The context of a sermon is far more like being gathered into the upper room with Jesus (John 13-17), where he washes his disciples’ feet, speaks to them of his love, joy and peace, in words saturated with grace, the likes of which none of us has ever seen. In the upper room, we get a picture of Jesus’ heart for his disciples. He is dealing with people who are greatly troubled, and the Lord, gently and lovingly, pours out upon them words of life.

In the first article, I addressed the tone and posture of the preacher in his sermon. I ended by saying that the sermon should be characterized by ordinary conversation, where the preacher tenderly persuades the congregation toward Christ. A few reasons were given of why this should be the case, but in these next two articles, I plan to develop this line of thinking further.

For this article, I’ll present three aspects of preaching. These should be obvious, but let me state the obvious first, and then consider some implications. All three aspects should cause us to consider the spirit and atmosphere we are creating in our tone and posture. This is where we will think of how the who, the where and the to whom informs the how.

Who is Talking?

This has already been said, but let’s not miss the miraculous reality that Christ, himself, addresses his people in preaching. At least in the Reformed world, this is how we think of a sermon. As David Strain points out in an article for Ligonier, where he comments on both the Westminster Larger and Second Helvitic Catechisms, saying:

“…in the faithful preaching of the Word by those God has sent, sinners not only hear of Christ; they hear Christ Himself calling to them in the voice of His gospel.” And, “…in preaching that is faithful to the text of the Bible, the risen Christ speaks to His people by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Countless other examples could be given, but I am assuming we all agree that, to the extent that the preacher proclaims the truth of the word of God, the Lord himself is speaking.

This is part of Christ’s promise to his Father, when he says in John 17:26, “²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known,…” It seems that Jesus is alluding to the promise made by him in Psalm 22 that, after the resurrection, “²² I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you…”

This is Christ’s great promise, and it is his incredible joy that he continues to speak to us!

When the preacher stands up to preach, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the risen Christ tells of the name of the Lord in the midst of his people. While I have known this for more than two decades, I do not think I have always considered the beautiful implications of this reality.

One implication is that, while we may think that we are merely speaking for Christ in the sermon, I suggest it is better to think that we are speaking as Christ. This might seem a bit provocative to some, but I think that little prepositional enhancement can go a long way in helping us remember that we represent Christ to his people as we address them.

Where is Christ Speaking?

I can still remember the 2003 National Ligonier conference, where Sinclair Ferguson explained that when we worship, we “go to heaven.” This understanding changed me and I’m still grappling with this truth. Jonathan Cruze speaks of this in his helpful little book on worship (pp. 42-43).

Both Ferguson and Cruze (and a host of others) point to Hebrews 12 to prove this point. Like the reality that Christ speaks in preaching, I doubt there is disagreement on this. However, I am not sure we are always taking this into account with regard to our preaching. This reality will also inform our substance, but for now, let’s consider how the context of our preaching informs our tone.

Part of what is in view for the author of Hebrews is that, with the coming of Christ and his Spirit, there is a change in our worship (John 4 also). We no longer worship at Mt. Sinai. We have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, Mt. Zion. When God’s people are called into worship, they are called up into heaven, where they are to experience a taste of the New Heavens and the New Earth in the presence of Jesus (Mt. Zion).

Experiencing the New Heavens and the New Earth in the heavenlies with Christ, is not like Mt. Sinai, where there is a “blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them” (Hebrews 12:18-19). It is far from it.

The context of a sermon is far more like being gathered into the upper room with Jesus (John 13-17), where he washes his disciples’ feet, speaks to them of his love, joy and peace, in words saturated with grace, the likes of which none of us has ever seen. In the upper room, we get a picture of Jesus’ heart for his disciples. He is dealing with people who are greatly troubled, and the Lord, gently and lovingly, pours out upon them words of life.

How did Jesus speak to his disciples in the upper room? He does not raise his voice. He does not shame them nor speak condescendingly to them. He is intimate and personal. He is understanding and gracious. His tone and posture toward them are nothing less than that of one who longs to wipe away all their tears, promises to do it and gives them great hope, even though he will not be with them, physically.

