HOW TO CONDUCT YOURSELF DURING PREACHING

[Pastor Matt]

Updated August 27, 2009 (first published June 26, 2002) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) –

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

1. SIT RESPECTFULLY AND ALERTLY

Examples of what not to do: leaning on your elbows with your head down and chewing gum. Such things send signals that you are not interested in what the preacher is saying. Remember that others are watching you. Your attitude and very bodily posture affects the preacher, those sitting around you, and the entire atmosphere of the service

2. DON’T DISTRACT OTHERS

Examples of things that distract others are talking and writing notes back and forth between persons, making noise (i.e., cracking your fingers), playing with babies, and children looking at the people behind them. Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing and make certain that they are not distracting someone.

Posted at http://www.wayoflife.org/files/d4603078312ab94ab15c424a4d4b700f-396.html#unique-entry-id-396

[Pastor Matt]

Boy, do I see a lot of these things going on during church service.

[holster]

Drives me nuts when someone cleans their nails while I preach....

[Pastor Matt]

Yeah, that would drive me nuts too.3

Come on preachers, what is the funniest thing someone has done while you were preaching?

[John81]

Just a month or so ago an older lady was filing her nails in our church.

A major distraction is when a child is being a little noisy and then his mom makes more noise constantly telling him to be quiet and trying to distract him or get him to play with a toy or something. Either make your child mind you quickly or take them out of the sanctuary and teach them why they better mind quickly; don't sit there making more noise than your child and making the rest of us listen to him wrapping you around his finger.

[PreacherE]

I don't know about funny, but we've been having problems with people using cell phones during the song service and even during the preaching. They'll either be checking stuff online or they'll be texting someone else in the congregation. Sad part is that it's nOT just teenagers but grown-ups doing it as well.

I wouldn't call it funny, but it sure is disrespectful.

[1Timothy115]

You guys have really done it now!

I have to to throw away all I've learned from watching Art Linkletter as a kid.

"Kids do the darndest things." Art Linkletter

I suppose I should throw away my handbook by Benjamin Spock along with my Dewey and Freud library.

''John Dewey and Freud said that kids don't have to be disciplined into adulthood but can direct themselves toward adulthood by following their own will.'' Benjamin Spock

[holster]

.
Hummmmm Wish I could be "funny" on this one but I can't. In fact, my heart cries for my biggest "distraction."

You see.... My biggest distraction is a parapalegic who is so mentally disabled he sits in his wheelchair and "moans" sometimes thru the service. Though a distraction (actually, I usually don't even nOTice it while preaching) the people of the church LOVE having them in the service.

Please pray for Shane, and his parents, Cecil and Linda as they care for him in their home.

OK.. Now I want to hear something funny!

[JerryNumbers]

Greg, Several years back one Sunday morning during preaching service it seemed the young woman in front of me was really taking in the message, but them a noise would break out across the aisle and break her attention. It was the pastors wife playing with her grandbaby. Things would quite down and I would notice once again, this young woman seemed into it, but again noise would come from the pastors wife who was messing with her grandbaby. Again things quitted down, but I continued watching the pastors wife and her grandbaby. She handed her grandbaby a fiction car. he ran that thing across the church pew, those tires were really spinning, them he held it up against her hair. The wheels picked up her hair and wound a big wad of hair around the wheels on the friction car drawing it very tight against her scalp. Wow, the sound that woman made. Some of us who happened to be watching nearly fell down in the floor laughing.

For a few Sundays that section was very quite, but she got over it and once again became a noise maker with her grandbaby. But I never did see him with another friction car. Some people seemed to be bent on disturbing everyone during preaching time. I think such people are rightly stuck on their self, plus they have no respect for God, Jesus, nor anyone else.

Of course in the case you spoke about that is not the case.

But, was this funny enough for your? Yes, true story!

[holster]

Greg, Several years back one Sunday morning during preaching service it seemed the young woman in front of me was really taking in the message, but them a noise would break out across the aisle and break her attention. It was the pastors wife playing with her grandbaby. Things would quite down and I would notice once again, this young woman seemed into it, but again noise would come from the pastors wife who was messing with her grandbaby. Again things quitted down, but I continued watching the pastors wife and her grandbaby. She handed her grandbaby a fiction car. he ran that thing across the church pew, those tires were really spinning, them he held it up against her hair. The wheels picked up her hair and wound a big wad of hair around the wheels on the friction car drawing it very tight against her scalp. Wow, the sound that woman made. Some of us who happened to be watching nearly fell down in the floor laughing.

