The best thing to say to a pastor after you hear a sermon that moves you is not, "That was a good sermon." That's a little better than saying, "That was a lousy sermon," but in saying, "That was a good sermon," you may be missing the point of preaching. The point of preaching is for the listeners to put the Word of God into action.

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish theologian, says that the role of listeners in a devotional address is not that of an audience at a play. The pastor's role, he says, is not that of an actor on stage. The pastor is like a prompter in the wings who is trying to help the actors on stage say and do the right things according to the script. The people are on stage. God is the audience. In other words, God will judge the pastor on how well he/she follows the script. Go…