I am currently enrolled in an undergraduate course to learn how to preach sermons. I am not sure at this point how often I might be called to do this, but will certainly need this skill if God has called me to be a pastor.
Who teaches us? Is it God? Is it the Holy Spirit? Is it Jesus who came to this earth, walked among us, ate and slept and lived among us, and taught us great things during his lifetime and ministry? His Words live on the pages of Scripture and continue to teach people today.
God’s Living Word.
All of the above is our Teacher.
Our professor, Rev. Smith has been very faithful in his homiletics teaching. He says really inspiring things like, “the Word of God does the Work of God” Actually, I think this is his mantra. He insists that we must take God’s Word and make it central to our preaching. “Lift up and adorn God’s Word. Lift it up high, and let it do the work in changing the hearts of the listeners.”
“Do not underestimate the power of presence in your ministry.”
He also instructs us that preaching is an Incarnational act. The Word of God is the Story of God. Jesus is central in the Story of God. Be sure to lift up Christ in your sermons.
“Do not water down the message!”
That is exactly what Professor Jim was doing on the night of January 27th. Our class consists of 11 students, of varying ages and worship styles. A few are pastors who already preach weekly. One is a wife of a pastor. Several are from a very charismatic style of worshipcalling out to the preacher during his sermon is common for them. Two of the people are conservative Methodists. Three are women, and the others are men.
That evening, the professor was teaching on preparing a sermon series and spoke about the common lectionary and the Christian church calendar. To most of the class, this was very foreign, but in essence, the purpose was to help us remember to keep Christ at the center of all our preaching. Of course, many significant days of our culture come into play, like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. But his main point was to prepare in advance, and even if you do not serve in a church that follows the Liturgical calendar, you can make the lectionary or church calendar be the governing force in how and what you decide to preach. Preach Christ!
Professor Smith always lifts up God’s Word in his teaching and in his weekly “mini sermons” which we analyze. I think God must be pleased with our professor’s work, and some prayer must be happening, because what happened that evening of January 27th will forever change the way I see preaching.
This night we were to hear two of our fellow classmates preach. Both were very good sermons. But, something mysterious and Divine took place that night.
The second classmate to preach was Don. He is a pastor who serves in a small church near my hometown. Don is a quiet person, with a calm demeanor, sort of small in stature, and soft spoken in nature. Unassuming. Humble.
He got up to speak, and was preaching from the book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 22, verses 1-19. He gave us an outline to follow, and began to share a little of his church with us. He prayed and then read the scripture aloud with confidence. Something began to happen about a quarter of the way into his sermon. His voice deepened, and grew louder, firmer. His facial expressions began to grow in intensity. He paced, and stood still, and had the right amount of pause in his words, and his voice spoke with AUTHORITY. You could not help but put your pens down and listen. His sermon points were well outlined. He had his own notes at the podium stand, but mostly spoke directly to us.
His words were met with comments from his listeners – loud exclamations of “Preach it brother!” “You got it-keep on!!” “Amen!!” “Praise Jesus!” “Come on now!" I was sort of quiet, striving to follow what was happening.
Two parts of this sermon very strongly affected me.
In one part, Don tried to explain about the way King David provided his son Solomon with materials to build God’s Temple. In Scripture, there are many elements listed: wood, gold, etc etc etc. Vast amounts were needed! When Don, paused thoughtfully and looked around. Was it possible that he was not sure of the right way to word this?
Just then…in a thundering voice he declared:
“It was a bunch!” Bunches!” This is when I detected something very wonderful and marvelous. Don paused in his speaking, and his face lit up, his eyes changed and his stature increased- his words were spilling forth from his lips: “God is a God of bunches!!!!” “God is a God who Provides!!!” God is a God of enough!!!” There was furry and might in his words! They had IMPACT! Any person could see that there was something beautifully more powerful than human words flowing from this servant of God.
