Dealing with Controversial Subjects
Stuart Briscoe
Controversy makes preaching a more difficult proposition. But a congregation needs the spicier issues if for no other reason than that God fills his Word with just such fare.
—Stuart Briscoe To keep my finger on the pulse of the congregation, I have twice passed out cards 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 take 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, and I want to assure them it can. The path toward relevance, however, is strewn with controversial topics. 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 bland homiletical diet starves a congregation and erodes their spiritual substance. A congregation needs the spicier issues if for no other reason than that God fills his Word with just such fare. So if we are compelled at times to preach on controversial subjects, surely there are ways to present controversy without serving discontent. Turn the Heat Off and the Light On
Any time we address an emotional topic, there's the possibility of upsetting someone. To the many pressures of pastoral ministry, we don't need to add a self-imposed crisis. However, a crisis is not inevitable. We can preach controversial topics noncontroversially. We need to credit our people with enough maturity to handle the balanced presentation ...
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