has a different thoughts and philosophies to him or to her. However, as this arrogant person conveys his or her knowledge and philosophies with the arrogant tone to the person, this person very likely would not get the teaching. The point is, every time when a messenger and a message are arrogant people would not like to listen and to learn from this person or this message. Therefore, if people consider preaching arrogant then it is obvious that preaching will lose its authority.
Is preaching arrogant? No, however, preaching can be arrogant when three things happen.

1. When preacher excludes himself from the teaching (rebuking, condemn…)
It happens so many times when a pastor stands at the pulpit yelling at people, rebuking and making them feeling guilty about what they have done in their lives as if the pastor never did something wrong like the listeners. From the Bible it is very clear that everybody is sinner, and this “everybody” includes pastors on the pulpit. The only reason for pastors having a chance to stand at the pulpit and preaching the word of God is the call of God. God calls them as channels of His words; however, this call of God does not make pastors holy and different from other people; in fact, this holiness and difference comes with one’s hard effort to walk with God through ones daily life. Therefore when pastor preaches everybody has to listen including the pastor who is preaching right at the moment. When the listeners of the sermon feel that the speaker excludes himself from the sermon then very likely most of the listener will reject the sermon for the preacher is arrogant. It is very sad when people do not listen and react because of arrogance in the church and the pastor. I am not saying pastors should not deliver a rebuking message ever; in fact, the message is necessary occasionally, however, when pastor delivers this message he/she must humble himself before God and saints. For conclusion, all pastors need humble hearts before God.

2. too many pastors stick to their thoughts rather than stick to the bible
Postmodern world is very sensitive with idea of absolute truth. Postmodernism insists relativity of truths and according to this philosophy there is no absolute truths on the earth. However, on the other hand, Christians believes in absolute truth, and the Word of God is the absolute truth. Bible teaches so many absolute truths and values, so even people outside of church study about the Bible; and its lessons and values. However, today many pastors deliver their messages from their own thoughts and researches rather from the Bible. It seems they use the Scripture as their secondary source for their sermons. More pastors stick to the secondary resources in order to impress listeners more they lose their authority, not only that at the end people will consider pastors as arrogant group of people for philosophy of postmodernism is getting more serious.
It sounds irony when we live in a postmodern world, however, in order to deliver a legitimate sermon pastors must stick to the Bible, the whole truth.
3. Use too many technical terms
When pastors use so many technical terms and biblical words people might offended by that. Preaching is not about showing up one’s greater knowledge about the Scripture, in fact, preaching is about revealing God’s loving voice toward his people. Listeners should be able to understand what pastor says on the pulpit; therefore, pastors must very careful to choose their words and to make their sentences. Pastors must remember that Jesus gave parables so many times in order people can understand, and all kinds of different people responded to him dramatically.

When people only listen to the Word of God, the preaching achieves only 30% of its purpose. When people dramatically change their life style, the preaching achieves 60% of its purpose. When people try very hard to change others’ life style along with the teaching of the Bible, the preaching achieves 100% of its purpose. This is my personal philosophy of preaching.
I wish to become a pastor who is humble before God and His people so these people can accept the message as I am passing out.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Teresa Lam Lam on Sep. 22, 2008 at 12:40

It is not easy for a preacher to avoid the charge of arrogance. I think a few things we need to bear in mind in order that the listeners will not think that we are superior. First of all we have to understand enough of the truth that he is going to proclaim. In addition to comprehension, we need to be convinced of it through our personal experience of God’s Word of truth. We need to have strong conviction and passion for the listeners. We need to be convinced that they need the truth. When they sense that we love them, they will listen. Our lives have to show the truth in order that the truth will be heard. The preachers have to be authentic and relational.

