"Preaching"

  It's hard to grasp sometimes. This isn't my blog today about any self-pity. Actually it is the result of receiving an email from a young man wanting to preach. I call him a young man, he is actually in his early 30's but that's young to me.

  Preaching is hard. Too many see the Sunday man or a Bible class man. As people joke, it must be nice working one/two days a week! It can blind people. We have men preaching who should get out and men not preaching who should get in. You better be ready for some things if you're going to preach. People will love you and encourage you. People will treat you with contempt and say things about you. It's a tough position. You will be told what to preach. You will be told what not to preach. You will be told to preach more on this subject. You will be told to stop preaching on that subject. You will be expected to be everywhere at the drop of a dime. You will be misunderstood and sometimes you can't repair it. You will be thought of highly by some and can do no wrong in their eyes.

  How does one survive? Simply put, you must trust and serve the Lord and Him alone! Otherwise you will go nuts! It's not the people that determine your faithfulness, your movements and outreaches. It's the Lord as He gives opportunities by opening doors. You can't worry about those who hurt you (and you will be hurt) but you must preach the truth even if it is met with hostile accusations. I believe Paul stated in Rom. 8:7 that the mind that is set on the flesh will be hostile toward God. That teaches us much! It's the Lord Jesus we serve and no one knew the difficulties of teaching/preaching better than Jesus. It's good company to keep.

  Who should preach? It's not about talent or education. Those two elements do not determine the effectiveness of preaching. It depends on the heart surrendered to the Lord and a desire to serve in that capacity. The grace of God will lead you forth.

  Who should not preach? Those who want recognition. It is Jesus who died for us and Jesus will get us safely home. All of us are recipients of His grace and mercy. Christ Jesus the Lord is the only One that needs recognition.

  Those who want a good salary with little work. You need to stop right there. Preaching to gain money is an evil motive. If one thinks little work, they are in for a big shock.

  Well, there I've said it! I just wrote a young man (this time I mean young, high school age) that is thinking about preaching. We need sound, humble, solid preachers. We need men filling our pulpits, not just throwing together some Scriptures but taking time to study and involve their lives with the life of Jesus. They take on His attitudes and desires. We need strong preaching relying on the word. We need faithful preaching that will practice what they teach. If you think you need to preach, feel pulled toward it because you want to serve the Lord in that capacity...DO IT!