Confessions of a Young Preacher

I think it's kind of funny that almost every twentysomething male who is training for pastoral ministry will tell you they have the gift of preaching and teaching. Though it may be true, it's important to realize that preaching is something you only get better at by actually preaching. I've been preaching pretty regularly for about 5 years now in many different contexts and I realize almost every day how much I still have to learn.

I've put together a few thoughts about the things I have learned (and am in the process of learning) about what it means to be a good preacher. I hope this gives some insight and is helpful to anyone else who sees preaching as a part of their current or future ministry:

1. Humility is the posture of a good preacher

People often ask me if I’m nervous before I preach - especially if I’m a guest speaker at another church or event. I always respond with “yes, but in a good way.” If I’m not a little nervous I obviously don’t fathom the greatness of the responsibility of sharing God’s Word. I hope I’m still a little nervous before my Sunday message 20 years from now. I heard a story once about a young preacher who went up to the pulpit to preach for the first time in a new church. He strutted up on stage like a proud peacock. After fumbling through a message that he originally thought was going to change the world, he walked off the stage feeling like the smallest person in the room. A wise old member of the church took him aside after the service and said to him, “If you had walked on to the stage the way you walked off, maybe you could have walked off the stage the way you walked on.” I remember that story every time I approach the pulpit.

2. Preaching is an art, so look to the masters

We must see preaching as an art form. Don’t misunderstand me - I don’t think preachers should manipulate people through clever rhetoric and emotional charge, but I do think preachers should work on their craft as to present the gospel in a clear, engaging and culturally relevant way. Like any art student worth their salt, a preacher should be learning from the current masters of the trade. In a day where almost every church in the western world is giving their sermons away via podcast it’s very easy for a young preacher to learn from the best. By listening to the great preachers of our day we can glean lessons from their method and style of presenting the gospel in different contexts. It’s important to choose several different preachers from different theological convictions, because even if you don’t agree with everything they say, the point is to hear how they say it. Here are a few preachers from whom I’ve learn a lot:

• Tim Keller
• Mark Driscoll
• Bruxy Cavey
• Rob Bell
• Judah Smith

3. A preacher is not the same thing as a motivational speaker

I’ve sat in too many services where the preacher spends all his time saying things like “you can do it!” “Let’s change the world!” or “God is on the move!” Those aren’t bad things to say, but just being motivational isn’t going to equip the church. Imagine if you wanted to be a carpenter and in trade school all the lectures solely consisted of phrases like “You can be a great framer!” “We’re going to build a awesome house!” “Carpentry is the best!” You may get really excited to build a house, but you’d have no idea how to do it. The best preachers inspire, but they also instruct.

4. Leave it with the Holy Spirit

I remember once when Mark Driscoll was talking about preaching, he said “preach your guts out, then sleep like a Calvinist.” It’s so easy for a young preacher to be haunted by how his or her latest sermon went. There’s always something I forgot to say, or something that didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped. Though I’m not a Calvinist, Driscoll’s advice is great - just allow the Holy Spirit to work with what you preached and move on. I’ve had several experiences where people approach me or email me about one of my messages telling me how they have been impacted. The funny thing is that they often “quote” me as saying something I don’t remember saying. It just goes to show that when I’m preaching, it’s actually the Holy Spirit who is doing the real life-changing teaching. My job is to prepare something biblically sound and engaging to the best of my ability, and then leave the rest up to God.

What do you think? Do you have any other advice for me or other young preachers?

Feel Different?

Some people feel different, or as though they don't fit in. Newsflash...that's how you should feel. That is, you should feel that way until you realize that you were made for something more than you ever realized:

“The mould in which a key is made would be a strange thing, if you had never seen a key: and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling of the infinite contours of the Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions” - C.S. Lewis

Grace and Peace

Confession is not for the weak

Ben Matlock was the king of getting a confession out of a witness in the courtroom. By the end of each episode he had somehow figured out who the true killer was, tricked them into taking the stand, and wrestled an emotional confession out of them for the world to hear. However, I don't think the type of confession seen in Matlock's courtroom is the type of confession the Bible teaches us to practice.

The first chapter of 1 John exhorts us to "walk in the light" and "confess our sins". Of course, this is only one of the many passages of scripture that teaches - no - commands us to confess our sins. It's supposed to be something Christians do whenever necessary - which is often, because v. 10 tells us that we're liars if we claim to be without sin.

Confession isn't supposed to be only after someone like Ben Matlock has left me with no other dark corner in which to hide my dirty secret. Confession is supposed to happen before everyone finds out - before the "jig" is up. Not as an "ok, you got me...I did it." And since we're supposed to not only confess our sins to God, but also to each other, each of us should not only be prepared to confess our own sins; we should be prepared to receive confessions from others.

