Doctrine-Starved

Made-to-order fare might be a good idea in the fast-food industry, but the made-to-order philosophy should be ditched at sermon time in church. The congregation needs to hear what the congregation needs to hear, and this is not always what it wants to hear. Hopefully, as the listeners in the pews continue to be spiritually fed and to grow and mature in their faith, what they want to hear will increasingly resemble what they need to hear. But the preacher needs to heed Paul's words to Timothy and "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." (1 Timothy 4:16, NASB).

The Greek work for teaching here, didaskalia, is translated "doctrine" in the KJV. In verse 13 Paul urges Timothy to "...give attendance to reading (i.e., the public reading of Scripture), to exhortation, to doctrine" (KJV). Significant portions of the pastoral epistles of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are devoted to the importance of sound doctrine and the pastor's responsibility to teach from the Scriptures to the church assembly. Sadly, many pulpits today have the congregation on a steady diet of stories, anecdotes, and rambling platitudes rather than Scriptural exegesis. It is my opinion that a faithful, scriptural exposition of the Biblical text is generally the most important function a church can provide on Sunday morning. This is not to say that other things are not also important in church, but preaching from the word (yes, preaching!) should not take a back seat when the church bells ring.