Postmodern preaching
I received one of my weekly email ministry newsletters today and once again was told that preaching to a postmodern audience is different than preaching a generation ago. Basically I was told that the postmodern audience does not accept something as true simply because it comes from the Word of God. I was told that my role as a preacher is to use other means to help people see that it is true. My response to that is, “has there ever been a generation who simply accept the Word of God as true?” What about the people in the first century that Peter and Paul preached to? Were those people any different than the people we preach to today? Maybe Adam and Eve were the first postmoderns. They did not accept God’s Word as truth and then when confronted with their sin, tried to blame someone else.
Please do not misunderstand me, I believe we should do everything in our power to communicate effectively to different cultures. However, I do not believe that I can ever enhance the power of the Word of God by my communication. If I can, that means people are putting their faith in “my wisdom” instead of the wisdom of God.
We must never forget the role that the Holy Spirit plays in the preaching of the Word. He is the one who convicts and draws people to Christ. Without his involvement, no one can believe the truth of God’s Word.
So perhaps what we need to hear today is that “when preaching to a postmodern audience, it is imperative for us to have the involvement of the Holy Spirit in our preaching. For without Him, no one can be saved.” Keep preaching the Word, but do so in the power and anointed of the Holy Spirit.