For a few Sundays that section was very quite, but she got over it and once again became a noise maker with her grandbaby. But I never did see him with another friction car. Some people seemed to be bent on disturbing everyone during preaching time. I think such people are rightly stuck on their self, plus they have no respect for God, Jesus, nor anyone else.

Of course in the case you spoke about that is not the case.

But, was this funny enough for your? Yes, true story!

[4everHis]

We have a couple that do facebook during the sermon via their phone. I can not tell you how much that irks me. I would almost prefer the note writer or the guy snoring or the nail clipper than that. I don't know why, but it just burns me up to no end. I read about a paint that movie theaters were looking to buy that would interfere with cell phone reception. I'd be willing to buy a few gallons for my church if the pastor wanted it. Guess that means that people are rude at the movies too. Not that I find consolation in that, but it seems to be the way of the world. Bring on the paint, I say!

[JerryNumbers]

Not long back my father-in-law was in the VA hospital, in nearly every room they had 2 signs that in larger letters, 'DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE.'

Very few people heeded it.

Sad, we have many who have no respect, even sadder many who attend church are taking up the ways of having no respect for anyone. I really think these people are I people!

Sunday morning, a young woman who has a baby, the baby was setting quietly in her lap. Next to her was her sister, she got her car keys out dangled them in front of the babies face, Yes, the baby started hollering out and grabbing for the keys, this 21 year old sister who dangled the keys just laughed as if she thought that was so cute.

I could have bit a nail into.

[Reformation Man35]

If memory serves me correct, even the apostle Paul had to deal with sleepers in his "congregation". He had one boy fall asleep and fall from a window if I remember correctly. Anyway, yes should the people be respectful when someone is preaching? You bet, it is just common mannors. But for all means do not act out of the flesh from the pulpit. If anything that should spurn our hearts to preach Jesus even more. Pray for revival. Fast for revival. We need to make sure as preachers that we are full of the Spirit and preaching the word of God. If needs be, ask them to give you their attention and look up at you if you feel you need to drive a point home. Do all this in the love and gentleness of a pastor/teacher that is full of the Spirt. God can get his work done. He does not need our fleshly anger to fight for Him. If we are tired of all the bologna that is going on in our congregations, then let us pray for the Spirit of the Living God to come and visit in our meetings. Let the Holiness of the Lord get the attention of the people. Let his Spirit come and convict and cut assunder the hearts of people. Pray first my fellow pastors, beg for the holiness of the Living God to come and visit you! I can understand the frustration, let us make sure pastors that we are not acting out of the flesh. Much love. Vince

[holster]

I could have bit a nail into.

A finishing nail or a ten penney?

[HappyChristian]

Funny stories...while I am not a pastor, there've been a few in our church.

Several years before we moved here, some friends had brought their daughter into the service. She was finally old enough (3) to get out of the nursery and come to "big church." We always know when the little ones join - it's kinda hard for them to sit still. Anyway, apparently this little one was not behaving, and so Daddy decided he needed to take her out and deal with her. As he got up, he put her against his shoulder, so she was looking behind him. Walking out of the auditorium...she began crying, "no, no, no!" Funny enough, but our pastor stopped preaching and said, "yes, yes, yes!"

Then there was the time when our son was a little guy and had been quite busy on the Sunday afternoon. He fell asleep in the evening service...all was fine until the preacher paused and everyone around could hear the not so gentle snore coming from the little boy!

We had a missionary speaking in a service. Can't remember the whole message, but he had gotten to a point where he was repeating questions we often ask God. "WHY is this happening, WHY, WHY" type thing. A bird had somehow gotten into the building and was flying around trying to find a way out. We were all busily trying to pay attention to what was really a good message. As he continued with the why's, the bird began swooping around him...he didn't miss a beat, kept asking, "WHY, this..." and, "WHY is this bird flying around my head?" We lost it. It was sooo funny.