Your preacher has a heavy burden on his shoulders. He exercises many gifts in today’s ministry. Yes, he must know how to study to prepare good messages. He must deliver those things he learned in such a way that they will challenge those hearing it. Then again, the pastor has many other duties to juggle from day-to-day: administrative duties, counseling the flock, leadership for the church, and personal Bible study, just to name a few.
John A. Broadus was a pastor of yesteryear. He left behind, though, a detailed book explaining to pastors how to prepare good sermons. That book, although, written some time ago, is still a good reference book that Bible Colleges and Seminaries use today. In discussing preaching, he once said, “After all our preparation, general and specific, for the conduct of public worship and for preaching, our dependence for real success is on the Spirit of God.” Without the Holy Spirit’s power of illuminating the sermon for person application, the sermon is nothing but a glorified lecture.
How does the pastor get this dependence on the Holy Spirit? Scripture tells you how in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (NKJV). Yes, the pastor has to take great pains in living a Godly life, before encouraging his flock to do so.
The preacher’s ultimate priority is to depend upon the Holy Spirit to give him the words to speak in his sermons. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit, that the message will have spiritual power.
Your part, if not a pastor? Pray! Pray daily for your pastor! Pray that he will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit!