I think there's an important perspective we should have on any situation where we are approached by someone who is making a confession: This person is being obedient. This person is actually doing what they're supposed to do! Sure, they sinned, but we all do. But this person is doing the first thing you're supposed to do after you sin. I need to view this person as someone who is courageous, spirit led, and Godly. Sure, they sinned. Sure there are consequences to sin. But the fact that this person didn't wait until I caught them to confess means something very important. They are truly repentant. If I catch someone in a sin how can I know if they're truly sorry? How can I know whether they only regret their sin because they got caught, not because it was just a plain bad thing to do? I will most definitely deal differently with someone who confesses than with someone I catch.

Confession is not for the weak. It's for the strong. It's for those who say "No more!" to their sin. It's for those who take life seriously. It's for those who truly want to answer the call of God. I think God would say to the person who confessed their sin, big or small, "Well done. Welcome to the light."

Grace and Peace

It's that guy's fault!

Have you ever heard a political debate? Maybe you're not that into politics, but if you ever listen to the radio, or watch the news or forget to hit the mute button during TV commercials you've heard one political party talking about another political party. More than likely, they are making their opponent sound like the prince of darkness himself.

But smear campaigns, unfortunately, are not reserved only for politics. Go to the water cooler at work, sit in your friend's living room, or even stand in the foyer of your church, and you'll likely hear someone talking about how some problem is someone else's fault, and that someone needs to be called out and fix the problem. Oftentimes Christians are called judgemental, bigoted and self-righteous, because we have participated in this kind of talk ourselves. And it's often blamed on our religion: We claim to be such moral and upright people, and look down on others who don't make the cut.

I'd like to submit that this type of attitude is shown only by those people who haven't really understood the gospel. The gospel primarily tells me that God loves me infinitely. Secondarily, it tells me that I'm a wretched sinner. So I'm a part of the problem, yet I'm still loved and can do nothing to lose that love. When I recognize that I'm part of the problem I quit my immature smear campaigns, because the finger needs to be pointed, at least partially, at me. When I recognize God loves me I can then move on from my sin without shame and guilt destroying me.

So what happens to my politics when I apply the gospel to my life? Do I immediately join the right wing? Not necessarily. Dave, are you a liberal!? That's not what I'm saying. What happens when you understand the gospel is you GET INVOLVED, and become part of the solution. Knowing you're part of the problem, yet infinitely loved is the best motivator there is to take action to make things better. This doesn't only apply to politics. When there's a problem at work, or in my marriage, or with my (future) kids, I need to get my hands dirty as a part of the solution.

Jesus is the only person ever who wasn't part of the problem; yet, he was willing to get dirtier than us all to be part of the solution. How much more should we recognize the need to get involved? In our church. With out family. At our work. At the polls. Wherever.

It'll cost you to forgive

Recently my wife and I exchanged our truck for a more family friendly vehicle in preparation for baby Funk to come into the world. Is it just me, or is it a little disappointing when you buy something and the next day a flock of birds dump all over it? At that moment I had a few options:

1. I could track down those lousy fowl and make them clean up their mess. This option posed some obvious problems.

2. I could bring a gun when I track them down and make them pay for their crime (duck hunt flashbacks).

3. I could forgive them and clean up the mess myself.

These are the options we're all given any time someone hurts us, abuses us, or sins against us in any way: Make them fix the problem they caused, hurt them back, forgive them. Notice that in all three options someone pays for the damages. It's either them or you. If I forgive it doesn't mean the problem goes away. In my silly illustration, if I forgive the birds, I'm still left with #2 all over my car which needs to be cleaned. Forgiveness will cost you. But does it cost more or less than revenge?

We sinned against God and he was left with the same three choices we have when people sin against us. Make us fix it, make us pay, forgive us. He chose to forgive us. And it cost him. If something truly wrong has happened it will always come with a cost. That's why Jesus had to die. His death on the cross shows us the high cost of our sin. But his resurrection showed us something even more amazing. When we decide to forgive a death occurs - I have to die to my right for revenge, my desire for justice, and my feelings of unfairness. It's hard. It's painful. It's self destructive. But it's not the end of the story. Just as Jesus rose from the dead after the greatest act of forgiveness ever, we can be assured that when we forgive we will find new life and personal restoration.

...and to be honest, when I think about what he's forgiven me for....and what he's forgiven other people for, do I really think I have a good enough reason to withhold forgiveness?

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you" - Colossians 3:14

P.S. People commonly misinterpret Jesus' message of forgiveness to say that we should just let people get away with sin. This is not the truth. It's ok to call the police. It's ok to kick him out. It's ok to protect yourself from getting hurt. But you will never truly be free until you forgive, absorb the sin, nail it to the cross with your old self, and let Jesus give you a new life.