The Holy Correspondence

For an assignment, I’m reading through Art Azurdia’s book entitled Spirit Empowered Preaching.  So far I am very much enjoying the book.  In one section he talks about the style of the preaching must correspond with the content of the message.  He says that these two cannot be in disparity else the integrity of the message is compromised:

Suppose, for example, that a mother and father are burdened to teach the alphabet to their children.  Putting on a purple dinosaur costume and singing the ‘ABC’ song is an altogether legitimate method to employ.  Suppose a corporation feels the need to boost profits in a fast-food chain by increasing the number of hamburger sales.  Donning a jack-in-the-box head is equally legitimate.  No incongruity exists between the message and the method of communication.  On the other hand, something would be radically inappropriate, however, were the approaches such as these employed by the parents of JonBenet Ramsey in making their television appeal to find their daughter’s murderer.  Why would these be so evidently out of place?  Because there would exist an irreconcilable disparity between the message and the method of its communication (pg 90).

That was a very helpful illustration.  The gospel message’s importance  is in the league of murderous crime and cannot be proclaimed in a trite manner.  He goes on to say:

To then attempt a proclamation of that message in a manner that relies upon methods reflecting the wizardry of men is to eviscerate the gospel of its own content.  The cross, implies Paul, not only determines the substance of the preacher’s message, it dictates the manner in which preachers communicate it; in a way that rivets the attention of people on the beauties of Jesus Christ rather than on the comparatively paltry gifts of the preacher… It is to say that a preacher ought never to preach in a manner that consciously draws attention to himself. (pg 91)

Azurdia doesn’t mince words here.  The beauty of Christ, His grandeur, His name’s sake is on the line when a man preaches.  Attention to one’s self robs Christ of that required glory.  There’s two things we can walk away with.  If you’re a preacher, pray that God help you to preach like this!  If you’re a member of a church that preaches, pray for your pastor to preach like this!

(Art Azurdia has a website named after his book: http://www.spiritempoweredpreaching.com)