Serious preaching

My sermon tonight was titled "After death, what then?" My last point dealt at some length with heaven as home. I then made the point that if heaven is so much greater than this life, should we go to extraordinary lengths to preserve life? It was a sobering sermon, but of course that was my intent.

One couple politely criticized the whole sermon as too serious--she was feeling so good until she came to services then she was down.

There are a couple of observations I will make about this.

1) You can't please everybody. I had a number of people who thought (or at least so they said) that it was excellent. Any sermon can offend someone and any action you take can do the same. Knowing this, you prayerfully do what you believe is right, making provision for the opinions of others. If you wait to move only once everyone agrees you will soon be unable to move--you've been still so long.

2) There is a need for serious preaching from time to time. Certainly preaching needs to be balanced but there is a need for serious preaching. Much motivational speaking moves the audience all the way to their car. Then they promptly forget it and go their merry way. Serious preaching/teaching is needed to help the audience realize their sins/shortcomings and then motivate them to change.

Tol