Topical preaching is a fun way to address important topics of note, but it has its dangers. Don’t make the following mistakes of Topical Preaching:
1st Mistake of Topical Preaching – The Text Launch Pad
This person may start well, but then use the Scripture Text as a launch pad to go wherever s/he may want it to go. While preaching on Matthew 4 when Jesus called the disciples who were fishing, one might say, “Speaking of fishing, let me tell you about this amazing chance I had to witness while I was fishing on my vacation.” Then we launch into an inspirational story about how the preacher was able to share his/her faith, and help a stranger out with their faith, or a problem that they were facing. Then we come back to the conclusion/application with a comment like, ‘so we should all be fishers of men just like Jesus called His disciples to be in this passage’.
So what we are left with then is a passage of Scripture which is not explained or understood any better after the sermon, than before the sermon began. We have a nice story with a moral application. But really, except for the common theme of ‘fishing’, there was no relationship between the story the preacher may have told, and the passage in question.
This same mistake of the Launch Pad can occur when using famous verses like 2 Chronicles 7:14 ”If my people…” and then launching into a sermon about the moral failures of America. Or 2 Timothy 1:5 with the reference to “your grandmother Lois” and “your mother Eunice” as a Mother’s Day theme.
Now all of these topics may be good and useful content which one needs to teach their congregation. But the mistake comes in tying in the Scripture passage so tightly, “My text for today is…” and giving the impression to the congregation that they will be learning something about that passage; they are not. They are learning something about the topic, but very little about the text at hand.
Better would be to say, “Our topic today is…” and then teaching on the topic directly and clearly, and not using one verse as an excuse to address a much needed topic.
2nd Mistake of Topical Preaching – Textual Twisting
This mistake is a worse offender than the Launch Pad. In Textual Twisting, the Text is forced to do the bidding of the preacher by twisting it to say things which it never was intended to say. Sometimes this is accomplished by using an old translation that is not even universally accepted by most commentators anymore, but because it fits the need of the hour it is used. One of the most common examples of this would be Proverbs 29:18, which in the King James version says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. This is a great verse for Vision Sunday! But in the NIV it says, “Where there is no revelation.” Because of this, many preachers who never, ever use the King James, dust it off once a year so they can use that verse. But is that what the verse really is intended for?
3rd Mistake of Topical Preaching – Ignoring the Text
This last one is the biggest mistake, and that is simply ignoring the text completely, and just using the pulpit to address whatever the preacher feels like s/he wants to talk about for the day. While there may be religious language, or even Biblical terminology, the congregation really is not getting an education in God’s Word, either Expositionally or Topically. They are getting a sermon on whatever the preacher feels like talking about.
Because I take a very high view of the Bible, and consider it God’s Word for our day, my personal bias is to do all that I can to help people to hear a word from God each week, not me. I trust that you too will not make any of these mistakes, and feed people instead on the pure Bread of Life for which they hunger.
Yours for better preaching,
Dr. Bill Miller