I agree with Chris that we have to be living model for the learners not that to act like we are perfect. We are all sinners saved by grace. We are here to show them the way and journey with them and learn together forming a real biblical community.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Chris Payne on Sep. 19, 2008 at 15:41

Ok, so I had this situation pop up just last night where I was meeting for the first time with my guitar teacher, and somehow straight off he started asking me about what I did and I told him I was a youth pastor. Bam! Right away this guy started to tell me he believed in God, but he was not religious, he was telling me that God has our backs, but he was not into the organized religion thing. People now a days are not against hearing about God or talking about God, but they don’t want to be hammered over the head with it. People want to live good lives and be good people, but they don’t want to hear that they suck from a snooty, holier-then-thou-art Christian.
I think the best way to “preach” with out being arrogant is to listen first, and let the person be heard. You have said that preaching happens where ever and when ever the truth about God is proclaimed. So to go with a relational model of ministry and help a person belong, and feel like they are more then just a project, and then walk with them to a place of belief, I think that is one way to stay out off the “arrogant or Superior” classification.
The best example of this that I have experienced is with youth. I am a youth pastor and I am going into my third year of ministry with the kids that I work with. For the better part of the first year I had to prove myself to these kids, and show them that I genuinely cared about them as people, and not just as a notch in my belt. They needed to see my talks lived out in my life and needed to know that I’m on the same trip as the rest of them; maybe just a little further down the year markers on that trip.
I think that with the emerging generations and non-churched people this is one of the key things to getting heard. People in these groups want to know that you’re real, and real in the sense that when you fart it is not a beautiful fragrant offering, but rather it smells. They want to see that you’re in the trenches with them and that the words that you are speaking to them about the truth of God is something that is real to you and not just something that you heard somewhere and now are regurgitating to them. They want to know that what you read in the Bible and preach about has changed you.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Kevin O'Coin on Sep. 12, 2008 at 09:31

Much of what people have said so far I would myself agree with. Specifically, I think the charge of arrogance might most often be levelled at the person who gets up into the pulpit and speaks as if he or she is without sin. The key to well-received preaching is to let the people know that you are a fellow-pilgrim on the journey, that you make mistakes, and to put yourself under the tutelage and authority of your own words — to realize that you are preaching to and learning from your own words. That being said however, there is something in preaching that a unbeliever can probably not help but find arrogant, which is even the insinuation (let alone the explicit statement) that a preacher could be speaking for God or could be telling people what they ought to do. I am not sure that that will ever change, but that really is God’s problem, not ours, because ultimately in rejecting the person of the preacher and his or her message, they are rejecting a God who has the authority to tell people what to do.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Marian Tong on Oct. 22, 2007 at 20:59

part 2:

My personal observation after a few years is, it is also a cultural thing to think that our teaching/preaching is arrogant and other people may think we are arrogant because we claim to preach the truth. At the first ESL classes for kids/adults/students, the ESL teachers will tell them that we, as Canadians, have to avoid to talk about two things in Canada in order not to make other people’s upset – politics and religions. I heard that over years when I was working with ESL clients. It seems that we feel ashamed to talk about our faith, so that we feel that preaching can be arrogant in the non-Christian perspectives. But I can’t deny that it’s a social atmosphere because this thought has been embedded with the culture and society. On the other hand, I realized that people who have other faiths and are deeply involved in their religions will not reject our messages (but the salvation) because they treat other people’s faith with respects. They just don’t want to covert to our faith. They really expect you to talk about your own faith and experiences because they see faith as a big part of their lives! It will be odd if you try to cover up something should be active in your lives. Of course, this kind of equal sharing (both parties share their own faiths) starts only when we have developed relationships with them. Somehow we really need to re-think about the attitudes to talk about our own faith in Canada because we have too many presumptions of others’ people perceptions and possible rejections before even we start our sharing! I believe that the boundary issues do exist but I always found odd that I can’t share my faith at the dinner table in Canada or among friends that are non-believers here, even though I can do that in Hong Kong – a more materialistic and polytheistic (including the atheist ideology) society than Canada. Of course our goal is the Great Commission in the Bible and covert everyone we see, yet I seldom really think that sharing our lives (faith) is arrogant!

So is preaching arrogant? I don’t think so. If we don’t superior ourselves to see that we know the truth, I don’t think non-Christians would feel in that way. it may be a self—defeating questions in our mind. :)

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Marian Tong on Oct. 22, 2007 at 20:58

part 1:
Sometimes I believe that it’s not the preachers or the sermons or the preaching styles being arrogant, but people who are not so much "post-modern" being arrogant. Please forgive me to say that, because if people are truly "post-modern" they will at least listen to what Christians are saying and make decisions to believe according to their value systems. Whether or not they make a good decision in their choices are hard-to-say. Somehow, I could relate post-modernism to the OT Israelites’ attitudes towards YahWeh. I believed that seeing so many idols and worshipping styles and God’s miracles in their eras, they should have known what is the truth. However, they didn’t. Or they did but they just chose their idols accordingly because it was easy-to-follow and it satisfied their ego’s needs. Thus, post-modernism was just another way to tell the old stories.

