CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD PREACHER

 

Here are six suggestions for new preachers based on self-reflection, as well as from observing new preachers over the past few years and a half.

 

1. A GOOD CHRISTIAN PREACHER WILL PREACH THE WORD

This first word of advice should go without saying, which probably means we need to say it a lot: _preach the Word._ Be committed from the outset of your ministry to expository preaching. What is expository preaching? It's when the preacher _makes the point of the text to be the point of his sermon, which is then applied to the congregation_ .

While in the Seminary, one question I observed we were wrestling with was: _Am I really going to spend 10 or 15 or 20 hours each week using my seminary training to get at the meaning of the text?_ The longer I co-pastor, the more amazed I am at how steadily preaching the Word imparts a broad and deep spiritual health to the congregation.

 

Let regular exposition be the heartbeat and the respiration that pumps the life-giving Spirit throughout the Body of Christ, week after week.

 

2. A GOOD CHRISTIAN PREACHER WILL TRUST THE WORD

Let's take this one level deeper - don't just PREACH the Word, TRUST the Word.

 

Even when practicing exposition, your heart can subtly lean on other things to affect the congregation. You can secretly trust in your humour, age, erudition, background, style, technology, or tattoos to be the thing that really reaches people.

 

If I could travel back in time and talk to the younger me, I would tell myself to stop trying to be so funny. I still use humour today and that's just part of my personality. But that humour better serves the text now than then - because many people used to believe I'm not serious, until some certain seeing that the truths I share and revelations come through my jokes - you don't want people to take long to understand you're not a comedian.

 

God has graciously been helping me to overcome my fear of man and my deep-down desire for people to like me, and He has been replacing it with greater confidence in the power of His Word to save sinners and sanctify the saints.

 

3. A GOOD CHRISTIAN PREACHER WILL TALK LIKE A NORMAL PERSON

Understand what your mentors and spiritual Fathers say, but don't talk like them. Talk like the people in your Church/congregation. Don't make your sermons hype with the theological, biblical, and historical jargons you learnt in Bible classes.

 

I'm not arguing for dumbed-down preaching; I'm urging intelligible preaching. Definitely preach weighty theological truths, but please explain them. If you're going to mention the efficacy of Christ's penal substitutionary atonement, then explain to people what each of those precious theological words mean, and do so using the plain language of everyday people, not realms, depths, supernatural bla bla bla...

 

4. A GOOD CHRISTIAN PREACHER WILL WORK ON APPLICATION

Sermons from freshly minted Pastors can sometimes be long on biblical commentary and short on application.

Seminary trained us how to exegete the text. But how do we learn to exegete our people and their hearts? It took me a while to figure this out.

Work hard at the art of application. Spend time during your sermon preparation thinking about the applications inherent in the text itself. And just as importantly, get to know your people. Love is the secret to good application. As you fall in love with your flock and come to know them the way a shepherd knows his sheep, your application instincts will sharpen. You won't just be preaching a biblical sermon, or making biblical applications, you will be preaching and applying the Bible to your people.

 

5. A GOOD CHRISTIAN PREACHER WILL GET FEEDBACK

Nothing will improve your preaching like thoughtful feedbacks. It's encouraging to hear that weekly handful of _Good sermon today!_ compliments as you stand, saying hello to people after a worship service. But you also need careful, constructive criticism.

 

If you have other skilled preachers among your elders, or even insightful non-preaching church members, ask them for regular critique. If you're a solo Pastor, make friends with other local Pastors committed to expository preaching and evaluate one another. The practice is helpful to all of us. I didn't seek preaching feedback in my early days. If I could go back in time, I would encourage myself to put it in place.

 

6. A GOOD CHRISTIAN PREACHER WILL BE PATIENT

Finally, be patient with yourself. Give yourself permission to grow. There's no substitute for time in the pulpit to find your voice, develop your skills, and learn from experience to trust in God's Word and Spirit. If you're not the primary preaching Pastor in your church, then find some weekly venue for preaching and teaching, like a youth group talk, an adult education class, or an evening service.

 

Take the long view of your preaching. Don't drown in despair because you coughed up a hairball of a sermon. Be humble, retool, and try again.

 

All young preachers (and old preachers) should tape 1 Timothy 4:13, 15 to their wall: Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching… Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them so THAT EVERYONE MAY SEE YOUR PROGRESS.

 

Did you catch that last phrase? God is calling us Preachers to show progress to our congregations, not perfection. By God's grace, I have made progress over the past 15 - 16 years in the public reading of Scripture, preaching, and teaching. And by His grace you will too.Are you a good preacher ? may the lord help us.

 

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