The Important Part of Preaching

When I was a freshman in high school, a close family member passed away. A denominational preacher conducted her funeral service, and I’ll never forget his “sermon.” As my family sat before the open casket, this man got “wound up,” and said, “I don’t care what God says.” Wow! He had no business being a preacher of any kind or standing in any pulpit anywhere—period.

After the service, my family gathered at an aunt’s home to eat. My immediate family—my parents and brothers—were in one room by ourselves. I remember telling Mom and Dad exactly what I thought about what I had heard. In fact, I informed them a little too loudly for their comfort, for the preacher was in the next room, and Mom and Dad told me quickly to be quiet. Yeah, I should have waited until we were in a more private setting (to this day, I don’t know if anyone overheard my rant—I personally doubt it), but in my youthful exuberance, I understood the error, ridiculousness, and arrogance of that man.

When I was a professor at a Christian university, I required my students to submit a few sermon outlines in one of my courses—after all, I was training them to fill pulpits in the brotherhood. A couple of my students turned in lessons without a single biblical reference; they made some good and valid points, but they didn’t use Scripture to make those good and valid points. Those papers were automatic F’s—no exceptions. When I returned the assignments, I made clear to my students that sermons without Scripture are unacceptable on so many levels. Only two students turned in such lessons when the first outline was due; word quickly got around that you didn’t want to turn in a sermon outline to Dr. Imel without several Bible verses to support your thesis.

The reason I was astounded at the denominational preacher at the funeral and I required my students to use Scripture to make their points in my courses is really quite simple—Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word” (2 Tim 4:2). Not ideas. Not opinions. Not illustrations. Not philosophy. Not what sounds good. Not what people want to hear. The word of Almighty God.

If a sermon does not originate from the word of God, the preacher needs to sit down and shut up. Only the “sacred writings . . . are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). My ideas won’t bring you to salvation in Jesus. What you want to hear won’t lead you to eternal life. What I feel most comfortable preaching won’t bless your soul. Instead, the preacher is charged with “declaring to [those who hear him] the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Only the “living and abiding word of God” will allow one to be born again (1 Pet 1:23).

Preachers dare not play at preaching. Heaven and hell hang in the balance. The souls of men are at stake. Any preacher—whoever he is and wherever he speaks—must “preach the word” or find another career.

This article was originally written by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., for the weekly newsletter at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.