Passion Preaching

Hey BroDavid! I've already posted this elsewhere, but it tends to fit here as well...most folks can't sit thru a hum-drum sermonette anymore, let alone, real preaching.

It reminds me of the drug-syndrome(or anything else of your choice). First a little, then some more, then a lot. Gotta have more entertainment. Whatever it takes to bring 'em in, you must keep on doing to KEEP 'em in!

Those who truly love God & His word, will be there to hear the PREACHING of the cross. I can sit for hours to listen. I hate services that dwell on a lot of music & a little preaching.

It's called movie-house religion. In this modern world of lite foods, lite this, lite that, and lite preaching so-called Christianity has fallen for a lite gospel. Less filling, but hey, it sure tastes great!

Nothing is different with this new movie about 'jesus'. It is just another gimmick designed to stir the emotions and distract one away from the truth. God has not ordained entertainment to be a means of putting out the gospel. 1Corinthians 1:21(KJB) says that PREACHING is God’s method.

But preaching is foolishness to the world. They need games and parties. They need to feel the spirit and get in touch with their emotions. No time to be rebuked of their sin, and exhorted to be obedient to the commandments of God.

Emotionalism is the tool of satan designed to be a substitute for the conviction of sin. No one can trust feelings; satan would replace fact with experience.

And “Christians” will flock to satan’s playhouse (the same movie theatre that shows nakedness and perversion) to be drawn closer to Christ. A generation has been raised who cannot worship without being made to feel good about themselves.

Wonder how many of these same folks were stirred in church Sunday by the PREACHING of the cross? Wonder how many even went to church...

 

They have beheld the blood guts and gore, but one needs to behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.

Perhaps one could begin with the first Passover and the first lambs slain in Eygpt, to place the context of the final Passover Lamb, God Himself who gives Himself.

Focus not so much on the physical torture, but on the mental agony which Jesus endured, in carrying the weight of our sin, and the sheer horror He endured for one moment in time being separated from the Father.

Go beyond the bloody and gory images embedded in their mind, go far beyond where the movie caractiture stops, and focus upon the resurrection, and the 40 days when our Lord our God was with His children following His death, and how he ascended to Heaven, and how as He ascended He is coming again.

Acts 1:
6: When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7: And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9: And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10: And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11: Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
12: Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

A servant of Christ,
Drew

 

I am not sure if this is encouraging or not, but the most significant theological note that the moveie underscored for me was that Jesus gave himself. After every lash of the whip, after every step carrying the cross, after evry insult and humiliation, he gave himself to us. Anywhere along the way he could have chosen otherwise. His life was not taken from him, he freely gave it for us.

Where this may connect with your listeners who have seen the gore and graphics of the movie is that he wanted to do that for them.

 

Granny, Preaching doesn't just consist of a man standing behind a pulpit in a church. It's about getting the message of Christ on the cross and his suffering for sin. Now, I've not yet seen this movie (although I certainly plan to) but from every review I've seen, testimonial I have heard and the trailer of the movie itself I'd say it without a doubt gives that message clearly..and that my friend is without a doubt preaching. It is truth in a form which reaches to lost in a way a pastor could never accomplish unless God literally created the opportunity and He could do that, but for now...we have Mel's movie..I for one thank God we do.

Btw, this generation is probably the best generation I have yet to see who actually is getting action for Christ accomplished in places unheard of in past years.

Joan

 

Exposition of the Bible alway requires application in order to be complete. And in this visual age, the preacher must learn to use word pictures to communicate truth effectively. So, don't look at this as a negative thing. What are they all talking about? Something they SAW. When you preach, aim for the eyes as much as the ears and heart. Don't be a storyteller, but give them truth that they can see.

With that said, do the work of an exegete and craft a strong expository sermon series based on the words of Christ. There is powerful meaning in those words, life-transforming meaning. So take advantage of the visual nature of your audience, but don't err like Gibson and present shady theology. Give them the truth with the visual.

 

Blackbird,

Speaking as a layman who has seen the movie I would encourage you to see the movie - not bacause you want to, or that it is 100% true to scripture (we all agree, I think, that it is not) but because for many people their view of the cross will now be the images from the movie. I think that to help them go deeper you need to know their new frame of reference. In many ways this is similar to many people's view of the birth of Christ - the manger scenes with three wise men, shepards and donkey's present.

