Every team needs a leader (good leaders have learned how to follow first) and who speaks for it and keys in on what's going on in the game being played. Some Christians march to the beat of a different drum, and that is good since we are not all cookie-cutter Christians--when God made you, He broke the mold! Pastors need to know where their sheep are spiritually to be able to relate to them and meet their needs on the bumpy roads of the rat race with the law of the jungle--some are lambs, some sheep. Some need an additional cheerleader to come into play in a bind and to get them through the week, a boost of inspiration, to stimulate growth in Christ.
The point man or principle spokesman and advocate is called by God into the ministry--he didn't volunteer himself into it, because he needs the requisite spiritual gifts and training. It comes with the territory to be the role model of the church body and to reach out and get to know some, not to be aloof and confined to one's ivory tower. All in all, it sometimes seems that the pastor has the thankless job of denouncing sin and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom through repentance and faith--some people never hear it clear enough to reject it! "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 2:7, KJV).
We all need to know the scoop, the skinny, or the lowdown to be able to relate to other believers in fellowship. Sometimes the sheep don't relate to the pastor because he "wows" them with his scholarship, or appears too pedantic, or condescends--don't talk down to anyone, nor over their heads--they can tell. Sermons can inspire, and using the Word of God, can change lives too--they can be a turning point in one's life and a point of contact to reach out to others.
We all need to touch base and relate to others in the body and the sermon supplies a commonality or stimulus to further that effort. Homiletic devices should be personal and suited to what favors your style--but most of all a pastor should make his sermon his own, he should personalize it and relate directly to the body. Reading a sermon is generally considered a no-no, but Peter Marshall read him, but his delivery made up for it and no one faulted him for it--not everyone can get away with this!
The most challenging part of a sermon is its opening, trying to pique interest and whet the appetite for the body of the sermon. This can be done by anecdote, story, something humorous to lighten the mood or current event in a new light. It is so easy to lose people because not everyone has a good attention span, and you must be able to keep it simple and to the point--as Einstein's dictum says: "Make it as simple as possible, but not more so."
The pastor is key to the fellowship of the body in that God speaks through him to the body and he speaks in the role of prophet, speaking on God's behalf to the churchgoers. No matter where you are spiritual, you should be able to come away with some sort of message that applies to you. Don't lose people or bore them with the unnecessary details, because they may think you're being academic or, worse yet, trivial and missing the point yourself. A spiritually sound and healthy pastor will lead to a healthy and growing church. The whole point of a sermon is to feed the flock and make them hungry for more, whetting their appetite and inspiring self-exploration of the Word.
The purpose-driven pastor seeks to edify the body, not educate or inform them. He seeks to lead them to the Author of the Bible, not just into the text. It is easy to get sidetracked or go off on a tangent and into asides or off the subject, but he is sensitive to the leading and anointing of the Spirit and is prepared and has done his homework so that he is at the Spirits disposal to be used as God sees fit--sometimes going into uncharted or unknown territory that he couldn't have foreseen.
Who knows what the Spirit will do, one must just be ready and prepared to be used as a vessel of honor. The ultimate goal is to knock them out of their comfort zones and challenge them, not just make them feel good for a few minutes. A good preacher afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted in a prophetic role, not afraid to denounce sin and take stands for the Word, showing his Christian colors. Soli Deo Gloria!
The point man or principle spokesman and advocate is called by God into the ministry--he didn't volunteer himself into it, because he needs the requisite spiritual gifts and training. It comes with the territory to be the role model of the church body and to reach out and get to know some, not to be aloof and confined to one's ivory tower. All in all, it sometimes seems that the pastor has the thankless job of denouncing sin and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom through repentance and faith--some people never hear it clear enough to reject it! "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 2:7, KJV).
We all need to know the scoop, the skinny, or the lowdown to be able to relate to other believers in fellowship. Sometimes the sheep don't relate to the pastor because he "wows" them with his scholarship, or appears too pedantic, or condescends--don't talk down to anyone, nor over their heads--they can tell. Sermons can inspire, and using the Word of God, can change lives too--they can be a turning point in one's life and a point of contact to reach out to others.
We all need to touch base and relate to others in the body and the sermon supplies a commonality or stimulus to further that effort. Homiletic devices should be personal and suited to what favors your style--but most of all a pastor should make his sermon his own, he should personalize it and relate directly to the body. Reading a sermon is generally considered a no-no, but Peter Marshall read him, but his delivery made up for it and no one faulted him for it--not everyone can get away with this!
The most challenging part of a sermon is its opening, trying to pique interest and whet the appetite for the body of the sermon. This can be done by anecdote, story, something humorous to lighten the mood or current event in a new light. It is so easy to lose people because not everyone has a good attention span, and you must be able to keep it simple and to the point--as Einstein's dictum says: "Make it as simple as possible, but not more so."
The pastor is key to the fellowship of the body in that God speaks through him to the body and he speaks in the role of prophet, speaking on God's behalf to the churchgoers. No matter where you are spiritual, you should be able to come away with some sort of message that applies to you. Don't lose people or bore them with the unnecessary details, because they may think you're being academic or, worse yet, trivial and missing the point yourself. A spiritually sound and healthy pastor will lead to a healthy and growing church. The whole point of a sermon is to feed the flock and make them hungry for more, whetting their appetite and inspiring self-exploration of the Word.
The purpose-driven pastor seeks to edify the body, not educate or inform them. He seeks to lead them to the Author of the Bible, not just into the text. It is easy to get sidetracked or go off on a tangent and into asides or off the subject, but he is sensitive to the leading and anointing of the Spirit and is prepared and has done his homework so that he is at the Spirits disposal to be used as God sees fit--sometimes going into uncharted or unknown territory that he couldn't have foreseen.
Who knows what the Spirit will do, one must just be ready and prepared to be used as a vessel of honor. The ultimate goal is to knock them out of their comfort zones and challenge them, not just make them feel good for a few minutes. A good preacher afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted in a prophetic role, not afraid to denounce sin and take stands for the Word, showing his Christian colors. Soli Deo Gloria!
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