Jump Start # 3170

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Recently I was preaching in a meeting at a place that I had been before. But it had been a long time since I was last there. In fact, it had been 16 years since the last time I had preached there. And, the amazing thing  was to hear so many saying that they remembered my sermon, “Bloom where you planted.” I had preached that there sixteen years ago. They still remembered it. I used to preach that sermon a lot. I wore that thing out and have not touched it in a long, long time. I did not remember that I had preached it there. But here, going on two decades later many remembered. Now, let’s put some things straight about this. The sermon is just ok and the preaching at the best isn’t all that good, but it’s one of those moments when the time is right and people identify with it.

I was thinking all about those kind comments last night. I’ve been preaching more than forty years. How many sermons are remembered? The Sunday comes to an end, the sermon goes into a file cabinet and on we go to other projects, another sermon and more classes. The preacher hopes that someone is helped at the moment. The preacher hopes that somehow his choice of lesson was what was needed that day. Some days it is. Some days it’s not so much.

Deep within the ego of many preachers is the hope that our sermons would be remembered like the songs of our favorite singers. So many hits. So many songs. But truth be, most of us do not even remember many of our own sermons.

The value of a sermon is not in how long a sermon is remembered years after it was preached, but whether it did us any good. Like the showers of rain, the garden needs that nourishment to grow. How many rain showers are remembered? Growth isn’t a one time event. It’s a process. It’s like a little child growing. Each meal and each day he is growing. He is stretching up. He is changing. And, that is the process of our spiritual growth. There is no one sermon that will be the vitamin for life that gives you 100% of what you need. There is no one sermon that will answer all the questions that you have. But those sprinkles of rain upon the heart allows one to grow and get stronger every day.

The interesting thing about sermons is that some that I think didn’t go over so well, others love. And, sermons that I thought were really fascinating, seem to land like a dud. But I have learned that the value of a sermon is not in the comments that people say. Some will say every week, “Good sermon.“ They are honest and they liked the sermon. Others will not say anything. The preacher wonders. But later on, something is said and a thought from one of those sermons surfaces. They heard. More than that, they remembered. And, more than that, it stuck with them and it helped them.

We preachers all have our own styles not only of developing a sermon but of even delivering a sermon. And, styles are like decorations. Some appeal to you and some may not. But our job is not to become fixated upon the mouthpiece but upon the message. Take us to the Scriptures and let us see Jesus, that’s what a sermon ought to do. Some are masterful at showing us things in the text that we never saw before. Some are great at putting life and definitions to words. For others, it’s all about getting those words out of the Bible and into our hearts. Practical application that is real, useful and relevant, that’s how some preach.

Through the years a congregation becomes adjusted to the type of preaching they receive on a regular basis. When a different style comes in, it often takes a moment to get used to that. It’s like a bowl of chili. The family gets used to mama’s chili. Then the family goes to another home for a visit and chili is served. It’s different than the way mama makes it. It’s still chili and it’s still good. It’s just different. That’s sort of like listening to different preachers. Is one better than another? Not really, not as long as they are preaching Jesus and staying true to the text. I’ve sat through some sermons and taken dozens of notes. I have sat through others and never wrote one thing down. But often, it was the later that really helped me.

It’s easy for us to try to make all preaching the same. I’m glad it’s not. We notice the different styles when we read what Paul wrote and what Peter wrote. Paul is deep. Romans is a tough book. Peter is practical. Peter gets to the point quickly. I find myself more like Peter than Paul. Ought we change Paul into Peter? Never. Is Peter better than Paul? No. Both are needed and both are very helpful. And, so it is among us. Some preachers are all business in the pulpit and they bring a seriousness to the word of God. Others use humor and stories but have a powerful way of punching God’s word into our hearts. Peter and Paul. That’s what we have today.

Our verse today reminds us to preach the word. We are not to preach ourselves, our opinions or our likes, but the word of God. Stick with that. Learn how to preach well. Make adjustments.

Remembering a sermon sixteen years ago. That really touched by heart.

Roger

Jump Start # 3168

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

A recent Bara Institute report shockingly revealed that one-third of today’s preachers want to quit. The number, 38%, is up nearly 10% from just a year ago. The report indicated that preachers under the age of 45 were the most likely to consider quitting. More than 4,000 churches have closed in America in the past two years, according to Bara. Many factors were given for wanting to quit preaching such as the lasting impact of the pandemic, loneliness, burnout, depression, political strife, and just being tired of all the things that go with preaching.

Understand, the organizational structure of most denominations is not what we read in the New Testament. Their preachers, commonly referred to as pastors, have more of an CEO operational concept of running a church. The denominational hierarchical organization, larger than the local congregation is a concept not found in our Bibles.

