For those about to Teach...

Yesterday our Lead Pastor, Eddie Cupples, referenced how hard preaching is and those of us who do it wonder why others want to do it so badly. They see and hear the experience for the 30-45 minutes that we are delivering The Word, and see that as all there is. No doubt, many of those want to genuinely inspire and encourage others with God's word. BUT the preparation is time consuming, difficult, and draining all together.  It requires more than just deep theology, clever insight to scripture, fancy words, and catchy phrases. It requires our constant transformation by The Word, in order to see others transformed.

I read this, this morning in a new "old" book I've started, The Ministry of God's Word, by Watchman Nee. The book is a compilation of messages he gave during a Pastor's Workshop in China in 1948.

" True preaching never brings in cleverness or eloquence. It depends on whether we perfect or corrupt the word of God as it passes through us and mingles with our personal makeup.....

Let us not imagine that we may deliver as  many messages as we have heard. If we are not right, the word of God is blocked. The Holy Spirit does not side with when word alone; he also sides with the man who is broken and bears the marks of the cross. A broken stricken human spirit is a useable spirit. Should the Holy Spirit fail to be released, it is because of the hindrance of our outward man. Our emotions, temper, and will can each one hinder the word. We may speak well, yet it actually can be merely word, doctrine or teaching - not the word of God. God's Word needs to enter into your being, into your feeling, understanding, heart, and spirit. it needs to make a turn in you and flow out again. Then the word is intimately knit with you, it is pressed and pushed for in you...."

 I'm pretty sure this is what Paul meant when he communicated his motive in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. We don't need people to trust in our cleverness, wit, and knowledge, but in our personal experiences of God's changing power in our own life.

What Words are God challenging you with these days?