I believe many had a pure heart and wanted to see many people come to know the Lord—and many did. I am just highlighting a potential weakness within that movement that still exists today.
It’s probably obvious I am not a fan of the dumbing down approach that overemphasizes application and underemphasizes truth. I firmly believe that one can preach to unchurched, dechurched, new to church, and deeply churched in a way that is both accessible and theologically rich.
It just takes more work to do so.
Putting the Cookies Up on a Little Higher [Theological] Shelf
I’m far from the world’s greatest preacher and teacher. But one of the things I’ve tried to do as a preacher is to put the cookies a little higher on the theological shelf. If teenagers can learn trigonometry and the intricacies of marketing and economics—and if people can go to Starbucks and order a triple shot, venti, soy, no foam, extra-hot latte, with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup—then they can come to our corporate gathering and learn about propitiation.
I understand there is a debate regarding who the corporate worship gathering is for—some believe it is for the believer, some think it can focus on the unbeliever. I hold that church is for the glory of God and his mission in the world, which leads me to shape corporate worship for both the believer and unbeliever, though for different reasons. (The believer worships. The unbeliever observes.)
Thus, when we do put the theological cookies up on a higher shelf, you may need to provide a stepping stool, or what I refer to as an “on ramp” for unbelievers or newer believers to reach the topic. Jesus did this often, using metaphors and questions to help hearers understand the message.
By not dumbing down the message, both the unchurched and churched learn and grow, and one of the greatest lessons they learn from aiming high theologically is that Jesus is both accessible and demanding.
A Growing Shift From Shallow to Deep
A few years ago, Willow Creek Church famously discovered they had been successful at reaching the unchurched and the newer believer; yet they were less than successful at leading believers towards maturity. One-fourth of those who classified themselves as “close to Christ” or “Christ-centered” noted they were either “stalled” in their spiritual growth and/or dissatisfied with the church. From their study, they made some adjustments to make depth a part of their spiritual maturation.
Over the years I’ve talked to many pastors who have shifted to more depth in content in their preaching. I once asked Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life Church in Oklahoma, what has changed about his preaching over the years. He explained that, to preach to the unchurched, he had to start preaching deeper because even the unchurched want deeper content. In other words, those for whom sermons were being dumbed down aren’t dumb. They are interested in the truth or else they’d be out golfing.
I also had a conversation with James Emery White, author of “The Rise of the Nones,” who told me that several things at his church (which leaned more seeker-friendly) have changed over the years. One area that has changed was the depth content of the messages because the unchurched are asking deeper questions.
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.
