Preaching to needs

I have a "love-hate" relationship with all the blogs I have bookmarked. I love to read them, but hate that I don't have time to really read and digest all of them. I bounce around on occasion (sort of like channel surfing on the TV) briefly looking at the blogs hoping to find something interesting. Today I came across an interesting article on Albert Mohler's blog. He's discussing why preaching to the needs of the congregation is a futile exercise. I have always wondered since I began to preach how I was supposed to perceive the needs of the congregation and design a sermon that could preach to those needs. Even in a congregation of 70-80 you have so many different needs that it's impossible to touch those needs. But am I really supposed to do that? Now that's a quote!

Mohler quotes from William Willimon (one of my favorite authors), "Jesus doesn't meet our needs; he rearranges them. He cares very little about most things that I assume are my needs, and he gives me needs I would've never had if I hadn't met Jesus. He reorders them." Now that's a quote! Willimon suggests that people in the third world have biblical needs (housing, clothing, food) but that we in the affluent world have wants not needs. We meet our needs outside of prayer. We want things that really have little to do with the kingdom.

I was told one time that people wanted a sermon that would get them through the week. I've thought a lot about that statement. I wish I could talk to them now because I would say, "It's not my job as your preacher to get you through the week. It's my job to get you to heaven." God calls us out of this world and into a world of His creation. It is a new world, a new creation with new needs. Preaching should point the way to those new needs and new ways. We are called to follow the new standards of the new community.

God calls us to pay attention to others (Php.2:3-4). We are to be other-centered. The "needs" that people claim the preacher should address are really self-centered stuff (satisfying life, career, ect.). Sometimes it's wrapped up as evangelism but really the people want their needs met not those on the outside. God called me to be faithful and I pray that I stay faithful throughout my years.