10 Reflections on Preaching and Teaching God’s Word this Coming Weekend

Just thinking out loud on behalf of all of us who will be preaching and/or teaching God’s Word this weekend . . .

1. God called us before He ever made us. That’s what He told Jeremiah: “I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born” (Jer 1:5; see also Isa 49:1). That means nothing we’ve done makes us worthy of this task.
2. He called us knowing all the mistakes we’d make and sins we’d commit. I’ve tried to wrap my mind around this truth, but it’s too heavy for me. Grace is that way, you know.   
3. We are who we are because of Him and others. None of us has the privilege of proclaiming His Word apart from other believers who’ve seen His work in us, have set us apart for this task, and choose to listen to us. 
4. Why He chooses to use us is a mystery. Let me put it this way: if you were God, knowing yourself as He knows you, would you call yourself to this task? (And by the way, if your answer is “yes,” you just proved my point).
5. All of us are replaceable. We really are. God has a way of reminding us that His kingdom is much bigger than we are, and He reserves His glory only for Himself. 
6. He communicates with us through His Word, His Spirit, and His people so we might teach others. Read that sentence again: the God who created the world communicates to and through us. That’s weighty. And amazing.
7. Our private walk with Him matters. The older I get, the more I realize the power and anticipation that come when we stand before God’s people as holy, faithful, repentant leaders. Most of us also know the agony of carrying private sin into the pulpit or the small group setting.
8. Our freedom to speak His Word is a gift – perhaps a fleeting one. Many of us will speak this weekend without threat or fear. That’s not the case for all believers around the world.
9. We must not waste our speaking time. Regardless of how long we preach or teach, it may be the only opportunity we have to speak to some hearers. To do anything less than take them simply and clearly to the Word is problematic. Sinful, even, in my estimation.
10. We will answer to Him for the way we care for souls, including via our speaking (Heb 13:17). Our privilege is also a responsibility. 

I’m praying for you who prepare to preach and teach the Word this coming weekend. Blessings, friends!