The truth is, we preachers can (and frequently do) force the Bible into saying practically anything we like—we merely need to find the verses to support our desired agenda. While using the Bible in this way can be beneficial, it is potentially dangerous. After all, even the devil is capable of using Scripture to substantiate his own purposes (Matt. 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13)! Instead, we should cultivate the practice of introducing our flock to that which the Bible is actually saying, whether or not it directly addresses marriage—or any other topic—in a way that suits our homiletical objectives.

The difference is in the voice that is heard through our preaching. In trying to make our own voice heard, we sometimes run the risk of drowning out the voice of God in the biblical text. Referring to such problems in preaching, one writer observes, “The longer the [biblical] text, the more likely the sermon is to be full of its insight, whereas the shorter the text, the more of me there needs to be in it” (John Goldingay, Models for Interpretation of Scripture [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995], 9, emphasis his). If it seems there isn’t much biblical preaching, it’s because there isn’t much Bible in our preaching. How might we become better communicators of God’s word, rather than our own words?

Read it again for the first time.

The Kellogg’s Corn Flakes® commercial used to encourage its viewers to “taste them again for the first time.” The participants were always pleasantly surprised to find the cereal didn’t taste quite as bland as it seemed when they were younger. In a similar way, if we read the Bible from an intentionally fresh perspective, we might be pleasantly surprised to rediscover what God’s word is saying to us. Just as passing decades of monotony and tedium can erode a marriage into the doldrums, our familiarity with the Bible can turn sermon preparation into a necessary burden. We need to fall back in love with the word of God.

Consider spending significant amounts of time reading the Bible, not for the purpose of finding a text to preach, but for the purpose of reading the Bible. When was the last time you read a whole book of the Bible in one sitting? In addition, read commentaries and other material about the Bible. This kind of “dialogue” with other Bible readers might present things you’ve never thought of before, or possibly affirm and refine convictions you’ve already held. You don’t even need to agree with other students of the Bible. However, this practice might become an opportunity to correct your own presuppositions about biblical texts. Also, memorize Scripture. There’s no better way to rekindle your passion for the Bible than to spend intimate time with it.

Invest in the Bible.

I suspect the lack of Biblical preaching in today’s churches can be largely attributed to the scant amount of time spent in Bible study. With meetings, “vision casting,” hospital visits, counselling sessions, the occasional funeral or other emergency, potluck suppers, and other varied activities clamoring for our attention, sermon preparation often sits toward the bottom of our priority list. We know we’ve got to come up with something to say on each Sunday morning, but years of ministry have taught us how to drone on for 20-40 minutes with minimal preparation. Truthfully, it’s difficult to find the kind of time serious Bible study requires, since pastors today wear multiple hats—counsellor, teacher, leader, comforter, administrator, preacher, etc. With such a varied job description, many pastors feel they are unable to do anything fairly well. But if we were forced to experts in one thing, should it not be our ability to handle the word of God? Should we not be, as Wesley might say, people of one Book?

Invest the time it takes to study God’s word seriously. Focused attention on serious Bible study will most assuredly produce fruitful results. Our congregations faithfully come to church seeking prime rib, and we expect them to be satisfied with bologna week after week. If you’d like an easy way to assess the effectiveness of your preaching, simply ask your people what they know about the Bible. It always amazes me, but many parishioners sit in their same church pew for decades and know almost nothing about what the Bible says. When we read the Bible in church, we often use a few token verses as a “launch pad” to lead into what we really want to say. When we do this, we’re deceiving them (and ourselves!) into thinking they’re being fed from the Word.

Share the love.

More than anything else, today’s biblical preachers are faced with the challenge of making the Bible relevant to the Church. Most people are wondering how ancient literature could possibly address such current issues as marriage and divorce, personal finances, raising children, or homosexuality. Therefore, we often use the Bible as a reference manual, selecting favorite passages that speak about such issues—in a way, of course, that serves our purposes favorably. However, this kind of approach is a little like quoting the rulebook to basketball players—there’s still little incentive to play by the rules.

Rather than bringing the Bible to the people, consider bringing your people to the Bible. Your ability to draw them creatively into the ancient world will determine whether or not they see themselves in Psalm 51, the book of Job, the Sermon on the Mount, or any other passage of Scripture. When this is accomplished, the Bible will cease to be a collection of fortune-cookie maxims, and will begin to be God’s word written on their hearts. This principle is a primary contributor to the reported popularity of Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ. He tells the story in a way that is vivid and dramatic, and it draws viewers into the story.

Don’t hesitate to introduce your congregation to your new love for the Bible. We’re frequently more evangelistic about our passion for favorite sports teams, movies, or restaurants than our love for the word of God. When you preach after a serious encounter with God’s word, your face might not be glowing, but your congregation will certainly be able to tell that you have met with God face to face. Furthermore, your love for the Bible will be contagious. They might even begin to discover that nourishment from the Word is critical for life in Christ.

Presumably, we all believe the Bible should have an authoritative role in the lives of its readers. However, we don’t always reflect this conviction in our preaching. We seem reluctant to allow the Bible to speak for itself. Judging from our homiletical habits, I sometimes wonder if we’re convinced the Bible really is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. If we are going to remain true to our convictions, it seems we must either change our method of preaching, or stop calling it biblical.