There is no greater calling than a call to preach God’s word. As Martin Luther famously said, “If I could today become king or emperor, I would not give up my office as preacher.”
We must understand that all gospel ministers we read about in the bible were weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence in them.
David was not qualified to fight Goliath. God chose David because he trusted Him. David was desperately unqualified but a willing servant.
In Uganda today, I have come to understand that it is only when we think we are strong and can survive even without the Holy Spirit that the pulpit becomes cluttered. We then begin to fake whatever we do, even the very sermons we share. We exchange truth for passivity, boldness for cowardliness, and conviction for comfort.
In wake of recent controversies, I found it fit to remind preaches that if we are to deal with any sort of challenges in our ministries today, we don’t need more marketing plans, demographic studies, or campaigns; we need men filled with the Spirit of God.
We are invited to bring everything to the Lord in prayer, including the desires of our heart as it relates to serving Him. For you who has gone off course today, here are four ways to re-set the compass, as revealed by Shane Idleman, a christian media columnist and Pastor.
1. RETURN TO THE PRAYER CLOSET.
Without prayer, “the church becomes a graveyard, not an embattled army. Praise and prayer are stifled; worship is dead. The preacher and the preaching encourage sin, not holiness…preaching which kills is prayerless preaching. Without prayer, the preacher creates death, and not life” (E.M. Bounds).
When God brings change, prayer has been the catalyst. Martin Luther prayed and the church was reformed. John Knox prayed and Scotland was revived. John Wesley prayed and America was restored. George Whitefield prayed and nations were changed. D.L. Moody prayed and America fell to her knees. Amy Carmichael prayed and India received the gospel. And so it goes…when you pray, you move the hand of God.
The dry, dead lethargic condition of the church simply reflects an impotent prayer life. While 5-minute devotionals and prayers are good, they aren’t going to cut it in these dire times. We need powerful times of prayer, devotion, and worship. “Without the heartbeat of prayer, the body of Christ will resemble a corpse. The church is dying on her feet because she is not living on her knees” (Al Whittinghill).
Sermons should not come from pop-psychology and the latest fad; they must come from the prayer closet where God prepares the messenger before we prepare the message. It takes broken men to break men. Unplug the tv, turn off Facebook, and get back into the Word of God, prayer, and worship.
2. RETURN TO A SEPARATED LIFE.
If a pastor fills his mind with the world all week and expects the Spirit of God to speak boldly through him from the pulpit, he will be gravely mistaken. “The sermon cannot rise in its life-giving forces above the man. Dead men give out dead sermons, and dead sermons kill. Everything depends on the spiritual character of the preacher” (E.M. Bounds). Who he is all week is who he will be when he steps to the pulpit.
3. WORSHIP MUST BE A PRIORITY.
A pastor who does not worship is not prepared to preach. Many sing “about” God but they have never truly experienced Him—head knowledge without heart knowledge. Styles of worship range from the old, beloved hymns to contemporary. All worship should be God-centered, Christ exalted, and doctrinally sound.
Worship allows us to shift our focus and praise toward God. Whether you prefer hymnals and organs or contemporary bands, is really not the issue. The issue is: are you truly worshipping God in “spirit and in truth”? He is the Creator of heaven and earth. He is not a cosmic force, universal love, or a doting grandfather; He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We must worship Him. He created, redeemed, and saved us. As one of the countless hymns declares so well, “O’ The Blood: washes me; shed for me…what a sacrifice that saved my life, yes the blood, it is my victory!”
4. PREACH THE DIFFICULT TRUTHS – THEY SET PEOPLE FREE.
The church cannot neglect, water-down, or avoid preaching sin, repentance, or the fear of the Lord in the hope of not offending or securing an audience. Difficult truths often offend, and rightly so, sin put Christ on the cross. The goal of preaching is faithfulness to God, not crowd appeal. The church, as a whole, may have forgotten the fear of the Lord, but it doesn’t follow that we should.
Let it not be said of us today: And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord because pastors failed to be preachers of righteousness. The burden of responsibility rests squarely upon our shoulders. It’s our choice—stand, or fall!
But there is hope: “Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you…” (Zechariah 1:3). That’s a life changing promise – return to Him and He will return to you.
