The Fear of Preaching

I never liked those scary rides at the fair. I still don’t. Don’t even think about asking me to jump off a high platform with a rubber band connected to my ankle or to my waist. There is no way! With all due respect, I think there is something seriously wrong with people do things like this. You may not think about it but in many ways preaching is scary too. Let me tell you what I mean. (1) I will answer to God for what I say when I preach. God will hold me accountable for every word I say, see James 3:1. Recklessness in preaching is an invitation to judgment. (2) What I say in a sermon affects eternity. God uses the proclamation of His Word to save souls and to change lives. Every person who hears a message from God’s Word is accountable for what they do with the truth they have heard. This means that preaching really does have an eternal impact. (3) The next sermon I preach may be the last message from God an unsaved or saved person will ever hear. Because of this, my preaching must be controlled by the heart of God and it must be faithful to God’s Word. (4) Preaching if it is done right is hard work. From personal exegesis of the text to public proclamation of the message, preachers must dig into the Word, soak in it, be cleansed by it, and then deliver it. When I stand in the pulpit I must be prayed up and prepared to preach God’s Word relying on power from the Spirit of God. (5) Preaching puts my own life under the microscope. My life must validate my words. I must practice what I preach. Those I preach to on Sunday have a right to see obedience and faithfulness in my life every day of the week. (6) The devil attacks preachers. The gospel is “God’s power for salvation.” Thus, it is not surprising that the enemy aims his arrows at preachers to hinder us from preaching and living out the Word. Our very calling to proclaim the gospel puts the enemy’s bulls eye on our back. (7) Somebody probably won’t like something about the message. It’s too long. Not enough Bible. Too much Bible. Too much application, or not enough application. I’m too loud. Or too soft. I don’t preach like someone’s favorite preacher on TV. Because of their position, a preacher is opened to criticism even at times from God’s own people and believe me preachers will be criticized. If a preacher can’t take it, preaching can be scary. (8) My greatest fear in preaching is that someday I will approach preaching without the earnestness and seriousness it demands. I’m well aware that a healthy respect for a task today can become only routine tomorrow. Please pray that I will always be the preacher God would have me to be!  See you Sunday, Bro. Chris