Perhaps we tend to think of the context of a sermon in a different way. Maybe we think of a sermon happening in a classroom, with a teacher standing up front, preparing the students for a test. Or maybe we think of it as a gym, with a trainer, encouraging someone in their routine. Or on the basketball court with a coach firing off instructions. Or maybe we think it’s like the scene in Braveheart, where Mel Gibson is preparing his men for war.

No doubt there are aspects of preaching that might lend themselves to seeing a sermon like this. However, I want to suggest that we need to think of a sermon quite differently. It is something more like meeting in the upper room with Jesus, where we are to taste the New Heavens and the New Earth in his presence.

I might even say (and will say) that it is something more intimate than the upper room (if that is possible!), which leads to the last aspect.

To Whom Is Christ Speaking?

One of the most important aspects of preaching is knowing your audience. If you do not know who are you are addressing, you will not know how to address them. If I can be gently blunt, I find that preachers often miss their audience. I find myself asking, “Who are you talking to?” Please take that question with a tone of love.

The answer to this question is obvious, but like the two aspects above, I am not sure we are always taking the obvious into account. In Psalm 22, Jesus promises to declare the name to his brothers (and sisters). He is speaking to family.

He Speaks to His Sheep

Beyond family, another prominent way the Lord describes us is that we are his sheep. Christ, the Good Shepherd, is addressing his beloved sheep through preaching. These sheep are fickled and easily harassed. And yet, Jesus loves his skittish sheep. If a primary goal of preaching is to draw the people into the heart of Christ, how do sheep need to be spoken to?

It seems that sometimes preachers address the sheep like they are speaking to wolves. Perhaps we look at all the ways that Jesus addresses people while he walked the earth and think that all those ways are available to us in the pulpit. They are not.

I remember, a number of years ago, an older minister (Dr. George Scipione) pointing out that Jesus speaks very differently to his sheep than he does to, say, the Pharisees. When Jesus encountered those who had been abusing his sheep or defaming the name of his Father, that is when you want to look out. That is when Jesus will flip over the tables and speak in a tone of a mighty warrior, perhaps in the vein of the strong man shouting because of wine (Psalm 78:65).

This is something I began to learn in Luke. When Jesus is addressing his desperate, oppressed, needy sheep, he is nothing but gracious, compassionate and loving in his tone and actions.

Perhaps we want to object because we know of times when Jesus seems to speak fairly strongly to his sheep. We think of the time when Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan.” As soon as we are aware of multiple individuals in our congregation, who are seeking to tell Jesus not to go to the cross, then perhaps we might have some warrant to say something similar. This type of interaction is not the context for our preaching.

Perhaps we think of how Christ speaks to the churches in Revelation. As strong as some of the language might be, I do not hear Jesus speak in a harsh, condescending, shaming tone. His purpose is love. And, for him, the matter is always in keeping with his manner. His melody always matches his lyrics.

He Speaks to His Bride

Another way we are described, which might be the closest to a “primary” identity for the Lord’s people, is that we are his Bride. More than anything, I think it is this that should shape how we speak to the congregation.

I have already used this term multiple times in the first article, but consider the reality. In preaching, our Husband, Christ, is speaking to us, his Beloved Bride; the one the Father gave to him as a gift, which he has earned. He died for her. He nourishes and cherishes her. She is his prized possession.

This is where I would like to offer another scene we might imagine taking place in the preaching of the word.

Consider a date night between a husband and wife. If we can begin to think of a sermon in this way, it will be much easier for us to embody the heart and disposition of Christ (Spurgeon, first article).

What is happening in the preaching of God’s word is that the Lord Jesus is sitting his Bride down to a meal. He is looking at her in the face and speaking to her as a husband would during a dinner date. He is taking her hand in his and tenderly speaking to her in ordinary conversation.

This is probably difficult for us to visualize because our worship services do not always communicate this reality. But remember that we live by faith and not by sight. We must see beyond what is before our physical eyes and see, by faith, what is really taking place. Our Husband has called us up into the heavenlies that he might love on us, nourish us and cherish us.

