I also had a conversation with James Emery White, author of The Rise of the Nones—one of the best books on engaging secular people—who told me that several things at his church (which leans more seeker friendly) have changed over the years. One area that has changed was the depth content of the messages. Intrigued, I asked, “Why?” He said because they are trying to reach the unchurched and these are the questions the unchurched are asking.
So, it seems that some who would be classified as “seeker friendly” are shifting their sermon content (and in the case of Willow Creek, their ministry) from having more of a pragmatic flavor to one that is more theologically deep.
Again, I would not put all such churches in the dumbing-down category. However, they are increasingly in the digging-deep category.
The Art (or the Challenge) of Preaching With Both Width and Depth
Preaching with both width and depth is not only a challenge, but also an art.
It takes great intentionality and discipline to take the Scriptures and to develop the sermon content in a way that is faithful to the text and contextually relevant to a diverse audience that may include mature believers, newer believers and those who may have never read the Bible before.
Here’s the reality: if the sermon primarily focuses on believers it may not connect with the visiting unbeliever. However, if it focuses primarily on unbelievers, it may not grow the believers. Finding the balance is an art, and an art very difficult to master.
In my opinion, Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City, has mastered this well, and I’m influenced by his thoughts. He is one of the best preachers who “preach up” in a way that connects to both believers and unbelievers without dumbing down. Next time you find yourself listening to a sermon of Keller’s, pay attention to how he weaves in biblical commentary, apologetics, current issues, secular philosophies, cultural artifacts and cultural needs all the while concluding in a Christ-centered fashion.
Related: 10 things you should never say to a pastor right after the sermon »
When Keller was asked, “What advice would you give to that younger you just starting out in ministry?” he replied,
It takes a long, long, long, long time and lots and lots of practice to become as good a preacher as you are gifted to be. There’s a tendency to think if you are gifted then you can just do it … Then I went and started Redeemer in New York. I thought I was as good a preacher as I was going to be. But Redeemer was a crucible for me and my preaching because these were harder people and their feedback was more negative … It took me thousands of sermons to get to the level that God had gifted me to get to.
I know the easier route for preaching or teaching is to dumb down, to keep it simple, or to not worry about the unchurched who might be present. But, I think that there is a way that we can provide “on-ramps” so our preaching can keep the cookie jar a little higher on the shelf theologically.
However, as Keller noted, it will take time and lots of practice for preachers and teachers to be able to rightly divide the Word of truth in a way that is both deep and wide—reaching both the believer and unbeliever.
Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham distinguished chair of church, mission and evangelism at Wheaton College and the Wheaton Grad School, where he also oversees the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism.