Do They Get It?

Do you think Jesus ever wondered, "Do they get it? Do they understand my message?" The Perfect Preacher may not have had those thoughts, but the rest of us who preach do. And often. Maybe every weekend!

I heard this in a Sunday School seminar two and a half decades ago: "The point of the lesson is not to finish the lesson but to have something click with the learners." I'm one of those preachers who studies and studies and gathers more information than would be reasonable to dump on my listeners. The hardest task in preaching for me is to boil the information down to the right amount that will help the people understand the text. Too little and they really aren't getting a Word from God but a word from me. Too much and they might miss the point of the text for all the points in the sermon.

A teacher/preacher might be tempted to pump the lesson/sermon full of information. After all, they need to know, right? But they also need to know what to do. My Pastoral Ministry professor said that pastoral ministry is the application of scripture to the point of a person's need. So they need to know what to do.

At the other end of the spectrum are the teachers/preachers who are light on information and heavy on application. Is it OK to know what to do but not know why to do it? I'd say, "No," and that's where the question of balance comes in. How much information and how much practical application is appropriate?

Jesus called people to love him and the Father. His test to see if someone loved him was to gauge their obedience to what he said. "If you love me you will keep my commands" is the tone of John 14:21, 23. Our high calling is to love the Lord and we show it by our obedience to his commands, too.

I don't expect my church to obey me but to obey the Lord. I do my best to make sure that what I teach and ask and require comes directly from the Lord with very little, if any, Loyd mixed in. So is it possible for me to know if they get it? Yes, with this question. Are they obeying the Word of the Lord?

Jesus may not have wondered if they got it, but I do. And it cheers my heart to see that they obey the Lord.