However, I can’t deny the fact that we live in a post-modern society and we’ll be influenced by the attitudes of not having any absolute truth, especially when there is so much wrong information presented in our lives. Sometimes we, as Christians, were trapped too because we aren’t sure about the truths either. We can also say Jeremiah and Isaiah were arrogant too, but it was just that the truth is not something for easy-listening. That is exactly what happen now too! What I found interesting is, sometimes there are certain kinds of stereotypical pre-assumptions going on only on Christianity. From my perspective, I never really heard about people saying that "budda" is arrogant or the Catholic priests are arrogant (May be you heard about that!). I believed that they are specialized to talk about good works and human wisdoms so that they are less emotionally provoking for listeners who are not able to take the truth.

Therefore, the charge of arrogance is basically a false accusation, given that if the preachers are humble enough to claim the truth. Sometimes we are too arrogant to proclaim that we know the truth, but live like we do not know the truth. That’s the part people picked on when we are off the pulpits/stages. However, people do have assumptions that Christians should have known the truth, yet if we fail to life with the truth, it means that the truth is just an ideology.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by George Bedlion on Oct. 02, 2007 at 20:52

Avoiding the appearance of arrogance is difficult for anyone who stands in front of others with a message that can be contrary to there thinking or at least exclusive in the truth it dispenses. I think the nature of preaching opens itself to criticism quite easily- one hears the word preacher and he or she sees one solitary (usually) male figure in a pulpit waving his finger emphatically at an audience of zombie onlookers as if his spindly flapping digit was a purifying dagger piercing their souls. Ok maybe thats an overstatement but the feelings the word "preacher" evokes might not actually be too far from those the image creates. Preaching can be perceived as arrogant because it delves into personal feelings and notions about reality and belief. And whether you want to use the buzz word "postmodern" or not for our culture, we can be sure that most people do not enjoy feeling as though someone is forcing ideas on them or talking down from a lofty Ivory pulpit or putting our noses deep into personal buisness. So how do we tell people the truth without coming across as if we think we are superior?
Well I’m not completely sure but I think a spirit of humility and grace helps. The moment we step up onto the platform or wherever we show with our demeanor and words that we are nothing special. Our ideas, our words, our lives personally are nothing special. The message we preach is not from us, it is from God. His holy word is where we gain the right, the power, and even audacity to bring a message. When preaching is put in that light we have nothing to fear and neither does the listener. This humbler approach could help break the stereotypes preachers face every time they step to the platform and create an enviroment where God’s marvelous spirit and word can more easily take root in the lives of people needing Him. Less of us more of Him!

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Laurie Tyndall on Sep. 24, 2007 at 23:48

Preaching is only arrogant if the preacher feels he has God all figured out. I would assume that Jonah was a very arrogant ‘preacher’. He may have understood that he was called to preach repentance to the Ninevites, but he did not love them. In fact, he couldn’t understand how God could turn from punishing them. After all, they did not even know God and His ways, like Jonah himself did! Despite Jonah’s arrogance, God used Him and spared the Ninevites, using Jonah for His own purposes despite Jonah’s turmoil. God reminds us here, that He can use anyone He calls for His purposes. Jonah reminds us, that God loves all of His creation and will reveal Himself to whomever He chooses – whether they are arrogant or not!

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Tom Reynolds on Sep. 22, 2007 at 00:04

It as been suggested that preaching is not at heart arrogant because we are not proclaiming our own message but God’s. If people have a problem with what we are saying then they should take it up with God and not blame us for being arrogant. The difficulty with this is that it requires a recognition of God’s right to dictate conditions. This objection can be overcome but only if one presupposes the existence of God. Those who call Christians arrogant no doubt disclaim this. Therefore they can either judge us as arrogant or misguided but they cannot expect their objection to be taken seriously inside a church. Its very existence reflects attendees’ belief in God and their desire to know his will for their lives. Let us therefore preach to his heart’s content!

