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Some of us are guilty of using the text. We have the idea we want, we find the text that appears to say what we want it to say. And then we quote it as if we are allowing the Bible to lead. We then go to another idea that we want to present, go find a text that appears to say that and then we end up with a final idea that we want to preach, and find that text that appears to say it and then we whoop and sit down.
Note that it is not the Bible that is leading or guiding, but it is our own idea of what we wish to present. We are not preaching the Biblical word, we are preaching our own ideas with an aleged surface reading of some texts to back them up. This kind of preaching ends up with a congregation that doesn’t really know what a text says until they go talk to their preacher. The Bible is not in the driver’s seat, but the preacher is.
In addition, such preaching can end up with a congregation majoring in what the preacher thinks are the fundamentals and not majoring in what the Bible majors in. Let the Word speak! Go to the Bible. You may come to a text becuase you think it is going to say what you want it to say, but have enough intergrity to allow the text to speak. It may surprise you. It may agree with you, and then again, it may totally change your sermon. Let it…Let the Bible take the center spot.
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