The fiery preacher burned with the wrath of God against the wickedness of the sinners before him. He rebuked his people. He condemned their wicked ways.

The congregation left church that day heads hung low with the full weight of guilt and shame on their backs. Once again they had fallen short of God’s perfect standards.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

Across town, another church let out. The people smiled. Their heads were held high. The pastor preached a message of hope.

He was realistic about the mess people were living in. He didn’t sugar coast it. But he smiled as he told story after story of how Jesus rescues people from the mess.

Which message would you have wanted to hear that morning?

Positive vs Negative Preaching

Although maybe not as extreme as the example above, every sermon has an emotional undertone to it. It is either positive or negative.

Unfortunately, the primary emotional force in most sermons is negative. The preacher tells of the horror of sin, condemns the wicked, and primarily motivates people to change by how guilty they are left feeling.

“If the people know a preacher loves and values them, then when he has bad news to give, they hear it. On the other hand, if every sermon is filled with the negative, people shut their ears.”

– Haddon Robinson, The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching

People will only show up to take a beating for so long. If every message you preach is negative, eventually, they will tune you out and continue in their ways.

Why? Because guilt is a poor motivator. Guilt is looking in the mirror and only seeing your flaws.

Hope is much more powerful. Hope is looking in the mirror and seeing your flaws, but also seeing what could be.

Guilt is beating yourself up because you don’t measure up. Hope is keeping your head up because it’s not over yet.

The switch from negative to positive preaching is subtle. Often its just in changing a few words:

• Negative preaching says “Don’t have sex before marriage.”
• Positive preaching saying, “Pursue a life of purity
• Negative preaching says, “Stop robbing God with your tithe.”
• Positive preaching says, “Be a good steward of the blessings God has entrusted to you.”

Negative preaching focuses on the depravity of sin. Positive preaching focuses on hope in Christ.

Negative preaching guilts people into legalism. Positive preaching inspires people to live a greater life.

Is negative preaching always a bad thing? Definitely not. There are times when it is appropriate to have a negative message.

Sometimes people need to hear a preacher yell, “Stop it! Just stop it! You are hurting yourself and everyone around you!”

Negative messages can be just as biblical as positive ones. There are many negative scriptures that condemn wickedness. But it is also far too easy to turn Jesus’ message of hope into condemnation of sin.

God’s wrath burns against sin. Please understand that I am not saying to avoid this truth. Just don’t leave it there.

Positive preaching is even more powerful when in contrast to the negative.

When you preach, hold the destructive nature of sin in one hand, but raise up the hope of Christ in the other.

Gospel preaching is positive. It may begin with the guilt of sin, but it ends with the hope of Christ.

There is enough negativity in the world. Be a preacher that encourages your people. Be realistic with where things are, but shine the light of hope on what could be.

Proclaim to your people, “You may not be living the way you should be, but by the grace of God, you don’t have to keep living this way! There is hope in Jesus! A better life is waiting.”[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]