Make a Message STICK!!

So I bet you struggle with this topic too. Whether its how to preach it and stick it to your audience or flip it around and have a great message as you're sitting in the audience stick to you. It about making it stick. To make it stick on others, analyze what it takes to stick it to yourself. AKA know yourself!

First off, holy humbleness! How many great messages do I hear, but no stick! Such a spiral of depression. But through the years I start to learn something about making my soul sticky. Brokenness, and seeing yourself in need of the message aids in making messages stick. Much discussion, reflection, and contemplation also aid in making the message stick. Practical prayer to put legs unto a great message starts to make the message stick to the feet in practical action steps. If these don't happen kiss goodbye to that great message. You won't remember it two Sundays from now guaranteed. Discipline thyself to mediate. Now, all of life is about making the Word stick. So pray for me and I'll pray the terrible process of sanctification onto you as well.

Now, there's few things harder in this world than to make "hearing" turn into "listening." At least loosely I think this is what Jesus' hearing/listening was about. To listen is to make the message stick. Anything less and the message bounces off, that is merely hearing. To listen requires the mental activity to make the necessary connections to how the message ideas can be fleshed out in experiential reality. To listen also gives the nod to obedience. As time elapses and you don't find yourself being obedient to the message, you never truly listened to it. It's as simple as that. Don't complicate it. Admit it. Call it what is it. I admit it. I hear, but my ears are uncircumcised and heart closed and clinging to things of old. Better to admit I have a hard time digesting messages and listening then to say I listen but am not moved by the message in practical outworkings. Be brutally honest with yourself and call reality what it is, so the Savior can save you and bring you to a better reality. Know thyself. To know vices is to know thyself.

If you teach, teach to stick. Message content should be as follow. Pray, listen, pray. Exegete text, exegete culture. Then return to text with culture's questions and concerns. Do theology on the carefully exegeted text, and then return to culture. At culture, think about how to smash the message powerfully against the audience's mind and heart. The message must be memorable, if it's not memorable, it's a failure. Creativity in the message delivery process should be prayed about.

Lastly, if you give the message you aren't responsible for the audience's hearing, grasping, and eventual listening to the message. BUT any disciple is responsible for praying for his audience with relentless fervor.