When you preach on the cross in the future, those images will flood the minds of those in your congregation.

I am not saying this is good or bad, but in my opinion what will happen. I would think that you will be able to use the movie to move your people deeper.

 

Dear granny,
You are using a lot of general terms such as "most people". I can only speak for me and what I saw on Sunday. My family and I and a full congregation were there on Sunday listening attentively to a great sermon.

Dear blackbird,
Pray, study, and preach. You are not in competition with a movie. To whatever extent God has used this movie in the lives of your hearers, rejoice! Then preach!

Karen

 

Our Sunday Service begins at 11:00 and we seldom are out of church before 12:30 so that 'most people' is a vague remark and not a known fact.

You don't need to worry about competing with what they saw at the movie. I certainly didn't compare Dr. George's sermon on 'Who Really Killed Jesus' this past Sunday with the movie.

Diane

 

As a Christian School teacher and a former assistant pastor of a local, independent Baptist Church, I found that the movie made me want to dedicate my life afresh to serve God with passion. It did nothing to hurt me, it only helped and magnified my desire to serve the Lord.

Pastor "Blackbird"--I would HIGHLY encourage you to see the movie. It will give you an understanding of what the Lord did for you and your people like you've never had before.

The audience in the theater I attended was deeply moved by what they saw. Christian teens behind me openly sobbed. Adults of all ages had the same response. After the movie was finished, the teens got up and hugged one another. I challenged them to go tell others about the Lord and what He has done for them.

You will not adequately relate to your people until you see the film. I am so much the better with the students of my Bible class BECAUSE I went.

Trust me, your preaching will take on a dimension it's never had before. Don't hesitate. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to go.

 

I suggest you forget human concerns about this film and its effects.

No one "needs" any movie to make God's Word come alive within their souls.

There are many things in this "P" film that are not biblically correct, additions, deletions, as you already know from many sources.

Just read the Word prayerfully and contemplate its amazing truths.

Let the Holy Spirit energize your sermons.

He will make it fresh, powerful, vivid, exciting, profound, relevant, new, awesome, and effective.

The film is just a violence lovers oddity, and it puts weird scenes and dialog into people's minds that have nothing to do with the Gospels. It would be tiresome to repeat them all here. I think you know what they are.

A new one I heard, correct me if I'm wrong: Jesus dangling from a chain over a cliff. Please. Get real.

Why add stupid junk to an already glorious story created by God Himself? To sell tickets to an undiscerning public, I suppose.

Teach from your heart as God works within it.

To Granny Gumbo: sing it loud sister. I'm with you all the way...oh yeah, I'm cheering you on!

 

Vaspers...I despise violence. Yet, I knew my Lord suffered violently. I gained a clear understanding of this through the movie. Yes, preaching is primary, but we need to get our heads out of the sand about where the 21st century US citizen is and how he thinks. This movie is the tool to get them to see what a 1000 sermons will never get them to see. Let's look outside the 4 walls of our churches and see this dying world. We need to wake up and smell the coffee!

The film can't even show the actual beating and crucifixion as it occurred, but this is about as close as Gibson could come. Millions who would never know about Christ now can because of this epic endeavor.

Is the doctrine perfect? Of course, not. As I said I am a graduate of one of the largest Christian Universities in the world, a veteran assistant pastor, and currently a Christian school teacher. I know where Gibson added the theatrics. I knew that before I entered the theater. My purpose (and I believe Gibson's stated purpose) is get portrayal of the agony and horror of Christ's sufferings for the purpose of understanding what he REALLY did for us.

Let's open our eyes, lift our heads, see humanity, and rejoice in the tool God has given us to aid in the evangelization of this dear country of ours and others countries around the world.

 

Brother Blackbird, you don't have to see the movie, though it might help you relate to what the others saw who did see it.

But...you could emphasize / concentrate on the darkness which the movie only barely touched on. That darkness when God hid HIS FACE - turned HIS FACE from HIS SON!

I got this from the Internet when searching about the darkness at Calvary: