What's the purpose of a sermon?

What is the preacher trying to accomplish?

While ministering in Belfast, I heard Pastor John answered this question by saying this

quote,

The preacher's job is for people to know God and to find him more satisfying than food,

sex, money, sports, or media.

Other idolaters, if they don't,

end quote.

Wow, powerful language about the urgency of the preacher's task.

The preacher's not a standup comedian trying to get laughs, he's not a stage performer trying

to out-entertain the overstimulated attention span of a Netflix addict.

He is seeking after eternal things to grab hold of the hearts of his people in order for

them to find more joy in the giver than they find joy in the gifts of the giver.

That's the task of the preacher.

Here now is the full clip from Ireland.

Keith Getty is leading a conversation with Pastor John about his recent book on preaching.

Here's their conversation.

Each person at the conference is getting this book, Expositive Exaltation.

You know, I made the joke yesterday.

I was reading Desire in God on the Larns Journal of Fairytale.

To the point that every time I see the book, I still smell, you know that sea water and

then I kind of smell the boat.

...