I was discussing this with a pastor-buddy of mine (J.C. Baysinger), and he made an insightful comment, something I had not put together. As we consider the question of how to “channel” Christ, what is the intersection of our personality and Christ’s tone and posture? He said something like, “Preachers ought to speak to the congregation as they would speak to their wives.”  Thanks, J.C. because this is so helpful, and it makes me want to say something like this: The intersection between Christ and us is that, what we should be experiencing from the pulpit, is hearing how the preacher speaks to his wife and children in the best of who he is in Christ.

Baysinger’s comment clarifies for us more fully how we are to interact with our congregations, in general, but especially during a sermon. My goal is to speak to them such that they hear how a husband ought to speak to his family. Of course, none of us will be as good of a husband as Christ, but this is the trajectory of our tone and posture, as we speak to Christ’s Bride in his stead.

The Bride’s Posture

Now we cannot leave this section without asking the question: what is the Bride’s posture toward her Husband? The reason this is important is because I get the sense that many preachers think the Bride is in great rebellion to her Husband. Perhaps we think that the congregation does not want to be in worship and would rather not hear the voice of her Husband. If so, I think we have greatly misunderstood the Bride.

A few years ago, another seasoned minister (Dave Kenyon, whom I love!) made the comment that we do not “by and large preach to people who do not want to hear the gospel. Actually, we preach to people who long to hear the good news.”

I think he is right, and I think a Scriptural understanding of the true heart of the Bride bears this out. What is the true heart of the Bride of Christ, according to the Bible?

She is the “She” of Song of Songs, who loves her Husband. She longs for him. She thinks he is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. She is wondering if he truly loves her. She is sad without his full presence. She is one who laments her circumstances (Psalms). She is one who cries out, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!” (Revelation 22).

Yes, she still struggles to submit to him, and she needs to learn to continue to put on her new Husband (Colossians 3), but she lives in Romans 7: I do not understand myself!

When we gather for worship and we are taken up into heaven to hear Christ speak to us, we not only get to be reminded of our true Husband, but we need to be reminded of who we, as his Bride, truly are. Our Husband loves to take us out on date night and remind us of both realities. And as he does this, he speaks in a tone and posture that is nothing but love.

Some Bullet-pointed Implications

My hunch is that the above needs some time to digest. To help us do that, I’ll offer some implications in bullet-point form. This should help clarify what I am and am not saying.

• I need to become more aware of the manner of my preaching and not just focus on the matter.
• Sometimes we say that, when we are in worship, it is as if Jesus is sharing our hymnal with us, looking over our shoulder. Well, Christ is looking over my shoulder as I am talking to his Bride. He is paying attention. How I speak to his Bride is very important to him, just as important to him as what I say to her. Consider how you, as a husband/father, would be very interested in the way someone speaks to your family. For me, if I find someone speaking to my family in an inappropriate manner, I will end that interaction as soon as possible.
• As we address the Bride, none of this means the preacher never gets appropriately excited or never has to speak bluntly to the Bride or warn her. What it does is help curb any tendency to be condescending, shaming, harsh or impersonal. There is a difference between helping the Bride become more aware of her sinful tendencies and shaming her with her sinful tendencies. Christ’s posture is always one of love and, therefore, his blunt or warning speech is always couched in his love. Our tone and posture must clearly communicate his love to the Bride.
• I am not arguing for monotone, boring, sappy or weak preaching. I’m arguing for Christlike and Christ-filled preaching.
• None of this means that we cannot address the non-believer in the sermon. It is more than likely that, in the midst of the congregation, there are non-believers. However, the non-believer needs the same tone and posture as the believer. It is the kindness of the Lord that leads to repentance (Romans 2).
• In the similar vein, none of this means that we cannot address the hard-hearted believer. However, it is the kindness of the Lord that leads to repentance. As Sinclair Ferguson says, “Only the preaching of grace can open the sinful heart” (Passionate Plea, p. 112).
• However tenderly persuasive I might become, I will never be as tender and persuasive as Christ.

Now, let’s go love our congregations in our preaching as Christ does.