Well thought out and articulated. I agree with you. However, it presents nothing from the scripture on homily/homiletics. NOTHING. The bible is absolutely silent on the subject. Consequently, there are times that it is appropriate to simply preach through articulating the language of the Word. There are times to preach in drama, music, and art. There are times to preach by trumpeting the message. There are times to preach in a whisper. All of these, regardless of the manner, are to be led and directed by the Spirit of God. That is part of the reason why He remains here in the Earth. When we try to box Him with our opinions, we establish or insulate traditions that hinder the lost from believing.
Okay. Here is a DIRECTIVE to whoop/flair:
Isa 58:1-8 KJV
1 Cry aloud, spare not , lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
Here is Paul using his own ministry as an example.
1 Cor 9:20-23 KJV
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Nowhere in the scriptures are synthesizers, djembes, claves, steel drums, harpsichords, dulcimers, harmonicas, or washboards addressed as instruments to be used in worship ... or not. But, the scripture does tell us to worship in psalms (songs sung to musical accompaniment), hymns (songs sung a cappella), and spiritual songs (instrumentals). He simply left it for us to decide. In some places that comes out in bluegrass; other places Hebraic, African, raggae, jazz, urban, rap, hip-hop, and even grunge. We measure the success of the delivery by the lives that are changed through the substance of the Word that is delievered and received.
It applies because the world will see it as foolishness until it comes to understand that it applies to them.
Why do we not simply stand up and read the text? Simply reading the text IS NOT preaching.
1 Cor 2:14 KJV
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Hence, we have homiletics/flair/whooping as a tool of unfolding revelation: the task of preaching.
There are people who will not listen to Joel Osteen, Billy Graham, TD Jakes, Rod Parsely, Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyer, nor the late Adrian Rogers, but they will listen to me because of what God has placed in my personality, demeaner, enunciation, articulation,...whatever that those other people don't have. He does the same with you. He uses your passion to speak His Word to people that others simply don't reach. Now, there is nothing for you or I to take credit for outside of being obedient to His active direction. But, our passion and flair is absolutely used by God to reach people. That was true of Jesus and it must be true of us who carry out His commission.
Passion got him to pay attention for the first time in his life. The hardness of his heart prevented him from going further.
Your bible whoops all over the place. I pointed out a couple of those earlier. The entire book of Psalms sings as well as Miriam, Moses, Deborah, Jehoshaphat, Jesus & His disciples, and others.
