Three audiences for preaching: non-Christians, Christians, and church members

Who do pastors preach to? I recently looked through some books on preaching and noticed that this question is rarely addressed. Preachers seem to be more concerned with improving their style.

However, there are some pastors who pay attention to their audience, and they usually focus on two categories of people: the unchurched and the postmodern.

James Emery White, president of Gordon-Conwell Seminary and pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, once stated that his target audience was non-believers. In a 1999 interview, he said:

«Mecklenburg is a truth-seeker-centered church, founded with the goal of… focusing on reaching people who are not attending church. By seeker-centered, I mean that the touchpoints of the church are for non-believers. In a way, we try to engage with them when they are in a search, or we try to stimulate them to actively seek. After all, not everyone who doesn’t go to church is an active seeker.».

Since preaching is one of these «touch points,» White looked to preachers like Bill Geibels, Bob Russell, and Rick Warren, who had achieved success in speaking to unbelievers.

Another group of writers emphasizes the importance of preaching to postmodern thinking. Former pastor Brian McLaren said that reflections on postmodernism's aversion to showiness and detailed analysis, as well as its penchant for authenticity and narrative, began to influence his preaching in 2001. Narrative and authenticity are now central to his preaching.

These two examples are somewhat troubling. When a preacher goes too far in adapting to his audience, the message itself becomes compromised, as has happened in churches that are «seeker-sensitive» (seeker-sensitive), and in the churches of the movement «"Emergent"». But preachers are addressing real people—the unchurched, the postmodern, and everyone else we can imagine. The challenge is to think about all the types of people who sit in congregation. This article is a modest attempt to do just that.

I suggest that pastors preach with three types of people in mind.

Preach to the unconverted

It is always good to remember non-Christians during your Sunday morning sermon, even if your church is small and has no non-Christians in it. My church is not large, but I still assume that some of the people sitting in the pews do not know Christ. Some of them are nominal Christians who may have confessed Christ and been in churches for years but still need the new birth to receive true life. Others are those who do not openly profess to be Christians but who have been invited by members of our congregation. Still others have come in off the street, responding to the church’s business card, an advertisement, a website, or the building itself. In other words, non-Christians will come.

Make the Gospel clear

The responsibility of the preacher is to clearly communicate the Gospel by revealing the Word of God. Paul wrote:

«If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation» (Rom. 10:9-10).

After all, we are ministers of the gospel. The gospel does not have to be the same in every sermon. However, no matter how it is explained, the pastor should ask himself, «How does this passage point to the gospel?» Even nonbelievers can tell the difference between a gospel-centered sermon and one to which the gospel is added only at the end.

My church is located next to a seminary, so many students preparing to become pastors often ask, «Does the Gospel need to be in every sermon?» The answer is «yes» for at least two reasons.

First, because the Gospel gives meaning to every text of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Second, because the unconverted need to understand what it means to «confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord» and «believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead» (this is also important for Christians, who need to hear the Gospel constantly in order to grow in faith!). Even if a non-Christian has heard the Gospel dozens of times, God has brought him or her to me as a preacher today. So I want the Gospel to challenge his or her understanding of the world, sin, and salvation anew.

Explaining the Gospel is one of the most important tasks I can accomplish as a pastor.

Preach expositoryly

Pastors who are sensitive to the presence of non-Christians will best serve them through expository preaching. Non-Christians want to know why we believe what we believe. Since our doctrine and life are based on the Word of God, we best serve non-Christians when we honestly, faithfully, and clearly point them to the Scriptures, as we do with Christians.

Today, a movement of writers and church leaders is arguing that postmodern thinking—both in and out of the church—responds best to «narrative preaching.» They argue that people want stories. Great, I love stories. Expository preaching should give the unchurched a storyline for the Bible, which in turn provides a storyline for God’s work with humanity, which in turn provides a storyline for their own lives. Pastors should not only go through all of Scripture when they preach expository, but they should do so with the intention of giving their listeners «the big picture of God.» That is seeker-friendly preaching!

The same authors point out that the postmodern person values authenticity. This is a great opportunity for expository preaching. Let’s focus less on the «packaging» and more on the substance of the message: What did Jesus say? What did Isaiah prophesy? What did Paul write? And how do these answers apply to us today? That is exactly what the non-Christians who come to our churches want to hear—unadulterated biblical truth. Whether they ultimately agree with that truth is a matter between them and God; but what we preach cannot be changed.

Reach out to unbelievers

There are a number of things we can do to make our sermons evangelistic. Explaining that the large and small numbers represent chapters and verses is helpful to the unchurched. As is the advice to use the Bible table of contents. What a comforting word to an unconverted visitor when everyone around them seems to be quickly finding the book of Obadiah!

Provocative introductions to sermons also help build a bridge for nonbelievers by explaining why the text is relevant. For example, last Easter I preached on Luke 5:33-39, where the Pharisees wonder why Jesus’ disciples don’t fast. Jesus responds by pointing out that wedding guests don’t fast while the bridegroom is present, and then tells a parable about not putting new wine into old wineskins.

