Why Johnny Can't Preach

I picked up T. David Gordon's book, Why Johnny Can't Preach, this week and enjoyed a good kick in the shins on my day off. He writes in a helpful manner addressing the weakness of preaching in the church today. And he helped me understand a little better, Why Jimmy Can't Preach, while at the same time setting me on the faithful path of becoming a better preacher.

However, there are three questions that he mentions using each week in hearing sermons that I thought would be particularly helpful to those in the congregation. Here is a slightly tweeked version of his three questions:

1. What was the point or thrust of the sermon?

2. How was the point adequately established in the text that was read?

3. How were the applications legitimate to the point of the sermon and how do these spur our conversation about other possible applications?

Johnny and Jimmy are ambassadors bringing forth to the subjects of the kingdom the Word of the King. Therefore Billy and Jenny are to worship the King with a faithful ordered approach to hearing Him in His Word. I pray these questions will assist Billy and Jenny to listen by faith in worship and respond by faith to keep the Lord's Day holy in conversation.