The preacher is constantly tasked with determining the message his audience most needs to hear proclaimed. This is not always easy.

Do people need a reminder of first principles (2 Peter 1:12-15)? Are there times when encouragement is most appropriate (Hebrews 3:12-13)? Should we reflect on the lives of those who have gone before us (Romans 15:4)? Are there spiritual dangers Christians need to be warned about (1 Timothy 4:6)?

Surely all of these things deserve consideration. Regardless, the word of God must be proclaimed (2 Timothy 4:2), for through its direction, “the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17).

What specific subject should the sermon address? Often the circumstances or events taking place will dictate the answer. Jude certainly felt this way when he penned his short epistle. He had one subject in mind but found it more needful to address another. Expressing this, he wrote:

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

But what about when the answer is not obvious? In such cases, the preacher must seek balance and address issues affecting his audience. This can be done through either topical or expository studies.

In the Sermon on the Mount, we have perhaps the greatest example of a sermon addressing the needs of the audience. Because Jesus knows what is in man (John 2:25), this is not surprising. He understood what his audience needed to hear.

Throughout the sermon Jesus addressed a variety of subjects and challenged His listeners to conduct themselves in a manner different from the religious elite of that day (see Matthew 5:20). But Jesus did not merely address outward conduct. He also discussed both the motivations and emotions of his listeners.

In one particularly well-known section—Matthew 6:25-34—Jesus considered the problem of worry. Having charged his listeners to rely upon God in prayer (Matthew 6:11-13), He identified worry as a hindrance to such. He understood those who worry do not trust God completely, and He showed worry should not characterize His followers. Jesus’ discussion about worry was pertinent to His audience, and it remains relevant today.

In short, Jesus’s message “hit the spot.” We must seek to proclaim God’s message in a similar, relevant manner.

Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.

Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.

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