How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Read several post lately and folks talk about "real meat" preaching/teaching, so how would you describe "meat" preaching/teaching?

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

I like my meat well done :D

http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/201...with-salad.jpg

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Seriously - cause I know you meant this serious, but I couldn't resist :D ....

.... Anyway - real "meat" preaching is kind of hard to define, I guess. But it definitely isn't full of misguided promises about wealth, riches, financial security, blessings, etc.

I find teaching/preaching that teaches about heart issues - essentially how to truly love your neighbor, etc... and teaching that reaches into both the OT and NT to bring forth a point to be teaching that speaks to me.

Preaching straight from the Word and backing up every statement with scripture.

So many times, preachers open with a scripture and talk for an hour without returning to the Word. I don't think that's "meaty" preaching.

I don't think we have a better example of teaching than Christ. His messages were simple and easy for people to understand. So many times we associate "good" preaching with deep and somewhat confusing messages.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

I'm ready! :thumbsup

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Amen, especially the bolded.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

So, "meaty" is a message with lots of scriptures? Amen about Jesus being the preacher's example.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Preaching/teaching that forces me back into my word to study the things that have been taught. I like preaching that makes me think.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Amen on preaching that makes one THINK. Some places should have a sign at the front door... Check Your Brain Here Before Entering. :heeheehee

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Many years ago, I heard a pastor teach an hour on the Tabernacle every Wednesday night for MONTHS. Still remember some of the points that he made and at least one myth that he debunked.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Years ago we had a pastor that taught out of the Book of Exodus for 14 Sundays about being set free and staying free. It was just really good God honoring teaching.

Not just a lot of scriptures, but scripture to back up statements made. To me, any statement backed up by the Word of God is "meaty."

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

I agree. That's what I call doctrine preaching.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

If the people of God would spend time in the Word for themselves it might not happen as often.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

:thumbsup I remember reading Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelations just so I would be familiar with the books when a preacher would preach from them.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

comparing one's walk to the Wanderings is def good stuff.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Pastor just last year taught a series on the great high priest. It was chocked full of scriptures and illustration and was wonderful.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

i asked on a threAd here recently how we might be insulating ourselves from God, unawares; that would be meaty!
ps do not expect to hear any replies anytime soon, tho :lol

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Meat preaching is weightier and heavier issues that have incredible depth to them, as opposed to milk which is shallow truths basic to Christianity that can be handled by spiritual infants who are newly born again.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

An example of an issue abthat is considered MEAT is as follows:

Hebrews 9:4-5 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (5) And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

So sad that the Hebrews were babes, since we could have read what Paul had to say on the cherubims and other ark issues!

Meat is truth that younger believers cannot comprehend.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Ok. What would you say were some "shallow truths basic to Christianity"?

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Right here...

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Principles are the milk, that Hebrews told people they should leave and go onto perfection -- maturity, which is the same as meat for those mature noted in chapter 5.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Hebrews 5:12-6:2 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (6:1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Since perfection/maturity is labeled MEAT by the writer of Hebrews, whom I think is Paul, meat is then anything that deals with strength and building up with more than just foundational teachings. Some folks never leave foundational teachings. They remain infantile, really.

And Peter commented on how Paul wrote things hard to be understood. So the writings of Paul show evidence of "meat" in dealing with righteousness.

2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; (16) As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

I consider Romans 5-8 to be meat, for example. Ask young believers about Romans 5-8 and their heads will spin. lol

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Since milk is foundational (root, grounding, etc.), then the meat is the walls and ceiling and roof elements.

When Paul spoke of height and depth, etc., it was like speaking of the construction on top of the foundation and not just foundation. So, meat is involved in these words.... notice LOVE.

Ephesians 3:17-20 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Get grounded first, then go to the height and depth after.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Acts Chapter 10 verses 9-15

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

To me, a well rounded Bible study should include some "milk" because in a normal church service there would be every level of maturity present. I have attended church services where new folks and the unlearned, that had zero Bible knowledge, were forced fed "meat". In an ideal service, the more mature should rejoice over hearing the fundamentals again and the "milk" folks would still go home fed.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

amen. in this case tho, where does one look for the meat?

