Tuesday, April 11th, 2023

Are you catching what a sermon preaches or latching to the words of a sermon? Said another way, do you walk away with God's Word or the pastor's words remembered? Great pastors put great effort into accurately and forcefully conveying God's Word by means of the Holy Spirit, and while they all have different manners of speaking and illustrating God's Word, that is the focus. I've heard one pastor routinely pray before preaching, "Lord, hide me behind your cross. Let your words be the words we take away from here." Illustrations, such as anecdotes or objects, are ways for us to grasp spiritual concepts. However, what is important for spiritual development is allowing sermon illustrations to illuminate the Scripture. Pastors do not pray for their congregations to quote them divorced from the Scripture they were preaching. When we miss the Scripture and latch onto the catchy slogan to help understand it, we miss out on power held in God's Word. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Today, be sure, as you look back over notes from a Sunday sermon that you remember God's word, living by it, rather than simply the illustrations of a pastor.

"But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" -- Matthew 4:4