We recently started a new Preaching Group to train future preachers at Austin City Life. Before beginning, I shared these  five things to take into account as they explore the call to preach God’s Word.
- Your Privilege: I’m excited about this group because we’re talking about communicating God’s Word more effectively to God’s World. We’re strategizing to spread the gospel of grace further and better. Preaching isn’t a right; its a privilege.
- Your Responsibility: It’s an honor to preach. Treat it like that. Come prepared, humble, Christ-centered, and eager to learn and contribute. There’s nothing worse than a proud preacher; it’s an oxymoron.
- Your Qualification: Go ahead and accept the fact that you will never be Tim Keller, John Piper, Haddon Robinson or Charles Spurgeon. These men are unique and uniquely anointed. The best thing you can do is be yourself in Christ and preach from deep security and sanctification in Christ.
- See page 22 of 360 Degree Preaching for further qualities of a preacher that you need to cultivate.
- Moltmann said something like, “The best thing we can give the church is well-prepared preacher not just a well-prepared sermon.” The medium affects the receptivity of the message.
- You don’t qualify yourself to preach; the Spirit qualifies you through Christ. Then, the church recognizes the Spirit’s qualifying work in you (2 Cor 3:5-6). Who is adequate for preaching? Only the Spirit through Christ can make us adequate as minister of the new covenant!
- If you’re not currently pastoring/discipling people, then you really don’t need to consider preaching. Preaching is not an event to communicate ideas; it is the shepherding of a people with God’s Word.
- Your Voice: Keller says you don’t know how to really preach until you’ve given 200 sermons. I’ve preached around 300 sermons. Im comfortable with my voice; that took some time to develop. I don’t love my voice; I don’t preaching; I love Jesus Christ and his gospel. That is why I preach.
- His Word: Tremble at it. Study it. Weep over it. Pray over it. Love it. Bleed it. Counsel it. It is the one reliable truth that will remain when everything else in your life fades away or is shaken to the core. People need His Word more than anything else in this world.