5 ways we can quench the Spirit with our preaching…

1. Don’t preach the word (2 Tim 4:2). While Newsweek, movies, and my exciting life stories are all good illustrative fodder, the logos is unique, Spirit-breathed dynamite. You want to see change? You want to move mountains and dislodge stones of opposition? Use Godly dynamite. You want to build strong people and help the weak? Preach sound doctrine, solid instruction (2 Tim 3:16, 4:3).

2. Preach the law. The law is called the ministry of death (2 Cor 3:7). How do we preach the law? Whenever we threaten God’s people, preach conditional statements (“if you really want to see God’s favour, do this”), or lay guilt trips on the saints (“Jesus went to the cross so you owe Him”). Manipulation is the worst kind of preaching and says more about our own insecurities than God’s character. Whenever we say “you’ve got to do this thing and that thing to get right with God” we’re preaching law and nullifying the finished work of the cross. The law is good when used properly (eg: to silence the self-righteous). But as Paul said, “some want to be teachers of the law, but they don’t know what they’re talking about” (1 Tim 1:7). God is not after behaviour modification (the result of legalism); He wants our hearts (the result of responding to His Divine overtures of gracious love).

3. Be over-organized. We expect church to be dignified and orderly, but sometimes we have the order of the graveyard. When we’re as dignified as the Pharisees we can expect to see nothing of the power of God. Our greatest enemy in Hong Kong is not Tin Hau, Wong Tai Sin or Mammon. It is religious formalism which opposes the spontaneity (and sovereignty!) of the Spirit. God resists the face-conscious! (Being face-conscious leads to a curse – think Michal in 2 Sam 6:23). We preachers don’t help the situation when we’re determined to get through our notes. Long notes reflect long preparation, but they can become handcuffs. I have found it easier to pick up what the Spirit wants to do when preaching “off the cuff” and straying from the script. We need to be more concerned with getting God’s presence into people’s lives and less concerned with getting our message into their notebooks.

4. Try to be clever. People are impressed by clever preaching; God is impressed by faith and obedience. For me this means beware the acronyms, don’t get too absorbed with history lessons (which I love!), and use maps, movies and Powerpoints very judiciously. There’s nothing more tempting than going to the Internet on Friday and downloading Pastor Dave’s Top Ten jokes on “water baptism.”

5. Prepare without “waiting” – this is a surefire method for getting an intellectual message that stimulates the mind and releases nothing of the Spirit. You’ll be preaching alone.