PreachingtoOutsiders
-JonHand
1.Assumenon-Christianizedpeoplearepresenteverytimeyoupreach.Ifyouassumetheyarethereyou
increasethelikelihoodthatthechurchpeoplewillfeelconfidenttoinvitethem.
• Youcan’tspeaktoeveryone—notpossible!Preachtoaspecificmindset—notademographic.Whoare
theoutsidersyouareassumingwillbeinthegatheredcommunity?Alwayskeeptheminmindasyou
prepareandplanyourservices.Someexamples,arethey:
o Progressiveeducatedprofessionalswhovaluetoleranceanddiversity?
o Bowhunting,beer-league,truckdriving,andracecarwatchingblue-collarworkers?
o Whatistheirmindset:questions,objections,andideasofwhatthe‘good-life’lookslike?What
isgoodnewstothem?WhatintheChristianstoryaffirmstheirvalues?WhatintheChristian
storychallengestheirvaluesandassumptionsabouttheirlives/world?
• NeverassumepeopleknowwhatyoumeanifyouuseChristian/theologicallanguage.Ifyouuse
Christianwordsmakesureyoudefinethem(Salvation–God’sprojecttosettheworldright)(Paul–
firstcen.leaderoftheJesusmovement)(Jesus–thehumanfaceofGod)(HolySpirit–theanimating
presenceofGod)(Ephesians–Paul’smanifestoofhowearlyJesuscommunitiesweretoorganize
themselvesforactionintheJesusmovement.)
2.Alwaysprepareyourcommunication(s)with4peoplebyyourside.Createaspecificcompositebasedon
thoseinsideandoutsideyourchurchandstayinconversationwiththemthewholetime.Ideas:
• One10-20yearsolder.One10-20yearsyounger.Oneskepticalagnostic.Onepoliticalconservative,
blue-flamingliberal,andoneNDP.Onedivorced40somethingwoman.Onesinglemomwiththree
youngkidsundertheageof12.Whatobjectionsdotheyhave?Whatquestionsaretheyaskingyou?
Wouldtheydisagreewithyourapplications?Areyourespondingtothecomplexitiesoftheirlifewith
anunintendedcliché?Howwouldtheyrespondtoyourapplications?What‘sowhat’questionswould
theyaskofyourgreattheologicalideas?
3.InasecularculturewehavetodifferentiateinourpreachingbetweenfollowingJesusandbeing
religiouslyandsociallyconservative.
• 30yearsagopeoplewerenotprobablyChristiansbecauseitwasboring,todaymanyarenotChristians
becausetheythinkitdangeroustosociety.WehavetoshowwhyChristianityisvirtuousforeveryone
andhowitcreatescommongoodandhumanflourishing.
• WhatimageofJesusdowepresent?SecularpeopledoconnectwithJesusofNazarethasaprophetof
Godwhodenouncedreligion,hypocrisy,power,violence,andinjustice.Theydonotconnectwith
JesusofNazarethasabibleteacherdenouncingimmoralityandunbelief.
4.PresentaJesuswhooffersfreedom,newidentity,meaning,andcommunityoveraJesuswhomostly
wantstoforgivetheirsins.Clearly,it’sboth.Churchpeopletendtocarryguiltandnonchurchpeopletendto
notcarryguiltwithGod.
• Mostnon-Christiansaren’tsittingaroundneedingorwantingGodtoforgivetheirsins.Manyare
unknowinglylookinginthewrongplacesformeaning,worth,importance,securityandsignificance..
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Secularcultureisnotaguiltculture(feelingbadfortheirsinsandmoralfailures)it’sashameculture
(feelingworth-lesscomparedtoother‘successes’orbetter-thanbecauseofownsuccess.Inadequacy
andinsecurity(obsessionwithsafety)aretheunrecoverablesinsofourday.Evenarroganceisstilla
shamecover).GuiltsaysIdidwrong,shamesaysI’mfundamentallynotadequate,enough,orworthy.
WhatdoesJesushavetosaytotheserealities?WhatishisinvitationbeyondChristdiedsoyoucan
haveyoursinsforgivenandfeeltheweightofguiltliftedoffyourshoulders?
5.Beauthenticaboutyourselfandhonestaboutthehumancondition.
• Theworldisstarvingforhonestyandthechurchshouldbeleadingtheway.Yourweakness/
brokennesscanbethedoorwayfortheirtransformation.Whenwetakethemaskoffaspreachers,the
peopletendtocomeoutofhiding.
• Tellstoriesofother’ssuccessandyourfailures—nottheotherwayaround.
• Watchthelinebetweenauthenticandneedy.Ifyouneedtoemoteaboutyourfailures,youaren’t
readytoshareitfromthe‘pulpit’.One(vulnerability)givespeoplecourageandtheotherleavespeople
feelyicky.
• Ifyourpreachingisnotlacedwithhope—it’snotChristian.
6.PreachNOTtoinformaboutGodbuttoawakenthemtoGod,themselves,andothers:preachtothe
heart.
• Preachtothe‘thing’(motive)underthe‘thing’(behaviour).Jesuswasalwaysgoingforthe‘why’
behindthe‘what’.(ex.Sinistryingtogetalegitimateneedmetinanillegitimateway,orsinisdoing
badthingsforgoodreasons)Helpawakenthemtotheirdeeperlongingsandimpuremotivationsthat
canpointthemtoChrist.
