Although we pastors revere the preaching of the gospel, every one of us falls short. Our performance is uneven. Our motives are mixed. Our theology isn’t perfect. Nothing about us is perfect. But even though imperfect pastors preach imperfect sermons, the Holy Spirit can empower even our ministry of the word. Amazing grace, right?
We wouldn’t want to “succeed” by any show-off tricks of the trade — our charisma, our advanced degrees, our whatever. Worse than failure, it’s betrayal. The ministry that we received from the Lord Jesus is “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). We have no right to insert ourselves where only the grace of God should be front and center.
I am struck by the words of John the Baptist, when he said about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). We might think, “Sure, I want Jesus to increase in people’s confidence and loyalty. And I can increase too. It’ll be a win-win. I’m glad to share my platform with Jesus. Hey, I owe him everything.” What a stab in his back! And the reality is, after John the Baptist makes his famous statement, he disappears from the narrative of John’s Gospel. Read More
Also See:
Don’t Run Out of Jesus While Preaching Grace
3 Reasons to Write Out Your Sermons
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