At this point, for me it was clear- God had officially joined our class. The Holy Spirit, or presence of God was in full charge of this humble minister and student. God, the great teacher and provider had showed up to personally instruct us on the power of His Presence when preaching. This quiet, humble man had submitted his entire being – vocal chords, tongue, mouth, body, and mind to speak forth God’s message, and in this process teach these hungry and faithful students about the True Authority in speaking forth for God!
You could have heard a pin drop in this room.
The second part of Don’s message that was meaningful to me was in his retelling of a story about an earlier sermon he preached to his congregation, and about a young man aged 19, who was very tall and large young man, who was seated at the back of his church, with tears flowing down his face. Don had shared with us that the church he served was not very large in size, so Don said he recognized that perhaps God was speaking to this young man, by the young man’s face and the tears flowing during his message. When he came to the end of his sermon, he sensed that God was speaking to this young man, so he invited anyone who might have been hearing a Word from God to please come forward.
Don was preaching that Sunday on the same sermon content, the story of David passing his rule to his son Solomon, to be his successor. Don told us that this young man obediently came forward, face wet with tears. (Don was speaking in a regular tone to us at this point.) He said he looked up at this young man, stood on his toes (Don is short and this young man was very tall) cupped his face in both hands, and whispered into his ear these words:
“Son… God can do anything!!!”
For me, these very words came forth from Don’s mouth with power and might and tenderness and splendor. All at the same time! Sure signs for me of the presence of God. These words struck me like a lightening bolt!! Tears flowed from a place I did not know existed in me.
“Bette…GOD can do anything!!!!”
These words spoken to a young man, first hearing God’s call on his life, spoken from a faithful servant of God – who speaks from first-hand knowledge. Oh, that these words would come forth more often from the pulpit! Food coming forth from the mouths of pastors who have been ordained to preach, teach and feed Jesus’ flocks!
Yes, that night God’s presence filled the classroom. His Voice thundered throughout the fourth floor halls. As tears streamed down from my own face, my parched soul soaked up those very words: “God can do anything!”
This lesson on preaching could not have been any more profound! Don went on with his sermon to completion. My hand no longer had strength enough to continue writing. I needed ALL of my senses and strength to continue listening to this man in front of me, to soak in all of the facial expressions and tone changes in his voice that were just undeniably from a more powerful Source than Don, the student of our class. He was speaking forth for God, and our class had a Guest Instructor for these next sacred moments!!!! It was a time of breathlessness and my entire senses were overcome with awe! With breathless wonder I could sense the full force of this moment only after it was finished.
As Don ended his message and led us in prayer, he stepped to the back of the room, and leaned on the back of one of the chairs. I could see his head bowed as he: prayed, got his breath back, and recovered….whatever it was he was doing. There he stood, leaning with his head bowed, hands bracing his entire body against the back of his chair – just as if he had passed the finish line of a 10K race.
The class was silent, and the professor stepped in and asked us to quit writing on our critiques, pens down, hand them in. With a smile, our professor exclaimed, “We just had Church.”
I quietly gathered my things. Speechless, wet-faced, trying to get out and not wanting words to minimize the full effect and wonder of the experience. I hugged and thanked Don, and left quietly, certain that everyone in that room understood what had just happened.
God is so good, so mysterious, and incredibly awesome. He decided to personally come into our presence IN FORCE, and be the Teacher of Truth. I cannot understand what caused this night to be different from other nights, since I can sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in each one of our class times together. God gave us a taste of Himself… a lesson in His Splendor and of His Power. A lesson of what he will do for those faithful servants who submit themselves entirely to him.
“Let the Word of God do the Work of God.” God is not some helpless Being who sits back as we do his work for him. God is the One who does the work, and it is only when we step out of the limelight, and offer ourselves to him to be used that he can do the work. Of course, we need to prepare, and practice, and do the homework, but it must also be done with a submissive attitude. Co-workers with God.
We prepare an environment, and invite His Spirit to show up and instruct, transform, create us anew.
Instigator of Change!
Bringer of Truth!
Teacher of Teachers!
