Then I Will Teach

I must admit that my thoughts today are developed through reading another blogger's thoughts. He released a rough copy of the introduction to his thesis; you can read it under the title "Part of Thesis Proposal" at http://www.savageheartburn.blogspot.com/


My own pursuit of God has lead me to the pursuit of preaching, but after coming through preaching classes and Bible college courses on the development of a sermon, I found myself quite disappointed in where I was going. I struggled with developing sermons according to the guidelines given by my professors, but that was on paper. Each time I had the chance to actually proclaim a message, I was encouraged by the response of my professors. I think that the blog, alluded to above, helps me better understand my struggle.

The thesis statement of the article: "When God is transforming the receptive preacher and establishing His authority in the preacher, then the potential for spiritual transformation in the hearers is increased.”

The key words in this thesis are God/transforming/receptive/establishing/potential/increased. I choose God, transforming, and establishing, as key words because it gives God all of the credit, it is His work of transforming and establishing. I choose receptive because it reveals the activity of the preacher, for he has to be in tune with God and able to catch the waves of God's grace himself. Potential caught my eye because it again reveals the humility necessary to preach the Word, because the best “preacher” in the world can get up every week to bring the Bible, but that does not force the listener into truly hearing what is said. The potential for growth and maturity is always there, but it is only potential from the point of view of the preacher. My job is not to make people grow, but it is to present God's message so that those listening may hear! That is the importance of “increased;” if the preacher's sermon is well crafted, creative, culturally relevant, or whatever else is necessary for “good preaching,” there is no increase in potential for his listener's to hear God unless he is being transformed and having authority established in him.

Many folks question the authority of preachers and preaching, and at one time I thought it a silly thing; however, perhaps those who are given the task of proclaiming God's active Word are the ones who should question themselves. Each time that I get up to present a sermon, am I presenting a sermon based on good writing or creativity? Or have I let God do His work? In preaching, are we writing sermons or are we letting God work. God's work is first in the preacher, and if that work is not done then how can the preacher expect for his listener's to be changed by God's work. I am not limiting God to the words of the preacher, but what I am limiting is the preacher's power if he is not being transformed to the image of Christ.

I do not call King David a preacher, but I believe he understood the importance of God in the work of changing people. I take my role in preaching as David presents it; a man is only qualified to teach others once he himself has been transformed; look at what he wrote in the 51st Psalm and note the position of "then":

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you."