(Clip) Powerful Preaching Is Not Popular
Shane Idleman emphasizes that truly powerful preaching, which calls for self-denial and spiritual transformation, is often unpopular because it challenges cultural and lukewarm church norms.
This sermon emphasizes the challenging yet powerful role of a pastor to help individuals achieve their true potential by bringing out what is already inside them. It discusses the distinction between popular messages and powerful truths, highlighting the need for unpopular but transformative teachings that focus on self-denial, fasting, and spiritual depth rather than catering to cultural norms. The message stresses the importance of being among the holy and faithful, even if it means facing opposition and persecution, as true power in God's message is often contrary to worldly popularity.
Full Transcript
The job of a pastor is to make men do what they don't want to do in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be. See, I truly believe my job is to help pull out of you what is already inside of you. To be a coach, to be a cheerleader, to be somebody who encourages.
It hurts sometimes, doesn't it? This message is not popular, but it is powerful. Never confuse the two. Many messages that are popular, sermons preached across this United States of America, preached on TV, they're very popular, they're not powerful.
And if it's powerful, it's not popular. Because to get powerful, I might stop preaching in a minute, I'm just saying, to get powerful, right? To get filled with the Spirit of God. It's never popular.
Nothing is popular to the culture and to the lukewarm church when you talk about dying to self and fasting and giving of self and going without. Go watch a movie on the persecuted church and see people filled mightily with the Spirit of God. It's never popular.
Never popular. Because the culture is often going in the opposite direction of God. In every generation, A.W. Tozer said, in every generation, the holy and the faithful are very small.
Be sure that you are among them. In order to have a powerful message of God, it's not popular. You would take a powerful prophet in the Old Testament.
Do you think their message was popular with the people? They stoned them. They killed them. They threw them in prison.
The kings would search after them. Jezebel wanted to kill Elisha. It's never popular.
It's never popular. So that's why you can't gauge a church by attendance alone. I can take you to churches with thousands of people.
The messages are popular, but they're not powerful. Many are singing and clapping, but nobody is being changed from the inside out. Carnality is being fed and fueled.
Lukewarm living is being encouraged. So always remember that.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Role of a Pastor
- To help believers become what they desire to be
- To coach, cheerlead, and encourage
- To challenge believers to do what they don't want to do
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II. Popularity vs. Power
- Popular messages are not always powerful
- Powerful messages often are not popular
- Cultural opposition to true spiritual power
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III. Biblical Examples of Unpopular Prophets
- Prophets faced persecution and rejection
- Kings and rulers opposed God's messengers
- True power comes with suffering and rejection
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IV. Evaluating the Church
- Attendance does not equal spiritual power
- Many churches promote carnality and lukewarm living
- True change comes from inside out transformation
Key Quotes
“The job of a pastor is to make men do what they don't want to do in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be.” — Shane Idleman
“This message is not popular, but it is powerful. Never confuse the two.” — Shane Idleman
“Many are singing and clapping, but nobody is being changed from the inside out.” — Shane Idleman
Application Points
- Be willing to embrace uncomfortable truths for spiritual growth.
- Do not judge the effectiveness of preaching by popularity or attendance.
- Seek inner transformation rather than external approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is powerful preaching often unpopular?
Because it challenges cultural norms and calls for self-denial, which many resist.
Can a popular sermon be powerful?
Often, popular sermons appeal to comfort rather than true spiritual transformation, so they may lack power.
What is the pastor's role according to Shane Idleman?
To encourage, coach, and help believers become what God intends, even if it requires discomfort.
How should we evaluate a church's spiritual health?
Not by attendance or popularity, but by the depth of inner transformation and faithfulness.
What biblical examples illustrate the unpopularity of powerful preaching?
Old Testament prophets who were persecuted, imprisoned, or killed for their messages.