I called this sermon «Are Christians Happier?» This introduction was an opportunity to explain that true, lasting, life-changing joy is found in being in the presence of the resurrected Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Did Christians benefit from this introduction? I hope so, but I saw these two or three minutes as a special opportunity to reach out to nonbelievers who might need further explanation of why we are gathered around God’s Word.

All of these «small» practices have a cumulative effect on the entire church. When believers realize that the pulpit is unbeliever-friendly, they are more likely to invite their unbeliever friends. It is a big mistake to assume that a focus on the Gospel is incompatible with a focus on seekers.

Sermon for believers

While preaching to unbelievers is important, the preacher’s primary task on Sunday is to reach out to Christians. He is to strengthen the local church, and the church is to listen, be ready, and be willing to submit to Christ as the Head of the Church. This is our primary «audience.» So, when I prepare my sermons, I focus primarily on believers.

How should a preacher address Christians?

Rebuke and correct Christians

We know from the First Epistle of John that sin remains in the life of the believer:

«If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us» (1 John 1:10).

There is a certain bitterness in this verse, as if John understood that believers tend to minimize their sins, exaggerate their sanctification, and thereby deny the Lord. Furthermore, Paul wrote:

«All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.» (2 Tim. 3:16).

So, when a pastor preaches to Christians, the truth of God's Word will inevitably both rebuke and correct.

No pastor wants to be known for belittling Christians. However, faithfulness to Scripture requires that a pastor rebuke at the appropriate time. That is why the call to preach should not be taken lightly. To be faithful to this task, we must ask ourselves of every text we preach, «How does this passage rebuke or challenge a Christian?» Is it a challenge to godlessness, gossip, idolatry? The answer can be found both in the needs of the pastor’s local church and in what concerns all Christians. In any case, a sermon without rebuke and correction cannot be a full biblical sermon.

Supporting and encouraging Christians

Fortunately, preaching to believers means more than just rebuking and correcting. It also means working to encourage and encourage believers with the Word of God. The believer is completely dependent on the Word. As Jesus said:

«Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God» (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3).

This means that when a Christian comes to a sermon, he comes to receive nourishment from the words of life.

Of course, a believer can be nourished by the Word of God on other days of the week, but the sermon plays a central role in sustaining him. Consider Titus 1:1-3, where Paul describes how eternal life is revealed in God’s Word through preaching. Christians are nourished and sustained by sermons. The question to ask about each text is, «How does this sustain, confirm, encourage, or encourage the Christian?»

Few things encourage me more in my ministry as a preacher than this: the church is gathered because they need the life given through the sermon, not because they need me! It is simply the task they have given me—the spiritual food they have commissioned me to prepare. What a privilege it is to be used by God to sustain, nourish, strengthen, and build up his people through his Word!

To sanctify and strengthen Christians

The Son prayed that the Father’s children would be sanctified and become like Christ. Jesus knew that his followers would suffer and be despised for accepting his word (John 17:14), but he did not pray that they would be taken out of the world. Instead, he prayed for their sanctification. How would Christians become more holy? Jesus prayed, «Sanctify them through [your] truth; your word is truth» (John 17:17). God’s message sanctifies God’s children. Christians become holy by understanding and applying the Good News and all Scripture in their lives (cf. 2 Tim. 3:17). The Holy Word forms a holy person.

Of course, sanctification is primarily God’s work. He is the one who works in the life of the believer (Phil. 2:13; Heb. 13:20-21) and ensures that Christians have everything they need to glorify and honor Him. This is what happens when He gathers the saints to hear the truths of His Word. It is no wonder that they are moved «to love and good works» (Heb. 10:24).

Preachers have a wonderful opportunity to be used by God in the lives of sinners, strengthening them to live a true Christian life. In the first Psalm, the blessed person who finds delight in the law of God is compared to a tree planted by streams of water, a tree that bears fruit and remains strong. The analogy is clear: a Christian bears fruit and becomes strong when he feeds and delights in the law of the Lord. Sermons play an important role in encouraging a Christian to meditate on God’s law.

Although the preacher cannot create blessed people (fortunately, that is the work of God and His Spirit!), he is given the great privilege of feeding God's people with the Word. The preacher can be like these streams of water, faithfully communicating the Word of God and strengthening this tree week after week, month after month, year after year.

Unlike an accountant who sees the balance sheet at the end of the month or a CEO who watches the company grow, a preacher rarely gets to see the fruits of his labor. He never knows if he will ever see the lives touched by his preaching or the hearts changed. The best works of a pastor cannot be measured this side of heaven. These fruits are not gathered in visible baskets. Yet they are there. The preaching of the Word of God, by His grace, sanctifies and strengthens the sinner, preparing him for his own works of grace.

Test and grow Christians

Students need to grow in their understanding and interpretation of Scripture. They tend to be too casual in their approach to sermons, much unlike the Bereans in Acts 17, who tested what they heard to make sure it was true. A truly exegetical sermon will challenge the student, providing them with food for thought and investigation.

