Preaching the Gospel in Worship: A Conversation with Michelle Odinma

Best Practices for Adventist Worship (BP): Many of the sermons we hear in worship offer good advice. But there's a clear distinction, isn't there, between good advice and the Good News. When you're preaching a passage of Scripture, how do you approach it to ensure you're preaching the Gospel and not just good advice?

Michelle Odinma (MO): That’s a good question. Good advice and the Good News are distinct. We have a great summary of the Good News on my church’s website, which we created in consultation with Adventist theologians. We encourage everyone who interacts with our community to read it. For me, it fundamentally comes down to recognizing the difference between human capability and God's role. God, in essence, does it all. We're simply invited to believe. So, when crafting my messages, I always ask, "What's the point?" I want to ensure that the Good News—the essence of what God does for us—is the beating heart of my sermon.

BP: A common thread in sermons seems to suggest, perhaps unintentionally, that if we don’t measure up, God won't accept us. How do you navigate around that?

MO: This kind of thinking, even if subtle, is rooted in false works-based righteousness. The Gospel is clear that our acceptance by God isn't based on our merit but on God’s grace. So, whether I’m talking about the Bible, revelation, or inspiration, I always tie it back to the Gospel and our relationship with God. It's about experiencing trust and faith in the context of a relationship.

BP: We want to preach the Good News in a way that clearly speaks to what worshipers are dealing with in their daily lives. Do you find people's struggles stem more from not knowing what's right, or is there a deeper issue?

MO: Most of the time, it's not just about knowledge. It's about our motives, desires, and innate selfishness. The Gospel’s transformative power comes into play here. It offers us a new heart experience where motivations change, desires shift, and we're moved by God's spirit, not just our own inclinations.

BP: Essentially, it's about a relationship with God in which we allow God to redeem and change us.

MO: Precisely. It's not about knowing what we should do; it’s about knowing God and accepting, by grace, the transformative power of the Gospel. God pursues us and has accomplished all that is necessary for our salvation, transformation, and to experience a relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. If that’s not the heart of our message, then we’re just offering biblically informed good advice.

BP: Given your many interactions with newcomers to the faith, how do you find people respond when they realize that our salvation, transformation, and the capacity to live a better life come solely from God?

MO: It's a profound revelation. I remember talking to a gentleman considering baptism. He felt he was "90% ready." I explained that baptism isn’t about our readiness or perfection but about declaring our need for God and the sufficiency of God’s grace made available to us through Christ’s work on our behalf. We don’t and can’t get “cleaned up” before baptism. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Baptism is a celebration of what Jesus has done for us and the fact that we have received the gift of faith to believe it. This realization that it's not about our merit but God's grace is like a massive weight being lifted off their shoulders.

BP: Yes. And only when we embrace the Good News, can the good advice make any real sense and impact in our lives. We can only change our behavior and grow in how we love ourselves, our neighbors, and God because of the Good News.

MO: Exactly. While good advice is valuable, it's the Good News that has the power to change lives and, indeed, the world.