It is amazing how much can go through your mind while you are in the middle of preaching a sermon. Even though I am trying to focus on the people, while navigating through my manuscript (no emails, please, about the glory of extemporaneous preaching without notes), in the midst of all of that, I still find thoughts coming into my head. Tonight, as I was preaching through Nehemiah 6, the thought came to mind, “Man, I love this!” I realized again how much I truly love preaching. As I rode home from church, I thanked God for the privilege to preach.
When I was younger I resented all the people who told me I was going to be a preacher when I grew up. I had other aspirations, none of which included the ministry. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else. When I am not preaching, I am thinking about the next time I will preach. I sermonize in my sleep. I wake up in the middle of the night with Sunday’s text on my mind, and get up to go write down the bones to an outline.
In Ephesians 3:7-8, the Apostle Paul said, “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” I recognize that my call to preach is a “gift of the grace of God”. I am the son of a preacher, and there are a long line of preachers in my family tree. That, however, was not the reason the Lord called me to preach. Nothing about me pre-qualified me to be a preacher. I get to preach because God showed me grace when He called me into His service.
I am no great preacher, but I preach a great gospel! There is nothing profound about the words of my preaching, but there is power in the Word I preach! Though relatively few will ever hear me preach, the One for whom I preach listens every time, and so long as He is glorified, I will be satisfied, and forever thankful that He chose me to be His herald.
What a privilege to go “stand and speak” on behalf of King Jesus.
...Time to study. Sunday's coming.
Amen! I've thought the same thing, right in the middle of a message. But from time to time there have been other stray thoughts come throught my mind. Example: "Man, this sermon is long."
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