Criticizing superficial preaching, James W. Alexander once said:

«"In these sermons we find many valuable Bible truths, many original and touching illustrations, many sound arguments, witty appeals, and great comfort. Considered in themselves, as oratorical discourses, they are almost unobjectionable; but as an exposition of the Holy Scriptures, they are worth literally nothing. They do not clear up any difficulties in the argument of the inspired authors; they do not give a broad perspective on the field in which their subject is situated; they may be repeated throughout a lifetime without any attempt to educate the church in the habits of sound interpretation.".

Sermons that test and build Christians do not have to be complicated or difficult to understand (such a sermon would be false and meaningless!). However, sermons that test and build Christians are sermons delivered by preachers who have carefully studied the text. A pastor who spends his time preparing a sermon hardly needs to ask the text, «How does this passage test and build Christians?»—for God’s Word is designed to fulfill God’s purpose (Isa. 54:10-11). His efforts will bear fruit, as the church will be rewarded for his efforts.

In our church, we try to be faithful to Scripture, whether we preach a few verses or an entire book in a few sermons, as I recently did with the book of Job. For the first time in many years, college students are joining the church because the sermon encourages them to grow. An elderly couple recently told me that they enjoy coming because they can have spiritual discussions about the sermon over dinner. I don’t think anyone would say we have great communication with the world, and no one would say my sermon is exciting. There is a lot of room for growth. But by God’s grace, we are discovering God’s Word—and it is exciting and life-changing!

Christians seek sermons that are faithful to Scripture, which means sermons that include reproof and correction, support and encouragement, sanctification and strengthening, testing and edification.

Now that we’ve covered preaching to non-Christians and Christians, this would seem like a natural place to stop. But preachers need to be sensitive to one more category: church members.

Preach to the church members as one body

For most churches, the largest part of the congregation is made up of men and women who have given themselves to this place, this ministry, and each other. Does that matter when you preach? In my opinion, yes.

Paul described the community of saints in Colossae as one that:

«…holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth of God» (Col. 2:19).

These were not just disciples, these were disciples rooted in the Colossian church who were growing together, and this growth was from God.

In Colossians 3:15-16, Paul continues:

«Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.».

Notice that Paul addresses this local church as one body and reminds them that they will be united by the word of Christ. This will happen when they gather together to sing psalms and listen to the preaching of the Word.

The Apostle Paul addresses Christians not as isolated individuals, but as members of a single community—the church. Their unity is based not only on proximity of residence, but on a deeper spiritual foundation—the Word of Christ has settled in their hearts. They shared the same doctrine and sought to have a unified attitude and understanding of spiritual truths. Their submission to one authority was the result of recognizing Christ as their Head, which ensured unity in doctrine and life.

The same thing happens in the local church today, one way to achieve unity among church members is through the preaching of the Word of God.

John Calvin emphasizes this when describing the ministry of the preacher. The preacher is one who brings unity to the body.

Commenting on the one hope, the Lord, faith, and baptism of the church in Ephesians 4, Calvin wrote:

«In this text, Paul emphasizes the importance of the ministry of the people whom God uses to organize the Church. He shows that their ministry is a key element in uniting believers into one body. Through the ministers, God distributes his gifts to the Church, thereby revealing his presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, which protects it from senselessness and barrenness. As a result, the saints are spiritually renewed, and the body of Christ grows and is strengthened. We grow in every way and become like Christ, our Head, while at the same time uniting with one another. This unity in Christ is made possible by the spread of the prophetic word and the recognition of God’s servants, who not only transmit His teachings but also help to strengthen the spiritual bond between the members of the Church. Anyone who tries to get rid of this God-ordained structure or considers it of little importance actually endangers the Church itself.”

Why is it important to emphasize the members of the church as one body, when many congregations emphasize the unbaptized (non-members)? Because the Bible especially emphasizes the importance of those who are already part of the local church, which is clearly seen in the New Testament epistles. Christianity grew in communities of people from diverse backgrounds who shared the Gospel together—that was the church. Such community had radical consequences. As Paul notes:

«And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it» (1 Cor. 12:26).

This is a gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ, ready to make an effort and actively support each other, immersing themselves in each other's lives.

Biblical preaching should regularly address Christians not just as individuals, but as people committed to one another within a particular local church. Ask yourself about each text, «How does this passage apply to our lives as a local church?»

It may seem strange to only address church members, but this is a compelling vision of church for both non-believers and those Christians who have chosen to flirt with the church instead of truly committing themselves to it! The pastor shows his gratitude to those Christians who have joined the church, and more importantly, his love for the Word of God that unites his church members, when he addresses them directly in his sermon.

Conclusion

When I ponder the question, «To whom does the preacher preach?» I agree with Peter Adam, minister of St. Jude’s Church in Carlton, Australia, who noted:

«"If we are servants of God and Christ, and also servants of His Word, then the calling of the preacher is to be a servant of God's people.".

I believe that the preacher should be sensitive to the needs of unbelievers. However, if we focus only on them, the message can be lost or diluted to the point where God’s people are left without much spiritual nourishment. This is not a very encouraging picture. It is certainly important to preach to unbelievers, but it is even more important to focus primarily on Christians and not to forget the importance of regular spiritual mentoring for those who have committed themselves to the local church.