"Here We Go Again: Preachers"

I want to revisit the notion of preaching. I hope this doesn't tire those who read. I am not trying to do that. It is almost weekly where I get phone calls about preachers. There is something seriously going on. Last week alone I had several calls where congregations are looking for "solid" preachers. Four congregations that alerted me had been through preachers who could "smile like a million dollars, had a personality that draws people to themselves but were as empty as a dried up lake!" That was the way one such case was described to me.

I once was told a story about a preacher that was so full of himself that he preached a very long sermon. One of the members asked him, "Have you ever been told by anyone that they could listen to you preach for hours?" The preacher replied, "Well, no, I don't think so." The member responded, "Well, what made you think that we felt that way today?" I know there are jokes running around about preachers, some are rather entertaining but there is nothing, I repeat NOTHING that is more essential in the saving of souls and helping people remain faithful to the Lord than solid, Biblical preaching!

Preaching has a history. We can go back to Noah who was a "preacher of righteousness" (II Pet. 2:5). God called Jeremiah, Isaiah, Joel, Amos, Jonah, John, Jesus, the apostles, Paul, Timothy, Barnabas and a host of others to preach His word! I can't stress that enough. Too much party and social and not enough preaching God's word.

We might discover a lot of cures for diseases in our day and time. We might build safer places for our children and playgrounds for their safety. We push personal agendas, like to be entertained and want to be well liked by all. There is one thing that is more important than any of the things (and a host of others) that I have mentioned: Preach the word because that is the ONLY thing that can save a soul from eternal doom! Nice lessons never saved a soul. Only preaching the word will bring conviction and faith. Anything less just wastes time of both the preacher and the listeners.