First, let me address the obvious. The tendency to conflate the greatness of God’s Word with our oratory genius is a common temptation among all preachers. As far as I can tell, this has been that way since the beginning. John the Baptist asserted, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). He was acutely aware that he must exalt Christ above all else. This necessity has followed the church throughout history. Gregory the Great (540-604) astutely drew attention to the source of the problem. He wrote, “Since it is often the case that when a sermon is delivered in accordance with a high standard, the soul of the speaker is inflated by the hidden joy of self-display. Therefore, it is necessary that great care be taken so that he might feel the sting of a fearful conscience.”[1] A profound elation—or maybe more accurately, joyful exhaustion—arises in the spirit of the man of God, having laid it all at the pulpit in service to his King. The crescendo of this conviction lies in the deep desire to exalt Christ and to feed the congregation's deep spiritual needs—the danger lurks in thinking too highly of our role in it.
Next, let us look at the less obvious aspect. To look at a sermon that has failed to miss the mark of our standards with disdain is to miss dependence upon the Word of God and place it upon human ability. In other words, if you are striving to honor Christ in your preaching through faithfulness to the text, at the end of the sermon, look to the grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit to effect change. When the preacher looks to the visible responses of the congregation, their correct pronunciation of Greek and Hebrew, or their ability to captivate the audience as their marks of success, they neglect dependence upon the Word. At the heart of the issue is pride, believing our failures somehow circumvent God. Here are two points to ponder to help combat pride in the pulpit.
Humility Comes from Dependence upon God’s Word.
Christ established that sanctification comes through the truth of the Word of God (John 17:17). Christ set the standard that the Word of God is the truth. Paul echoed this by declaring, “So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). The Word of God changes the congregation’s hearts. The preacher is merely the vessel that God chooses to employ. Any lasting effect must be rooted in Scripture because anything else is a fleeting fancy. O. S. Hawkins draws attention to the balance of content and presentation when he asserts, “The Apostolic preaching model of the New Testament was one of balance. They incorporated doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness in their messages and did so in a winsome, warm, and balanced manner.” [2]
Humility Comes from Dependence upon God’s Grace.
I have often heard—and more often said—that the worst sermon I have ever preached was the one I just preached. Every preacher knows the pains of self-analyzing their sermons after they have preached them. We desire to offer the best, so we seek to fine-tune the nuances where we fell short. However, this can lead to self-reliance—our ability, word choice, engaging personality, and ad nauseam. Let us look to David as an example of how to respond to failures in the pulpit. David sought God in the wake of his failures. He cried, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 51:10). He did not request that God give him the power to overcome his transgressions. Instead, with a humble heart, David recognized that God was the one through whom renewal comes. Yes, David took action to rectify his egregious error, but first, he sought God. In the wake of bad sermons, resolve to seek Christ and depend upon Him more. Then, allow the Holy Spirit to empower your preaching.
Conclusion
My friends, preach the Word! Let the light of the gospel transform the darkest recesses of the heart for Jesus. Preach wholly dependent upon God’s Word and grace. Let our victories reflect the marvelous works of God, and our failure exalts the truth of Jesus’ words, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Let God be glorified in our successes and failures, for He is worthy.
Comments
Post a Comment