Not making this up.
This happened to me yesterday, here at RBC, right after the sermon.
One man said, “I have got to talk to you about that last point in the sermon. I have just got to tell you that it was the clearest, most biblical explanation of true saving faith and the gospel that I have heard in a long time. I am so thankful for it. I plan to share it with others this week.”
I appreciated his encouragement. It is good to know that one is getting through. I am especially thankful to hear that he is going to share it with others who may not know Christ yet.
And (not five minutes later) another man came up to me and said, “Can I talk to you about that last point in the sermon? I just want to ask you to reconsider it. What you said was true and helpful. But it was not the point of the passage. It was not exactly what the Bible is saying there. And, though your point was a good one, you should have shared it differently.”
He proceeded to give me some suggestions. I love and appreciate this brother. His counsel was good and the manner in which he spoke to me was humble and helpful.
What does this mean? I am still processing it myself, but here are some thoughts…
Every true Bible teacher wants his listeners to examine the Scripture for themselves to see if these things be so (Acts 17:11). This is a great thing. It is a sign of spiritual maturity.
I am thankful for feedback. We need to be giving each other this kind of feedback all the time. Every church member has gifts and talents. This whole body will only grow to the extent that each member does his or her share (Eph. 4:15-16). Each of us needs to speak the truth in love as only we can to each other (that which every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share).
There is an objective meaning in the text. I labor to discern authorial intent in the work of exegesis in the study. My interpretation should be tested against this standard. I want you to keep me accountable. But when it comes to the preaching event, I will tend to emphasize and exhort from my passions and perspectives. And those who hear the exhortation will tend to hear it from their own preconceptions and concerns. I will never be above correction and readjustment. And yet none of my correctors are themselves infallible. We need each other.