John MacArthur takes on the idea that good preaching is aimed at the felt needs of the hearer. He notes: “This is what is wrong with superficial, marginally biblical preaching.”
I’d suggest preachers and parishioners read the whole thing here.
Here’s the summarized list.
- It usurps the authority of God over the soul.
- It removes the lordship of Christ from His church.
- It hinders the work of the Holy Spirit.
- It demonstrates appalling pride and a lack of submission.
- It severs the preacher personally from the regular sanctifying grace of Scripture.
- It clouds the true depth and transcendence of our message and therefore cripples both corporate and personal worship.
- It prevents the preacher from fully developing the mind of Christ.
- It depreciates by example the spiritual duty and priority of personal Bible study.
- It prevents the preacher from being the voice of God on every issue of his time.
- It breeds a congregation that is as weak and indifferent to the glory of God as their pastor is.
- It robs people of their only true source of help.
- It encourages people to become indifferent to the Word of God and divine authority.
- It lies to people about what they really need.
- It strips the pulpit of power.
- It puts the responsibility on the preacher to change people with his cleverness.
“So preach the Word, even though it is currently out of fashion to do so (2 Tim. 4:2). That is the only way your ministry can ever truly be fruitful. Moreover, it assures that you will be fruitful in ministry, because God’s Word never returns to Him void; it always accomplishes that for which He sends it, and prospers in what He sends it to do (Isa. 55:11).”