It puzzles me how often I attend a church service hoping to grow in my relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to watch the pastor appear desperate for attention and approval. Instead of proclaiming God’s Word, he spends most of the sermon recounting personal stories, telling jokes, or quoting a recent article.
Dear pastor, first and foremost, you are a preacher of God’s Word. You have been entrusted with the most extraordinary calling any person could ever receive: partnering with God to proclaim the message of hope, redemption, and salvation.
Years ago in my own ministry, I frequently used funny or clever personal stories to illustrate a point. There’s nothing inherently wrong with contextualization. However, I was blind to the pride in my heart and the constant pull to be liked and applauded. I’ll never forget when a young person came up to me after a service and said, “Pastor, I like your stories, but honestly, I came here to hear about Jesus.” That loving rebuke stuck with me and probably always will.
Back then, my subconscious idea of success was to be known as a great speaker, a great preacher, not necessarily to glorify Christ. But now, with more experience and maturity, I can honestly say the success of a sermon is measured by how many people walk away wanting to worship Jesus.
The real success of a sermon lies in how clearly it conveys the gospel and how deeply it brings conviction, transformation, and restoration to the hearts of listeners.
Dear pastor, do your best not to fall into the trap of using cheap tricks to “sell” people on a message you yourself have not fully lived. Don’t preach to entertain. Don’t aim for reaction instead of repentance. Don’t settle for information over heart transformation.
For more on this, I recommend reading this blog: Stupid Pastor Tricks – How You’re Getting Fooled.
Instead, follow the timeless instruction of 2 Timothy 4:2. Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Also, stop using the pulpit to rant about fringe issues—whether political, cultural, or personal. The pulpit is not a platform for score-settling or venting your frustrations. It is a sacred space to declare the goodness of God and the hope we have in Christ.
Talk to God about people in prayer. Talk to people about God in preaching.
Tell them the greatest story ever told, the divine romance between a holy God and a broken humanity. Tell them how God gave His Son to become the Son of Man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God.
Stop chasing after business models and growth strategies. Instead, preach, reprove, rebuke, and exhort. Trust that the work God has begun in your congregation, He will bring to completion in His time.
You don’t need another trendy church-growth conference. What your flock needs is a shepherd. Listen to them. Weep with those who weep. Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Pastoral ministry is one of the most difficult callings you will ever undertake. You will be heartbroken often. You will be misunderstood, ridiculed, and falsely accused. And yet, it will also be the most beautiful, worthwhile, and sacred work you will ever do.
After all, what other calling gives you the privilege of partnering with God in the redemption of a lost and broken world through the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ?
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