However, even within our fellowship, the number of preachers quitting is growing steadily. And, true to the Bara article, it seems that a vast majority of them are in that 45 and under age bracket. Fewer younger men are going into preaching which all points to a famine of preachers in coming years. Now, we can ignore such things and then we will wake up one day wanting to know what happened or we can begin to address this seriously.

Some thoughts:

First, from our passage today, there are some hardships connected to preaching. Every Sunday the preacher stands before one hundred or more people who can in a second can become critics and unload every opinion, idea and problem in his lap as they walk out the door and go home. There are hardships. Endure them. Get a backbone. Develop some thick skin. Don’t let every comment get under your skin, nor is it your job to fix every problem that people give you. The preacher is to preach and teach God’s word. Take a long, long look at what those apostles and early preachers went through. They weren’t paid well. They suffered greatly. Their love for the Lord and His kingdom kept them going. Could it be that the desire for an easy job loaded with perks and benefits has caused some to be disillusioned and disappointed to the extent that they quit?

The work can be long, hard and lonely. Just this past week, I have written five blogs, recorded six podcasts, taught four public classes, lead a leadership workshop, preached a sermon and prepared to head out of town to preach a meeting. I can’t tell you how many emails, phone calls and people I’ve talked with this week. Am I tired? Yes. Is it necessary to do all of these things? Probably not. But I see the good that is being done. I see lives changing. I see hope building. I see positive things taking place. Now, I could complain about this. I could cry to my elders about this. I could think about quitting. But I signed up for this. I am a preacher of God’s word. This is what I am supposed to be doing. There is a work that is to be done and we need to do it. Certainly, I could ride out on old sermons, stop Jump Starts and do as little as possible. But that’s not me. That’s not going to bring success and growth in the kingdom. Endure. Endure hardships. That’s what God says.

Second, shepherds need to have a heart-to-heart talk with their preacher more than once a year as they consider giving him a raise or not. Is he tired? Is he having the signs of burnout? Is he overwhelmed? Do you know? Do you notice? Do you care? This is where I think many preachers in our fellowship end up. They sense that no matter what they do, no one cares. Leaders have long ago quit leading. Ideas, vision, motivation all must come from the preacher or it won’t exist. After a while frustration builds. Why do all of this? On top of this, many do not feel like they have the backing and the support of the leaders. Tough things need to be preached. Some members squawk. They complain. The leaders remain silent. They won’t get involved. They won’t support nor defend the preacher. And, for the young preacher, he feels as if he is left to die alone on a hill. Discouragement is one of the hardest things on the heart of a preacher. And, if not dealt with in a positive fashion, that discouragement will destroy him.

We need to take a very, very long look at what has taken place in the past several decades. Allowing people to throw verbal darts at the preacher and complain to no end has been accepted. God doesn’t like complainers. There is no place for this among the people of God. Sour and weak members are allowed to say unkind and unfair things and they go without any response from the leaders because they fear they may leave. Maybe they ought to leave! If they are not going to walk in the shadow of Christ, then their ungodly attitudes and spirit  needs to hit the road. I know these things. I have been hit by these things for decades. It’s time for shepherds to protect the flock and this includes from itself by putting a stop to negative, gossipy, complainers who are never content, never happy and never adding to the kingdom. Shepherds, defend your preacher when he is in the right. Don’t allow cheap shots to be taken. Change the culture of the environment there. We have closed a blind eye for far too long on the destructive impact complaining has on the heart of a young preacher. Those sinful tongues may have gotten away with things in the church building, but Heaven knows. Heaven has witnessed what happened. We won’t tolerate sin in the camp, but we will allow cheap shots, trash talk and gossipy tongues to ruin hearts that simply want to preach and teach the Lord’s word. Those days must be over! We must recognize that those sour hearts are not doing the will of God and they will not be allowed among the people of God.

Third, it’s time to restore the honor of preaching God’s word. Preaching is the avenue God chose to deliver His message. The greats, from the prophets, judges, apostles, Noah and even our Lord, were preachers. Because a guy has given one Wednesday night lesson in the past four years does not qualify him to speak objectively nor critically of what preaching is. Oh, he thinks he understands preaching because it took him three weeks to work up his ten minute Wednesday invitation. I have changed spark plugs in my car. Does that mean I understand what a car mechanic’s day is like? Really?

Rather than shooting your preacher down, help him. Encourage him. He too needs to be built up. Preachers quitting ought to concern us. What can be done to stop this? What can we do?

Roger