No Props Needed

Long years ago when most of my preaching was still unwritten and unspoken, someone said that a preacher needed two things to preach.  One was the morning newspaper and the other was the Bible.  Today's preacher likely does not depend too much on the printed news, but is more likely to listen a news channel which reflects personal political views.  Hopefully, the Bible is still in the mix.  As I reflect back over the years of preaching, I am not so sure it was sound advice then, or now.

One of the things discovered in the years of preaching is that the Scripture is both the source of the preacher's authority as well as the one thing which will guarantee relevancy. It is easy at times to become event driven in preaching.  Something happens which upsets and stirs folks and the preacher becomes obligated to build a sermon around it.  The way the news is reported these days, such a preacher will soon become nothing more than one whose preaching is based on the news with a sprinkling of scripture to make it seem authentic.  Such a preacher does not trust the Word to speak to the issues which stir the hearts of those who come and fill the pews. 

When the Word is preached systematically, I am convinced the preacher does not need to worry about sermons being relevant.  The Word of God written in the holy pages has not suddenly become irrelevant after all these centuries of relevancy.  Today's news has not outstripped the Word's ability to be relevant.  The Word of God does not need a  prop to be relevant.  All it needs to be relevant is a preacher who trusts it and the Spirit who inspired it.