Dear Preacher,
When we get comments and likes, mentions and retweets, emails and phone calls, do we feel great about ourselves and our preaching? That’s not a bad thing. But what if all those rave reviews, generous compliments, and kind emails were stripped away, what then? Would we feel like we had failed and our preaching was powerless?
How do we maintain a right heart going into the pulpit and coming out of the pulpit?
Remember you’re called, not hired.
God has called you and He has a purpose for you and for your preaching. The question is not, “Did I earn my pay today?”, but “Did God accomplish His will today?” To accomplish His will is why He called you in the first place!
Did you preach His Word?
Was there a fire in your bones? Did the text burn in your heart? Were you more excited about the truth than the medium? Were you more focused on God’s presence than your presentation?
Did you preach your heart out?
Did you worship Jesus with your preaching? With all your heart, mind, and strength did you proclaim and praise Him? Did you exult in Jesus through the exposition of His Word?
Did you take into account past constructive criticism?
Are you taking the advice of those who have approached you out of love? Are you applying it? Are you learning in humility?
Was love in your heart for the church?
Did you look in their eyes? Were you concerned for their spiritual growth and maturity? Was your primary desire to equip them? Did they leave convinced that you love them?
Was compassion in your heart for the lost?
Were you aware of their attendance? Were you concerned for their eternal destiny and present condition? Did they leave convinced that you care for them?
Did you pray for your congregation after you were done or did you wallow in your feelings?
Long after you’re done, are you still fighting for your people in prayer and for the Word of God to take root in them? Regardless of your feelings and your weaknesses, do you trust the grace of God?
Do you believe that the work of God goes deeper than the admiration of man?
Do you believe that when preached, God’s word will never return to Him empty, but will always accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55:1), regardless of its initial reception?
Did you worry over your sermon or did you wait for it?
Did you just pick a text or did a text “pick” you?
Did you do all you could do?
Did you pray as much as you could? Did you study as much as you could? Did you think it through as much as you could?
What have you done to maintain a right heart going into the pulpit and coming out of the pulpit?
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