Preaching devotion - Paul the Preacher - 2 Corinthians 4:5

2 Corinthians 4:5       For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

            I like the candid writings of the Apostle Paul. He always tells it like it is, even though his words may rankle our 21^st century understanding of living our faith. He lived the latter part of his life as a devoted servant of Christ and ended up in prison for his faith. His mission was to spread the Gospel, plant churches, and confront evil in the world. He was arrested for being a religious radical and executed for daring to appeal to Caesar. I think if he was alive today, he would still end up being incarcerated or assassinated. Paul practiced what he preached and died for what he believed.

            He must have been a great preacher, whose reputation spread across the small church communities in the Mediterranean region. He could have lived a charmed life and set himself up as a powerful orator, who would have been greatly esteemed and widely supported. However, Paul knew that his ministry of preaching was not about himself; it was all about Christ. He did not preach or teach to win personal favors. He preached to convince people of their sinful ways and essential need of Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Preaching was not a vehicle to pander to what folks wanted to hear; it was a channel of God’s Word, Work, and Way. To Paul, it was a method of leading people back to God’s favor and blessing through the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ.

            These days, preaching does not have the affect or influence that it once had. In any given week, preachers have about 20 minutes to impact church folks, which is not a lot of time compared to the hours we spend watching sports, viewing our TV programs, or catching up with our favorite celebrities. And it’s virtually nothing compared to the time we daily spend texting, tweeting, or face-booking. And yet, as Paul correctly wrote thousands of years ago, preaching is all about Jesus Christ being our Lord and how we should serve Him with our lives. In other words, preaching is about preparing us for Eternity, instead of pandering to triviality or popularity.

Questions for personal reflection

What did the pastor preach about last Sunday? Is that message still affecting me today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You personally chose Paul as the most important preacher of the Gospel and teacher of Your Way. His words still ring true today, but we sometimes push back against them. Help us to re-read his writings to give us a better understanding of how to live our lives in service to You and God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make a comment about today’s message, John will be delighted to receive your email. Send him your comments to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s current bulletin cover design and is based on Psalm 150. If you would like to view a larger version online, please click on the link: Psalm 150.

Christmas Advent devotion: Not Just Words - Matthew 12:37

Matthew 12:37            For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

As a preaching pastor and teaching elder, this verse is taken very seriously by me. I’ve preached since I was 21 in various churches, meeting places, and streets. I’ve often expressed the Gospel in challenging ways and I’ve also experienced some sharp criticisms for doing so.

I don’t like to see people upset with what I preach, but at the same time, I won’t preach a Gospel that is watered down or untrue. The words that I use and how I say them are all under Christ’s judgment; so in the end, it’s not what other people’s feelings or opinions that are important, it’s about the truth of the Gospel and the uncompromising demands that Christ expects of all of us.

Over the decades that I’ve preached, I’ve dealt with various people who feel they’ve been picked upon by the pastor and pressured by a bully pulpit. However, in almost all of the cases, personal dislikes, questionable lifestyle choices, and selfish addictions or obsessions were at the root of their protests. They didn’t care if Jesus was actually challenging them; they didn’t give a hoot if it was clear from statements made in the Gospels. If it offended them, it was clearly wrong in their eyes. Rather than be challenged and changed, they chalked it up to bad preaching and a misguided messenger.

Life is too short to get sermons wrong. Souls will end up in jeopardy by pointless preaching. Preaching the Word, teaching the Truth, and healing the people are not easy in a society that is self-absorbed. It always comes at a cost to the preacher; it always comes down to Christ’s judgment of our words.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we live in a world that thinks it can get along without Your challenging ways; some of us even belong to churches that are keen to please society and go along with the maddening crowd. Remind us that our allegiance is to You alone, and not the world or culture we live in. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest nativity drawing called “Massai Madonna.” It’s a depiction of Mary and Jesus as if they had been living in Africa. You can view a larger version of the image at the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6450888287_328ef9574d_b.jpg

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Effective Preaching

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

I’ve been preaching for more than thirty years and throughout that time, some people have asked me how can I stand up before other people and preach the Word. They often tell me that they are terrified of speaking in public, so they wonder how I do it week after week.

The secret is twofold: firstly, preaching is not public speaking. Making a speech before your business associates or presenting a project to a group of peers is entirely different. That’s part of a marketing transaction or a management structure. You present what you know and hope that everyone buys into the product. The success of the presentation is based upon how effectively you manage to persuade potential customers or team members. It’s a sales pitch and although some Christian writers would have us believe that preaching is the same, it isn’t.

And that brings me to secret number two: effective preaching depends upon the presence of the Holy Spirit, not the oratory of the preacher, nor the content of the sermon. I’ve heard some life changing sermons given by the meekest of preachers. They have not been dynamic or extroverted, but their words have been endowed by the Holy Spirit. True preachers do not believe in themselves; instead they have confidence in God and present their sermon through the power of Christ living in them.

So this Sunday, when your pastor steps into the pulpit, or stands behind a lectern, or walks across the sanctuary floor to present his or her sermon, open your hearts and minds to this important question: what is the Holy Spirit communicating to me through this sermon? I guarantee that if you have confidence in seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance at that time, you will be richly rewarded through what the preacher offers with the sermon.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we thank You for the power of preaching through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Open our hearts and minds this coming Sunday to what You want us to hear. Help our preachers to seek Your favorable and guiding presence as they set out to preach God’s Word to God’s people. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.