Preaching in a Postmodern World: Holding Out Truth in an Age of Doubt

by Bart Denny

What does it mean to preach the gospel in a world where truth feels optional and everyone seems to have their own version of it?

That’s the world we live in. And for pastors and preachers today, it can be disorienting. We know we’re called to proclaim God’s unchanging truth. But how do we do that in a culture where people are skeptical of authority, suspicious of institutions, and increasingly allergic to absolute claims?

This isn’t just a communication problem—it’s a theological one. And it’s not new. In 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, Paul writes, “I have become all things to all people so that by every possible means I might save some.” Paul understood what missionaries and preachers today must remember: faithful preaching must also be culturally aware.

So how do we preach timeless truth in a postmodern world? Let’s start by revisiting what preaching actually is.

Preaching Isn’t Optional—It’s a Divine Assignment

Preaching isn’t just a tradition—it’s a theological necessity. From the prophets to Jesus to the apostles and beyond, biblical preaching is how God has chosen to speak to His people. It’s more than a transfer of information—it’s a heralding of divine truth. As Jason Meyer puts it, preaching is “stewarding and heralding God’s word in such a way that people encounter God through his word.”

When we preach, we stand in a long line that stretches from Moses to Jeremiah to Peter to Paul. We don’t just teach; we declare. And in that declaration, something mysterious happens. The Spirit of God is at work, bringing conviction, hope, repentance, and transformation. That’s why preaching remains central—even in a culture that doesn’t value preaching like it once did.

A Theology of Preaching Must Be Grounded in Scripture

What gives preaching its power isn’t the preacher—it’s the Word. A biblical theology of preaching starts with what the Bible is: the inspired, authoritative, sufficient, and living Word of God. Systematic theology reminds us what Scripture claims about itself. Biblical theology helps us see how all of Scripture tells one grand story—God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ.

Good preaching connects the dots. It opens the text, honors its context, shows Christ, and applies it to life. Without careful exegesis, we risk preaching words God never said. And without connecting each passage to the larger redemptive arc, we risk moralizing instead of proclaiming grace.

Postmodernism: The Air We Breathe

Now here’s the challenge: our culture doesn’t share our assumptions about truth. Postmodernism isn’t just a philosophical school—it’s the everyday worldview of many of our neighbors. You’ve heard it in casual conversation:

• “That might be true for you, but it’s not true for me.”
• “Who am I to judge?”
• “I just follow my own truth.”

That’s what some call “folk postmodernism”—a cultural default that sees truth as relative, authority as suspect, and experience as king. And it’s the world your congregation lives in.

The result? Many people view the Bible as a relic, Christians as intolerant, and preaching as just one voice among many.

Why Preaching Still Matters

So why keep preaching?

Because preaching, at its best, confronts the lie that there’s no truth worth trusting. It offers something postmodernism can’t: hope. Where postmodernism says, “Everything’s uncertain,” Christianity says, “There is a God who speaks—and He’s spoken in love.”

Here’s the good news: postmodernism isn’t all bad news. In fact, it opens some unique doors for gospel proclamation:

• It rejects the myth of human goodness—just like the Bible does.
• It’s deeply experiential—and Scripture invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
• It’s skeptical of cold rationalism—which gives us a chance to preach not just facts, but transformation.

Preaching doesn’t have to compete with TED Talks or podcasts. What preaching offers is different. It’s not just information. It’s encounter.

Preaching to the Postmodern Heart

So how do we preach in this context?

1. Preach with humility and authenticity. People aren’t looking for polish; they’re looking for something real. Share stories. Acknowledge mystery. Admit your own journey.
2. Preach like Jesus. Jesus didn’t lead with theological syllogisms. He told stories, asked questions, and met people where they were. He still told the truth—but He told it with grace.
3. Preach inductively. Instead of starting with the conclusion (“The Bible says!”), walk people there. Let them see how the truth unfolds. Help them discover—not just be told.
4. Preach for transformation, not just information. In a world awash in data, what people need is hope. They need to know there’s a God who sees, loves, and rescues.

We Have What Postmodernism Can’t Offer

Postmodernism has no gospel. It offers no hope, no redemption, no justice that doesn’t rely on personal preference or public consensus. But Christianity does.

Biblical preaching offers something better than relativism: a God who is real, true, holy, and merciful. It offers a Savior who brings both justice and grace. It tells the story of a King who is making all things new.

When we preach, we proclaim this truth—not arrogantly, but confidently. Not with slick formulas, but with Spirit-filled passion. Not with fear, but with faith that God’s Word never returns void.

Final Thought: Preaching as Mission

Preaching today is missional. We are cross-cultural communicators. Our own neighborhoods may be post-Christian, but we serve the same risen Christ.

Like missionaries in a foreign land, we must learn the language, values, and questions of our culture—not to conform, but to communicate. The gospel hasn’t changed. But how we proclaim it must always consider the people God has placed before us.

As Paul modeled, we become “all things to all people” not to win their approval—but that by all possible means, we might win some to Christ.

So keep preaching. Preach with boldness and humility. Preach Christ crucified and risen. Preach the mystery. Preach the hope. Preach the truth that sets people free.

Because in a postmodern world, we still believe: Faith comes by hearing—and hearing by the Word of Christ.