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Mike Keigley on Sep. 19, 2007 at 14:22

ATTN MODS: I seem to be having trouble pasting from my word processor. I keep posting the unedited version. Please delete 2 erroneous postings.

Christianity has always experienced opposition; we should expect that there will be resistance to the message. The charge of arrogance doesn’t come out of a void. There is at times truth to such charges. There are many prominent arrogant preachers who thunder down moral precepts from their position in the pulpit and then are exposed for abysmal moral failures in the public eye. The charge of arrogance is something that in some ways we have earned. Preachers up until the last 20 or so years were given positional status above the "average" Christian, and some have never come down. Some of the best preaching comes from preachers who "come down" off the stage into where the listeners are sitting. They may not physically come down off the stage but they can come down by changing their approach. They can now share what God has shown them this week in a humble and yet authoritative way. Being real and honest is one step to avoid this charge. Trying to create a performance that doesn’t match up with our character doesn’t hold water today. Generally people want honesty and respect, in the end they may not agree but they will see that the person was honest in their approach. We have to also understand that no matter what we say or do there will always view the Christian view as arrogant.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Sally Peng on Sep. 12, 2007 at 00:21

A verse came to mind as I pondered this question—Acts 2:37. It described the people as being “pierced to the heart” when they heard the Spirit-filled apostles preaching the truth about Christ. There are a few key elements in this example that might help us in dealing with the charge of arrogance in preaching. The preachers/apostles were first Spirit-filled. This means that the preacher’s spiritual life and situation is key to a sincere but powerful sermon. The apostles also focused on the truth about Christ. This should also be the main content of our sermon. At the same time, they instantaneously answered the listeners’ questions with the essential truth. They did not impress or intimidate the crowd with their profound knowledge or rich experience but they gave them a concise answer which was, most importantly, information about being saved. I think that’s how we handle the issue of being arrogant—more about Christ, less about us.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Philip Yung on Feb. 01, 2007 at 18:02

True preaching is not arrogant because the first act of preaching begins with hearing God’s word, which is an act of submission and humility. If a preacher hears God’s word in his or her life and assimilates it, they can avoid the charge of arrogance by preaching from their humanity, which involves proclaiming God’s truth while identifying their struggle to live the message and how it evokes change in their lives. God wants preachers to preach his divine truth from their human experience and struggle. This will help the preacher come across as a humble listener before God, which identifies him with his hearers.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Chris Synesael on Feb. 01, 2007 at 00:15

i found this to be an interesting question, and while i agree with most of what has been posted here, i am inclined to think the answer depends on who the question is being asked to. for example, to someone like myself, i have to come to be comfortable with the idea of a pastor standing up and ‘telling’ me what they believe the scriptures are saying…some are gentle, some are too soft, some are in the middle. but my personal conviction is that a pastor/preacher is not arrogant. HOWEVER, if you were to ask someone like my mother, an unbelieving skeptic, she would have a completely different answer. she feels it is so arrogant and inappropriate to tell anyone anything about the mysteries of God.

so is preaching arrogant? i guess it depends on who you are asking.

i say no.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Tim Durksen on Jan. 31, 2007 at 15:56

Yes there are times when preaching comes off as arrogant. I think one of the ways that a preacher comes off as being arrogant is when it seems like he/she knows everything and talks down to his/her listeners. If a preacher uses inclusive language and speaks about the things he/she has learned and wants to share it with people it comes off a lot less arrogant.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by Johnny Lo on Jan. 17, 2007 at 21:12

A preacher can avoid the charge of arrogance by preaching God’s word, and not of the words of him or herself. The words that we speak are from God, and not of ourselves. Moreover, we need to preach out of true, genuine love and not out of arrogance. With this in mind, we should also be aware of our own attitude and motivations for preaching.

re: #1 - Is Preaching Arrogant?

Posted by zachariah rippee on Dec. 25, 2006 at 14:45

As long as we look at it as conveying truth that has already been spoken, not by us(very important to keep this in mind), but by God then we should not have to worry about arrogance. You’re not superior, God didn’t just tell YOU the truth, so you could tell others, he told everyone, in the form of his word. we are just passing on a truth shared with us. in Christ