What should pastors strive to cultivate in their congregations through their sermons?
Joel Beeke explains in this video that what pastors should strive to communicate to their congregations is to show them the enormity of their sin and the enormity of grace. Satan, the world, and the natural heart do not want this.
Satan desires to both minimize the seriousness of sin and to minimize the necessity of grace. The world similarly attempts to persuade us that our sin “isn’t so bad” or "you can do it once." However, by minimizing the seriousness of sin, they also minimize the grace of God. If sin isn't serious, there is no need to flee to Christ alone.
Thus, a pastor’s goal should be to show people the dreadfulness of sin. Even the smallest of sin deserves hell because God is holy. A pastor also needs to preach that Christ’s sacrifice covers all iniquity and His blood cleanses all.
1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV) – “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
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Joel R. Beeke (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the chancellor and professor of homiletics and systematic theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has served as a pastor since 1978 and currently ministers at the Heritage Reformed Congregation of Grand...
