On Preaching

Contrary to popular opinion, preaching is good. As long as you are preaching the inerrant, infallable, perfect Word of the Living God that is.

I am a preacher. I am called by God to preach the Word of God; to preach the gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The idea of "preaching" means many things to many people. What does it mean to me? Let me tell you. It means a lot. But before I tell you, let me share with you some of the things I remember often (these are all written in the front of my Bible) regarding preaching:

*"Do you have something significant to say? Can you say it in such a way that I want to listen?" (Gary Stubblefield, my former pastor at Voyagers Bible Church said that)

*"Be yourself and preach the Word" (What Gary Neilan, one of my mentors and former College pastor, told me when I began to pastor Grace Church)

*"Only bring to the people what God gives you. Anything else will rot. Trust Him one sermon at a time" (Gene Binder, former colleague at Voyagers Bible Church said that)

*"Think yourself empty, read yourself full, write yourself clear, pray yourself clean, let yourself go" (Allistair Begg said that)

*"To love to preach is one thing; to love those to whom you preach is another thing. Love them all. Compassion. Those who hurt you most need you most." (Alex Montoya said that)

*"Preaching must be Bold/Authoritative (Acts 2:14-15); Text-driven (Acts 2:16ff); Christ-centered (Acts 2:22ff); Heart-piercing (Acts 2:37ff). Read it (God's Word); explain it (what it meant to them and means to us); support it (cross-reference); synthesize it ("therefore"); apply it (to sinner and saint - "you") (Steve Lawson said all that)

*Exegetical understanding (what does it mean?); Experiential understanding (How does it affect and change my life?); Expositional understanding (How to explain and apply it?) (I think Alex Montoya also said that)

*"3 ingredients to a good message: 1) Meat (logos, God's Word); 2) Milk (simple gospel message); 3) Manna (Rema, specific word for the specific audience. Fresh.)" (Bob Botsford said that)

Now back to my original question: what does preaching mean to me?

It means that I must be open and honest before God and do the hard work of digging and studying and digesting the Word of God, so that I have something to say that is not from me but from God. I must hear from God and be faithful to what His Word actually says, not just what I think it says or want it to say. My task is, as a fallen, sinful human being, to bring a word from God Almighty to the congregation each Sunday. It is a humbling, terrifying, amazing thing to get to do. It is something I love, embrace and desire to do to the best of my God-given ability. I trust God to do in and through me what only He can do.

As I think about preaching, I am well aware that it is often misunderstood, taken for something that is not Biblical. It is good to know what it isn't. Preaching isn't counseling. I am not a therapist, helping people to process their issues and cope with life and 'get through the week'; but God may use me to bring a word of hope and healing to hurting, hungry people.

Preaching isn't about gathering a following. I am not a guru, getting people to focus on me and my way of seeing things; but God may grant someone His wisdom and clarity after being directed to Jesus by me.

Preaching is not for those with a "messiah" complex, thinking they can solve everyone's issues. I am not God; I am not all-knowing, ever-present, sovereign - obviously; but I can be used as an instrument of God to communicate His message to others.

Preaching is not merely motivating others. I am not a motivational speaker who pumps people up to go do something. But God can use me to inspire someone to think great thoughts of Him (God wants us to be Christian thinkers) and yield to Him in such a way that He uses them for His good purposes, so they accompish great things by God's strength, for God's glory.

Preaching involves handling accurately the Word of Truth; giving God's message to spiritually hungry people. What am I? I am a proclaimer and explainer of truth. I am "a voice" of one crying in the wilderness "make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight". I am simply a servant of the One True God, Who alone is Awesome and awe-inspiring, that desires to fulfil His calling on my life and glorify Him.

I am a God-called and chosen communicator of Biblical truth, whose feeble efforts God can maximize and use to reach others with His life-transforming truth. So that people might know the truth and live accordingly in God's strength.

May Jesus Christ be praised.