Struggling to Preach the Gospel
By Jonathan Dodson | July 1st, 2010 | Category: Missional Church | 9 comments
Preaching can be hard. It’s a challenge to interpret an ancient text faithfully, apply it practically, contextualize it culturally, and most important of all, preach and savor Christ. And after you do it once, you have to turn around and do it again six days later.
Preaching is Hard
Let me revise. Preaching is hard. In addition to all the work that goes into preaching a biblically faithful and culturally relevant sermon, there’s the challenge of crafting your message. How should you arrange the material? Where should you illustrate? What material should you leave out? What kind of blend of history, theology, practice, and culture should you go for? Then there’s the rhetorical challenge. Pitch, pace, pause, gesture. I’ll never forget the first preaching class I took that talked about delivery. It’s scary how much people think about that stuff, but it is a legitimate part of preaching the gospel.
“Maybe you need to listen to your sermon first.”
Ever hit the wall the night before your sermon? I have. One week I was experimenting by preaching a different type of sermon. I was trying to “improve.” I typically work through three documents. One on notes, one full length outline, and one manuscript, and then one rehearsal in my office. The final manuscript was almost finished as I hit the wall. I came to my poor wife to share my frustration. She came back with some rich counsel: “Maybe you need to listen to your sermon first.” The message was on Gospel Identity, not confusing your various life roles with your identity in Christ. And there I was, finicky over whether or not people would like it. If the new format would “come off.” My wife basically told me to be myself. She was right in more ways than one.
Identity Confusion in the Pulpit
All too often young preachers imitate or innovate to an extreme. They try to preach beyond their gifting and personality. The best thing we can do is be ourselves, in two ways. First, don’t try to be a John Piper, Tim Keller, or Matt Chandler because you’re not. Be yourself for Jesus. Don’t over analyze your sermons or style; it’s narcissistic. Instead, analyze the text. Soak in the Gospel. Pray for your people. I think it was Moltmann who said, “We prepare a preacher, not a sermon.” Prepare your heart as well as your sermon. Preach in Christ and for Christ. Make it your aim to clarify and delight in Him. Be yourself and preach Christ.
“We prepare a preacher, not a sermon.”
Second, be yourself in Jesus. Remember, your worth is not in your sermon. Your worth is in Christ. Your value isn’t determined by your delivery. Your identity is disciple, your role is pastor. Your identity is sheep, your role is a shepherd. Your identity is a sinner redeemed by grace, your role is to pastor and preach by grace. All too often we swap our roles for our identity. We build our identity as preachers, pastors, teachers when those are simply our roles. There will be no pastors in heaven. There will be a multitude of sons and daughters. Our identity is adopted son, redeemed disciple, Spirit-indwelt Christian. We ought to find our worth, not in what we do, but in who we are–Son, Disciple, Christian!
And if you’re not a preacher, pray for your pastors. Pray that the Spirit would preach the gospel to their hearts, that he would strengthen them in the difficult task of preaching, that they would stay close to the text and their context, that they would sense the urgency of the Word in preparation, that they would have tremendous insight and creativity, and that, by God’s grace, they could give their people both a well-prepared preacher and a well-prepared sermon.
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You said, “Your identity is shepherd, your role is sheep.” Was that supposed to be reversed? It seemed opposite of the other statements. If not, could you elaborate.
Whoops! Thanks for catching that. Correcting now…
I am growing in this and appreciate your wise counsel here, Jonathan. Alistair Begg has one line that I always try to keep in the forefront: “Be yourself and forget yourself.”
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I’m a fairly new pastor of a small church, but it has a “full time” schedule! I read your comment about preaching then turn around six days later and do it again. Try this on for size…Sunday morning, Sunday Evening, Tuesday Bible study, Thursday midweek service AND Saturday evening. I’m also a bivocational minister. I work a regular job plus the church. Add visitation and some weekly door to door invitation, and the preaching can sometimes really be a challenge. I would appreciate any advice!
Hi Lester,
I empathize with your struggle. I would encourage you to rearrange your church’s expectations of you and cut back to two teachings a week. Remind them that
1) Your first church is your family and that you need adequate time with them (1 Tim 3).
2) You need to observe Sabbath so that you are working from rest not working for rest.
3) Discipleship is much more that doctrine. Show them from Scripture how important it is for them to be out on mission in their community, to be a community that ministers to one another, and to avoid becoming people who are educated beyond their obedience.
4) Your role is to equip not just teach, and to equip them to do the ministry (Eph4)
Who has ears to hear had better listen. Adam/Eve were children themselves (not grown adults as you see in the paintings for centuries). Adam/Eve were prepubescent in the garden of Eden(paradise). They were at the age period when children “knew no good nor evil” (this is where Gods wants all of us). Moses confirms what the Holy Spirit already told me about the “garden of paradise” and the “tree of knowledge”, look to Deut.1:39. The tree of knowledge and heaven are spiritual not physical,there was NO actual,physical tree of knowledge of good & evil (thats folklore/deception). Heaven and garden of paradise(Eden) are synonymous. God resides in the unseen(spiritual) world that created this seen(physical) world, just as your thoughts(unseen world)) create recipes or inventions or music in this visible place(physical world)etc… The tree of knowledge of good/evil is the stage of mankind(man/woman) where they go through a transformation of childhood to adulthood. At this point is when mankind has the opportunity to either believe(obey) in his authority figure or not believe(rebel). Mankind unfortunately through the milleniums have continually chosen rebellion from the beginning. Eve gave into the temptation first not because women are more evil but because females mature slightly faster than males,meaning she came to the crossroads of “obey or rebel” first and failed. Jesus said “humble yourselves like a little child, (bringing you back to the garden when you knew not good or evil) pleading that you realise its your pride that has cast you out! When God cast them out of the garden and said they were cursed it is because they believed in pride over humility,satan over God. Watch people that try to play God or try to play boss or ruler,their idea of kingship is oppressive and cruel. God is full of humility and love. If God was anything like “man” portrays rulership, God would have wiped out ALL of mankind a long time ago. Seek the garden of Eden diligently,ask God to reveal the secret truths that are hidden in those first 4 pages of the Bible. This is what it means to love God with all of your heart,soul and might! I have been shown ten times what ive shared with you but havent the space to do so. so please God bless and studiously seek the garden and you will see.
Good aim, seems simple, I stuggle greatly with this role. Its a noble task to do but man its hard when you see experience preachers take off with all they need and you have no idea how they did it. There has to be a way provided by Jesus to preach Jesus while being with Jesus and in Jesus. Its very true and right when you know you belong to someone who loves you and lets you be you but than even further allows you to be trusted in preaching the gospel. Such a leaning on Christ and saying yes he has it all undercontrol. Its like preaching in Joy, not oh no am I gonna make it through door or is the the devil going to slay me and make me look bad in front of everyone, Preachers all called to have child like faith too. Me ! How do you preach? like me, me and Jesus thats how !