Christian Worship: Christ centered preaching
By Steven Newell

The sermon is a key part of any Christian worship service. This is the point where the pastor, as a servant of the word, proclaims the Gospel. When you replace the word "sermon" with the word “message” it more clearly implies that the pastor is bringing a message from another. This is much like the role of an ambassador when they bring a message of their sovereign to another group of people. Therefore, what the pastor is to proclaim, is not his message, but the message of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:20). St. Paul stated that he preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1 :23) and not what people wanted to hear. The entire purpose of preaching is to proclaim the Gospel. However, in order for the Gospel to be effective, the pastor must also bring the Law and all it’s condemnation to the hearers. Just because a pastor preaches a sermon based on the bible doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a Christian sermon. A Jewish Rabi can preach a entire sermon from the Old Testament and it will not be a Christian sermon. A Christian sermon must have Christ to be Christian.

Many argue the proclamation of the Gospel is what UNBELIEVERS need to hear and that believers no longer need to hear the Gospel. St. Paul told the church in Rome that he was eager to preach the Gospel to those in Rome, who were Christians (Romans 1:15). When a believer comes to think that they don’t need to hear the Gospel anymore, but need to move on to “more important teachings”, is when the believer needs to hear the Gospel again. We can never hear enough of the Gospel of Christ since we continue to be sinners in need of a savior.

Many sermons that preached today are not Christ centered messages. Many pastors have replaced the message of the cross with a focus on the Christian life, society or other issues that are not the Gospel. Todd Wilkins, host of Issues, Etc. radio program has developed a good test to determine if the sermon that the pastor preaches is a Christ centered sermon. Here we are focusing on what the pastor says, not the delivery style or their ability to effectively communicate or entertain an audience, but the content of what is being said. This set of questions is a tool that you can use when listen to a sermon. Content is everything in a sermon!

How often is Jesus mention?
If Jesus is mentioned, is He the subject of the verbs?
What are those verbs?

First, if Jesus is not mentioned, then you know that this is not a Christ centered sermon and not a Christian sermon. Jesus can be mentioned in his various names and titles. Just because Christ is mentioned, doesn’t make the sermon a Christian sermon, especially if the Gospel is not present nor proclaimed.

Second, when Jesus is mentioned, is he the subject of the verbs? In every sentence, there is a subject and a verb. If Jesus isn’t the subject, then who is? If Jesus isn’t the subject of the verbs, then this cannot be a Christ centered sermon. When someone other than Christ is the subject of the sentence, then Christ cannot be the focus of the sermon.

Next, look at the verbs associated with Jesus in the sermon. Are the verbs associated with Jesus passive or active? Is Jesus doing the action or is he being acted upon? If Jesus isn’t the active player in the verbs, then who is? If the pastor is placing the individual as the active player, then this sermon is not a Gospel sermon. For example, “Jesus is waiting for you to give your life to him” places Jesus as the passive player and the individual as the active player. If the pastor says “Jesus has saved you and gives you life” he is placing Jesus as the active player and you as the passive player. This is very important since the Gospel is not about what we do for Christ, but what Christ has already done for us.

At the end of the sermon, ask yourself these to questions: “What is our problem that the pastor has identified in their sermon?” and “What is the solution for our problem?” Is the problem that we are sinful by nature or that we make mistakes? How the pastor defines our problem is critical to how Christ is part of the solution. His definition of the problem also impacts the roll of Christ in the solution. If the problem is anything less than man’s sinful nature and being dead to God, then the problem the pastor defines isn’t the same problem that the bible defines as our problem.

What is the solution that the pastor provides? If the solution is to “Give your heart to Jesus” or “Change your attitude” places the focus on the individual as the source of the solution. This is not a Christ centered sermon but a human centered sermon. The Biblical solution is always what Christ has done for you on the cross.

More Spurgeon from "Christ Lifted Up"

Ministers read your Bible and preach it as you find it in the simplicity of its language. And give up all your Latinized English. Begin to tell the people what you have felt in your own heart, and beseech the Holy Spirit to make your heart as hot as a furnace for zeal. Then go out and talk to the people. Speak to them like their brother. Be a man amongst men.

But if you say, "Now, to get a congregation, I must buy an organ.
"That will not serve you a bit."

But we must have a good choir.
"I would not care to have a congregation that comes through a good choir."

But I must a little alter my style of preaching.
"My dear friend, it is not the style of preaching, it is the style of feeling."

People sometimes begin to mimic other preachers, because they are successful. Why, the worst preachers are those who mimic others, whom they look upon as standards preach naturally. Christ acts as a net to draw men unto him. The gospel ministry is, in God’s Word, compared to a fishery; God’s ministers are the fishermen, they go to catch souls, as fishermen go to catch fish. How shall souls be caught? They shall be caught by preaching Christ. Just preach a sermon that is full of Christ, and throw it unto your congregation, as you throw a net into the sea; you need not look where they are, nor try to fit your sermon to different cases; but, throw it in, and as sure as God’s Word is what it is, it shall not return to him void; it shall accomplish that which he pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto he hath sent it.

The gospel never was unsuccessful yet, when it was preached with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. It is not fine orations upon the death of princes, or the movements of politics which will save souls. If we wish to have sinners saved and to have our churches increased; if we desire the spread of God’s kingdom, the only thing whereby we can hope to accomplish the end, is the lifting up of Christ; for, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."