I could not agree with his assessment any more. This from Pastor Mark Batterson's latest post...he has been doing a spectacular seires on his blog...10 Buzz Commandments.
VI: Thou Shalt Preach in Parables [1]
Let me come right out and say it. I've been around the homiletical block enough times to know that there are certain camps within Christendom that believe that expository preaching, a verse-by-verse exposition of a text, is the only form of biblical preaching. There is one problem with that perspective. Jesus wasn't an expository preacher. He was a parabolist.
Matthew 13:34 says, "He did not say anything to them without using a parable." The NLT says, "Jesus always used stories and illustrations."
I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with expository preaching. And I think the foundation of every message should be good exegesis of a text. But I also think we should take our communication cues from Jesus. And Jesus was a master of metaphors.
I have a communication conviction: the most important truths ought to be communicated in the most unforgettable ways.
Enter parables.
There is an old aphorism: a picture is worth a thousand words.
That aphorism is wrong.
According to neurological research, the brain is able to process print on a page at a rate of approximately one hundred bits per second. But the brain can process a picture at approximately one billion bits per second.
Mathematically speaking, a picture is worth ten million words!
Jesus communicated in word pictures. Why did Jesus use agrarian metaphors? Because he explained spiritual truths in everyday terms. He knew his listeners already had cognitive categories for his agricultural metaphors. If Jesus were preaching in our 21st century context, I'm sure he would have tapped into the cultural consciousness of our day and used a variety of metaphors.
John 12:52 has always been my preaching mantra.
Jesus said, "I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it."
What is sermon content.
How is sermon branding.
Sermon branding is nothing new. It's as old as the ancient prophets using God-inspired props to make their messages stick. Jesus took the Old Testament art form to a new level. No one was better at branding truth than The Truth. His parables are pure genius. Hear them once and you'll remember them forever!
We need lots of different kinds of sermons because there are lots of different kinds of learners. That is educational theory 101. But let me zoom out and make an observation: I think linear sermons were more effective in the modern era with a left-brain orientation. They don't work as well in the postmodern era that is moving toward a right-brain orientation.
There are fifty-three parables in the gospels. Each one is a masterpiece in how to communicate to the right-brain of listeners. You've got to use metaphors and tell stories that capture the imagination. I think there are three keys to a great sermon: metaphor, metaphor, metaphor.
Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish filmmaker, said, "Facts go straight to the head; stories go straight to the heart." Sermons need to be both/and. They have to use facts that inform the left-brain and tell stories that inspire the right-brain. But it sure seems like Jesus targeted the right-brain.
One last thought.
What if Jesus were a teaching pastor at a 21st century American church? Would he preach the same way he did in the gospels? I think he would. And I think people would leave his church because they would complain that his messages weren't "deep" enough or "expository" enough or "long" enough for that matter! Most of his parables are less than 200 words! They were so simple. They were so short. Too simple and too short for some people!
So keep exegeting Scripture. Throw in some cultural exegesis. And never preach without using a parable!
[1] Matthew 13:34
Great job Pastor Mark!!!
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