In the wake of cool pastors, brand new sermon series, and fresh ideas on how to reach the masses, I am concerned that our creativity to engage the culture may be what drives us. You say, what's wrong with that? Nothing is wrong with a passion to engage, persuade, or convince people. But even, Telemarketers do that. Their is a difference for having a passion for engagement alone, than a passion for the Gospel. A lot of preachers fall into the worship of the means rather than the worship and exaltation of the message. Prechers love the rush, or the buzz they get while they are preaching. They love the sense of power they feel when hundreds of people are eagerly awaiting their next sentence. They love the means more than the message. They love the method more than the Messiah. So how do you test yourself to see if you are in love with the means or with the message?
Answer: You read 1 Corinthians 2.
1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
How's your fear and trembling meter? If it's down but your preaching is still firy hot, chances are you are in love with your gift of preaching more than you are the message your preaching.
If you find yourself haunted by the text, longing for insight and revelation from God for your people, chances are your in love with the message and can't wait till Sunay when you get to open up the Scriptures and preach what God has placed on your heart.
The world could use less preachers, and more tremblers!
Preach the text, but only if it's changing you frist!
p.s. In my former days of telemarketing, I became a better salesman after I owned the product that I was trying to sell!
No comments:
Post a Comment