Recently, there was a conference in our city for pastors on "preaching more effectivley." One of the pastors attending this conference posted a disagreement he had with the instructor. It was on the point that it is helpful to incorporate current events into Sunday morning message. The attendee disagreed on the basis that God's message to man was universal, it transended time and place and did not need help to understand it through current events.
In response, since I have only the attending pastor's internet post and do not have all the facts, I could be making assumptions that may or may not be true.
While I agree with the objecting pastor that God's message is relevant and universaland is for all times and places, I think he may be missing the point that the use of current events in a sermon is a way a pastor can connect and communicate a message to the congregation.
It seems like every Billy Graham Crusade I have heard (and there have been several), started with a reference to current events. Even Jesus, the master preacher used current events to get across a spiritual truth. In Luke 13:1-5, There were some present at that very time who told him [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he [Jesus] answered them, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.'” Jesus used two tragic current events to connect his listeners to a sobering truth - that unless they repent they too will come ot a bad end.
So maybe, connecting with and looking at God's truth through the eyes of current events is not such a bad idea?
In response, since I have only the attending pastor's internet post and do not have all the facts, I could be making assumptions that may or may not be true.
While I agree with the objecting pastor that God's message is relevant and universaland is for all times and places, I think he may be missing the point that the use of current events in a sermon is a way a pastor can connect and communicate a message to the congregation.
It seems like every Billy Graham Crusade I have heard (and there have been several), started with a reference to current events. Even Jesus, the master preacher used current events to get across a spiritual truth. In Luke 13:1-5, There were some present at that very time who told him [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he [Jesus] answered them, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.'” Jesus used two tragic current events to connect his listeners to a sobering truth - that unless they repent they too will come ot a bad end.
So maybe, connecting with and looking at God's truth through the eyes of current events is not such a bad idea?
