Preaching
Afraid to Preach
08/13/2008 05:39
But when I read this yesterday, it bothered me (I don’t want to link to the post, in case you’re wondering. I’d rather not take up a debate on this matter):
If you are walking up to that pulpit and you are not absolutely certain that you know exactly what that text means and what we are supposed to do in light of it then you need to sit down. You should feel like you know that passage better than anyone in the room…because you have studied it all week long. If this is not the case you should not be preaching.
Here were my initial thoughts: I’m not sure that I could ever preach again. I know that, on occasion, there are older, more mature saints, who know a passage at least as well as I do, perhaps even better. I think I understand the confidence the person is talking about: you’ve studied the text, you’ve done your work, you know the point... now, get up there and preach it with the authority that God has given you as a pastor/preacher of the Word.
But I dare say, there are Sundays (thanks to the grace of God, not many, but still, there are days) when I ascend to the pulpit with the sense that a passasge has escaped me in some respect. Can I say, with absolute, unshakeable confidence that I know beyond the shadow of a doubt what every single text I preach on means? (I’m wondering if this person skips around from text to text, because if you preach like I do, walking through a book of Scripture, passage by passage, you’re gonna run into some difficulties along the way.)
I think what goes on in my mind the most is what one of my seminary profs said in a homiletics (preaching) class: If you’re a bit nervous just prior to preaching, don’t be concerned. You should be. You’re about to open your mouth and speak for God. You’re about to speak to His people His Words. And what they’ll be hearing should be God, not you. So, yes, you should be a bit nervous; not fearful or even paralyzed by fear. But if you don’t have a measure of “holy fear” in your heart at this great task of preaching, then you ought to be very afraid.
I’ve never forgotten those words. And they speak of more grace to me than the quote given above. The one (from my old prof) seems to put the focus upon God and the holy apprehension that ought to come over all of us when we approach Him, especially during the preaching of His Word. The other (from a pastor whom I’ve never met, but I’ve read and listened to) speaks law to me. I know he would disagree (I hope, anyway), but these words are an unnecessary burden that would shut my mouth for good. And I’m not sure there is as much Scriptural merit for the sentiment as there is for that of my professor.
With that said, I’ll be working diligently to speak forth the Word of God this coming Lord’s Day, knowing that as I ascend to that place, it really needs to be His words I’m speaking, not my own.
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