With the continuous development of society and the church, diverse activities are organized by the church. However, preaching, the most important ministry of the Protestant church, has been neglected.
Reverend Liu, who serves in a city church in South China, proposes that pastors must diligently prepare their sermons to bring about change in people. He has observed that in recent years, many pastors attribute their inability to properly prepare sermons to the increasingly busy pace of life, as well as the secularization and critical attitudes of believers towards sermons.
Regarding this, Liu insists that, regardless of the circumstances, ministers cannot blame the negative environment or passively accept it. For the church, the most crucial tasks have always been preaching the gospel and pastoring the congregants well.
He declared that the main reason why some churches aren’t growing is that pastors deviate from their focus. For example, many churches now engage in small groups, varied fellowships, discipleship training, staff worker training, and leadership training. However, despite being busy with these activities, there is often little or no growth in those churches.
The pastor explained, “For example, a pastor is busy attending a retreat today and participating in an event tomorrow, and often there are meetings.” The end result is that pastors do not have enough time to pray earnestly, read the Bible, quietly meditate on God’s word, or prepare their sermons.
Liu asserted that without powerful sermons, believers lack sufficient spiritual nourishment. Over time, they feel indifferent about attending church services, with no sense of anticipation. When newcomers come, they often leave without having gained anything meaningful and may not return.
He emphasized, “As pastors, we must seriously reflect before God and look over our own issues and responsibilities.” He said that in the eras of John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, or the Great Awakening in America, there were not many fellowship activities. Yet, when the gospel message was proclaimed, people listened attentively and earnestly.
“Many activities are conducted, but there is no significant church growth or revival. This is not just an issue in churches within our country; it’s a global phenomenon.” The reason is that the preaching lacks appeal and fails to attract young people.
Pastor Liu reiterated that while small groups, fellowships, training sessions, and discipleship programs are necessary and should be conducted, they should not consume too much time and energy or become the main focus of the church.
Every pastor, whether during Sunday services, midweek meetings, or youth fellowships, must deliver good sermons. “I believe this is more important than anything else,” said Pastor Liu.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
