The life of a pastor is often filled with struggles.
No, I’m not talking about an intense deacon’s meeting or an arm-wrestling match in the youth group. A struggle transpires in the pastor’s study. Preparing to preach is a call to war. A pastor preparing to preach God’s Word will face an intense battle. However, not all battles pastors face should be viewed negatively. Sermon preparation is a glorious struggle. Pastors who do not struggle to prepare the sermon miss bypass numerous blessings and growth opportunities. By understanding and responding to the various struggles in sermon preparation, pastors can become more effective in their preaching and better equipped to lead their congregations. Let’s dig into the four struggles pastors need each week. First, pastors battle with themselves - While devotion to sermon preparation is admirable, sermon preparation does not replace personal devotion to God. Pastors face numerous demands in ministry, and there is a daily temptation to neglect personal quiet time for sermon preparation and ministry demands. However, the strength for ministry must come from the pastor's overabundance of worship. In his book Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery, Greg Heisler wrote, “You will never deliver in power what does not first reside in you with power. Praying, agonizing, repenting, thinking, changing, growing, worshipping, transforming, submitting, delighting, consecrating— all of these internal struggles in the study are what make for powerful preaching in the pulpit, and you cannot borrow them from somebody else.” Next, pastors battle with Scripture - I print a copy of the passage I’m preaching the upcoming week before sermon preparation. Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings are set aside for passage observations and praying for God’s leadership in sermon preparation. Examining the passage, I connect words and phrases and write personal observations about the text. I also ask questions like,
H.B. Charles, Jr. wrote a helpful book titled On Preaching: Personal and Pastoral Insights for the Preparation and Practice of Preaching. Regarding commentaries, he wrote, “There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. So take advantage of the wisdom of diligent Bible commentators. Don’t treat commentators as if they are divinely inspired, but be humble enough to learn from the wisdom of others. Read exegetical commentaries for insights into the text. Read homiletical commentaries with a view toward shaping the text for the pulpit. Read devotional commentaries to get at the heart of the text for application. Read the commentaries to sharpen your thinking, not to do the thinking for you.” As you consider commentaries, wrestle with the authors with questions like,
Finally, pastors battle with the enemy - Pastor, you have an enemy that does not want you to preach God’s Word! Ephesians 6:12 says (English Standard Version), “For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Your enemy will attack you with self-doubting thoughts like,
We’ve identified four struggles' pastors face during sermon preparation. How should pastors respond to the struggles they face each week? Surrender to God: Every morning, pastors are called to surrender their church, ministry, sermon preparation, and struggles to God in prayer. Isaiah prayed in Isaiah 6:8, “Here I am! Send me.” Consider the Results: Struggles in faithfulness to God help shape pastoral ministry. James 1:2:4 says, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” As pastors stand before God’s flock, weary from the struggles, consider the journey that led from text to proclamation. Consider the joy of preaching Jesus. Consider the joy of opening God’s Word with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider the joy of those who hear the Gospel for the first time. The journey to the pulpit does not display pastoral wisdom, strength, or work ethic, but the pastoral journey magnifies God. Soli Deo Gloria. What struggles do you face when preparing to preach? Share your sermon preparation process in the comments below.
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