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Amen. Totally agree.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

I've heard 3 preachers in the last 10 years that I found very impressive. With all of them, I looked over at my wife in the first 5 or 10 minutes of preaching and said something like, 'This guy is not always quoting scripture but so much of his phraseology has scripture incorporated in it... He's full of the word!'

To me, that is meaty preaching. And each time I've made it a point to tell them afterward, 'That was tremendous preaching; very rarely have I heard so much scripture incorporated into a message'.

A young man (24 years old, maybe?) once preached at a pretty large church and was held over for more preaching. I think, after counting, he'd quoted close to 40 verses of scripture in his message; verse from all over the Bible but they fit his topic, the blood of Christ. That, I think, was meaty.

Granted, there are deep thoughts in the Word of God. Some of these thoughts have been handled in less than thorough ways; so one can have a meaty topic that is handled in a milky way. I heard a guy preach on Melchizedek once... Meaty topic, milky message. :) Do you know what I mean? Very little scripture that barely addressed a heavy, potentially meaty, topic.

So to me, at least, a message can be meaty even if the topic is simple - if it's handled in a thoroughly scriptural manner. Always, 'Where the word of a King is there is power...' So I feel that most any message, or messenger, that is really into the word can be meaty. And yes - I like meat.

One last thought (for now, at least). I've heard people talk about their most favorite messages (one was on balloons). When asked what text was used I'm amazed how many people can't recall the text used to preach from. Sometimes they can't recall any scripture used in the entire message. That probably ISN'T a meaty message - even if it did tickle someone's ear.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

A message may not be meaty even if it's got lots of Word. If the points are all principles listed in Hebrews 6, you can preach a lot of scripture and it still all be milk. But meat seems to be the things that Hebrews says were issues that young christians cannot even follow. Too much depth. Meat is solid word, but deep word.

1 Corinthians 2:10-15 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (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. (15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Paul wrote the whole book of 1 Corinthians and it was solid word. An entire book of the bible! But it was all MILK.

Think of what 1 Cor is about:

Fighting among believers.
People favouring one preacher over another.
People suing each other
Fornication
Families breaking up and divorce
How long hair should be.
Proper use of Gifts of the Spirit
Need to love each other and not overfocusing on gifts
Resurrection of the body
Etc.

All OUTWARD things.
Milk

How much preaching is spent on those types of things?


Hebrews 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Meat preaching and teaching is when the imagery is explained, backed with scriptural evidence.

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Some good posts here.

IMHO sometimes so called MEATY preaching is a lot of suppositions about "prophecy". Over the years I've heard every flavor of "prophecy" preaching/teaching. Some were to scare the debil out of the listeners :), some were based on 100 year of themes of Trinitarians and some were just outrageous (the sons of God in Genesis were aliens :nah). but they all had one thing in common...folks thought the preacher was DEEEEEEP!

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

People commonly confuse depth with intellectualism, which can be very whacky too.

People think if you have a good memory and can follow a complex series of thoughts and follow the reasoning, then you are deep. I heard a set of tapes years ago announced by the minister as MEAT and DEEP, and not for young believers. I heard it and realized he mistook depth for complex memorized series of thoughts. It was not "deep". Intellectual? Yes! But far from deep. True depth does not require intellectualism. The disciples were ignorant fishermen who were astounding people with spiritual depth. The intellects missed it, though!

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Absolutely!

:thumbsup

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

I don't consider Doctrine teaching deep...

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

Depends on the doctrine, and to whom it is taught.
Teaching on the "...work of the ministry..." might be a little heavy for those who
are not yet weaned from milk and honey; so also might teaching on "...the perfection
of the saints..." be a little heavy for those who have barely learned how to fight the
good fight of faith. Then there are those who are so deep in "prophecy", only they can
understand what they are saying, or need "...tongues..." with the interpretation
thereof from the Holy Spirit!

Re: How Would You Describe "MEAT" Preaching?
 

:ursofunny

I believe we might have heard the same fellas.