Hot-Potato Preaching
Stuart Briscoe
The truth can be cutting, but the preacher doesn't have to be.
—Stuart Briscoe Ihave twice passed out cards to my congregation with the following words: "I would like to hear a sermon no longer than_______minutes on the subject: What the Bible has to say about____________." Self-appointed comics took advantage of this. One fellow said he'd like to hear a sermon no longer than five minutes on what the Bible says about God. But many times people request the tough issues. People want to know if the Bible's message can stand up to modern pressures. I want to assure them it can. It would be easier if we could preach a lifetime without ever touching on sin, morality, sexuality, lifestyle, or any number of other adrenalin inducers. Controversy makes preaching a more difficult proposition. But, as any pastor knows, a congregation needs the spicier issues if for no other reason than that God fills his Word with just such fare. However, a crisis is not inevitable. We can preach controversial topics without picking a fight. Turn the heat off and the light on
We need to credit people with enough maturity to handle the balanced presentation of an issue. Over the years I've addressed the role of women, eternal security, Spirit baptism, various issues of sexuality, and the church and politics. I've concluded that what's crucial is not so much the topic as the method. When diving into an area of controversy, I don't expect total agreement. That's why there's a dispute in the first place. People's belief systems are complex. Much more is at stake than the particular issue at hand. I recognize from the start that I'm probably not going to change anyone's mind. Thus, I try to broaden thinking rather than change it. Although people probably won't budge ...
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