• Alwaysshowwhyweobey/followJesusinaspecificarea.SecularpeoplealreadythinkChristianityis
aboutpeoplefeelingmorallysuperiorsothe‘bibletellsmeso’doesn’tcutit!Wemustshowthemwhy
weneedJesustosaveusfromourselves.
• Don’tgivepeoplemoreto“do”.8stepsto….Peoplecan’ttakein8thingstodoeveryweekfromthe
applicationsectionofoursermons.Instead,canyou‘invite’themto‘payattention’toGod,to
themselves,toothers?Givepeoplepracticestotrythatcanbringaboutawarenesstheycurrently
don’thave.Wakingthemupleadstochange.
7.Sermonsneedteeth,justdon’tuseittokickem’intheteeth.
• Don’tshouldonpeople!Avoid(F.O.G.)fear,obligation,orguilttomotivatepeople—that’snotgrace.
Lovinglychallengetheirexcusesandanticipatetheirjustifications.
o “Someofyousayyoudon’twanttobotherpeoplewithyourproblemsandthat’swhyyou
don’tshareyourstruggleswithothers,butlet’sbehonest,webothknowthat’sprobably
excusetonotappearweak.”“Someofyouareusingyourgiftsinthechurchbutyouresentit
andjudgeothersfornotserving.That’snotlovebecauselovegiveswithoutanystringsandif
youresentusingyourgiftsyourprobablynotactuallyusingyourgifts.”
• Givepeoplespacetobesinnersandbeconfidentintheprocessoftransformation.
8.Givepeoplewhatnootherculturalinstitutioncangivethem:community,spirituality,meaning,andlived
wisdom.
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Pastorsaremeaningmakers:WeaveGod’sstoryintotheirstorytogivemeaningtotheirlives.People
needtoleavefeelingbetter/morehopefulabouttheirlivesthanbeforetheycametoyourworship
gathering.
o Example:Jesusasasinglemom.
o HelpthemseethatGodisclosertothemandtheyareclosertoGodthantheyrealize.
• NoteveryoneatchurchcomeslookingforGod,weneedtoofferthemsomethingelseuntiltheyare
ready.Peopleinsecularworldaretaughtskillsandcompetenciesinhighered.ortradeschool,butno
oneisteachingthemhowtolivewell.Preachingshouldgivepeoplecounter-intuitivelivedwisdom
basedontheGospel.
o Examples:howtoloveandforgiveyourenemies;avoidingpainandchasingsecurityonlymakes
yourlifemoreinsecure;tryingtobehappymakesithardertobehappy;ifyouwanttobegreat,
humbleyourself;howtodoconflict;sexual‘freedom’canbecomeit’sownformofoppression
andsubjugation.etc.
9.Onlysaywhatistrue,interesting,andhelpful!That’sit!!!Cutouteverythingelse.
• WhosaysyouhavetouseGreekwordsorgive20min.backgroundonapassage?Saylessandbe
interesting.Theiphoneischangingourbrains.Wesiftonlytheinfothatisinteresting(experience)and
helpful(experiential)tous.
• Preachingisn’texegetingapassage—that’scalledstudy.PreachingiswakingpeopleuptoJesusand
paintingcompellingvisionsoftheKingdomofGodbreakingintotheirlivesandthisworld.
• Caution—CommentariesarewrittenbyintellectualChristianstootherintellectualChristians.
• Sayonlywhatistrue,interesting,andhelpfulforeverydaypeoplerightnowvs.sayingwhatwefeel
likeweoughttosay(biblebackground,greekwords,commentary)
• BeE.P.I.C–Experiential,Participatory,Imagerich,Connective(seeLenSweet)
o Askalotofopen-endedquestions?“Iwonderif…..”“Whatdoyouthinkabout….”“Iinviteyou
toimagine……”
o Usestoriesandinterviewswithrealpeopleinyourchurch,bothChristianandnon-Christian.
o Bringinpopculture,secularsongs,artfulimagestogoalongwithwhatyoursaying.
o Bespiritual--theyareatchurchsogivethemthefullexperienceofthegatheredBodyof
Christ—justdoitinawaythat’sinteresting.
• Quotetheirpoetsandprophets;startwithwhatisknowntotakethemtotheunknown(Christ).
10.Alwaysbeexperiencing,learning,andmininglifefornewtruth.
• Youwillhavenothingtosayifyouaren’talwaysfeedingyourself,stayingcurious,andalwaystakingin
newinterestsandideas.Mostofwhatwehavetoofferpeoplewillbegonein6sermonsunlesswe
areconstantlytakinginnewandfreshinsights,ideas.
• Readorlistentosecular:books,novels,podcasts,bookreviews,music,movies.Wedon’ttrustsecular
culturebutwecommunicatealoveforit.Chancesareit’sthemainthingwehaveincommonwith
secularpeople.
• C.S.Lewissaidofgoodwritinganditappliestogoodsermons:Everyprayeryou’veprayed;every
personyou’veknown;everybookyou’veread;experienceyou’vehad;lessonsminedfromyourlife;
painsyou’vesuffered;waysyou’veexperiencedGodallgoesintothemakingofyourwriting(sermon)
voice.
•
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