"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1, ESV).
"But even if I'm uneducated in public speaking, I'm not uneducated in knowledge" (2 Cor. 11:6, CEV).
There is hardly a comparison between teaching and preaching, and between a Bible study or class and a sermon--viva la difference! In Bible studies or Sunday school, there is an encouragement of student involvement and participation, while people are basically passive and attentive during a sermon, though they can take notes. The two are separate gifts and all teachers don't necessarily make good preachers and vice versa. Teaching is not a performance where one is judged by his dramatics or personal style. Reading is usually considered a no-no by professors of homiletics, but some preachers are such good readers and know their material so well they get away with breaking the so-called rules--on the other hand, reading notes and hand-outs for listeners are practically always appropriate for Bible studies.
God is able to work through personalities and use them accordingly--Scripture was even written respecting individual personality and style. Paul was known for being "bold from far away" or in letters, but "timid in person" (cf. 2 Cor. 10:1, NLT). He probably wasn't your typical type A personality or mover-and-shaker spokesman like Peter most likely was. We must be careful in judging teachers and/or preachers by their personality or charisma, for false teachers shall arise and deceive many--we are to test the Spirit, and to hold them accountable to true doctrine, exposing heresy. Truth does matter and we are sanctified by the truth. When the preacher is done, he doesn't want to hear, if he knows the Lord, that he did a good job, or that he's a good speaker, he wants to know if God spoke to their hearts, touched, and convicted them! There are many good speakers out there who are characters and heretics, but people are nevertheless fooled and deceived.
One of the biggest lies today in the church is the presence and dissemination of prosperity theology, or that it's always God's will to prosper believers financially and they should cash in on the spiritual lottery. The Bible makes it clear that some people's reward is in this life, and that the wicked to indeed prosper. Prosperity is no sign of God's blessing nor a litmus test that He is delighted in you. Obedience is the only measure of faith, not even ecstasies, experiences, or achievements.
Just because a church has become a megachurch doesn't mean we can infer that it's doing God's will, and some pastors are simply great entrepreneurs and businessmen, not spiritual leaders. Religion was never meant as a means of getting rich or to cash in on one's faith. We must have a quest for the truth and being ever vigilant to heresy in the church, for when we become blase to it, we lose the focus and aren't keeping the main thing the main thing. You're better off in a church with an expositor of the Word, or great biblicist of the first order, or even old-fashioned exegete than one who knows how to gather crowds by preaching what's popular, like eschatological themes, i.e., prophecy and end times. We aren't looking for great leadership ability, because the preacher and teacher are basically servants of all the church members in toto and should be dedicating his time to study and disseminating the Word.
The studious preacher or teacher doesn't spoon-feed the flock of God, but feeds the sheep as well as the lambs, giving meat in due season, and not neglecting the milk of the Word for those not ready for solid food--there's something for everyone, with no one going away unspoken to through the ministry of the Lord's anointing. The wise preacher knows where the sheep are spiritually, and doesn't ever preach over their heads, nor talk down to them either, but meets everyone's needs and God is able to speak to their hearts so they will know to recognize the voice of the Lord.
Note that the exhortation is to teach sound doctrine, not to teach with the homiletic devices of charisma, histrionics, or personality--it is of utmost value that the preacher/teacher knows his way around the block theologically and not to ever bail out theologically either, but to be ever vigilant to heresy creeping in and defiling many through false teachers, who may be personable and have magnetic personas. It is much more important than the disseminator of truth use sound, biblical interpretive techniques that he is trained in public speaking or oratorical skill. The faith must be in the Word of God not in some show the preacher puts on or exercise of his brilliance or scholarship that is intended to impress and wow the listener.
In the final analysis, God rewards faithfulness more than sheer skill or natural talent, or even education (D. L. Moody never went to a seminary, yet God just chose to anoint him to preach the gospel, not to mention the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon!). Before preaching we ought to have done our homework, prepared ourselves spiritually, and have faith God will use us. Always "Preach the Word (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2), and do not give in to "itching ears," giving people what they crave or are curious about. Consequently, we ought to make it our aim to preach, not like we have studied preaching and know the art, but that it be demonstrated we know the Lord. Above all, aim to be praised by God, not man! Soli Deo Gloria!
"But even if I'm uneducated in public speaking, I'm not uneducated in knowledge" (2 Cor. 11:6, CEV).
There is hardly a comparison between teaching and preaching, and between a Bible study or class and a sermon--viva la difference! In Bible studies or Sunday school, there is an encouragement of student involvement and participation, while people are basically passive and attentive during a sermon, though they can take notes. The two are separate gifts and all teachers don't necessarily make good preachers and vice versa. Teaching is not a performance where one is judged by his dramatics or personal style. Reading is usually considered a no-no by professors of homiletics, but some preachers are such good readers and know their material so well they get away with breaking the so-called rules--on the other hand, reading notes and hand-outs for listeners are practically always appropriate for Bible studies.
God is able to work through personalities and use them accordingly--Scripture was even written respecting individual personality and style. Paul was known for being "bold from far away" or in letters, but "timid in person" (cf. 2 Cor. 10:1, NLT). He probably wasn't your typical type A personality or mover-and-shaker spokesman like Peter most likely was. We must be careful in judging teachers and/or preachers by their personality or charisma, for false teachers shall arise and deceive many--we are to test the Spirit, and to hold them accountable to true doctrine, exposing heresy. Truth does matter and we are sanctified by the truth. When the preacher is done, he doesn't want to hear, if he knows the Lord, that he did a good job, or that he's a good speaker, he wants to know if God spoke to their hearts, touched, and convicted them! There are many good speakers out there who are characters and heretics, but people are nevertheless fooled and deceived.
One of the biggest lies today in the church is the presence and dissemination of prosperity theology, or that it's always God's will to prosper believers financially and they should cash in on the spiritual lottery. The Bible makes it clear that some people's reward is in this life, and that the wicked to indeed prosper. Prosperity is no sign of God's blessing nor a litmus test that He is delighted in you. Obedience is the only measure of faith, not even ecstasies, experiences, or achievements.
Just because a church has become a megachurch doesn't mean we can infer that it's doing God's will, and some pastors are simply great entrepreneurs and businessmen, not spiritual leaders. Religion was never meant as a means of getting rich or to cash in on one's faith. We must have a quest for the truth and being ever vigilant to heresy in the church, for when we become blase to it, we lose the focus and aren't keeping the main thing the main thing. You're better off in a church with an expositor of the Word, or great biblicist of the first order, or even old-fashioned exegete than one who knows how to gather crowds by preaching what's popular, like eschatological themes, i.e., prophecy and end times. We aren't looking for great leadership ability, because the preacher and teacher are basically servants of all the church members in toto and should be dedicating his time to study and disseminating the Word.
The studious preacher or teacher doesn't spoon-feed the flock of God, but feeds the sheep as well as the lambs, giving meat in due season, and not neglecting the milk of the Word for those not ready for solid food--there's something for everyone, with no one going away unspoken to through the ministry of the Lord's anointing. The wise preacher knows where the sheep are spiritually, and doesn't ever preach over their heads, nor talk down to them either, but meets everyone's needs and God is able to speak to their hearts so they will know to recognize the voice of the Lord.
Note that the exhortation is to teach sound doctrine, not to teach with the homiletic devices of charisma, histrionics, or personality--it is of utmost value that the preacher/teacher knows his way around the block theologically and not to ever bail out theologically either, but to be ever vigilant to heresy creeping in and defiling many through false teachers, who may be personable and have magnetic personas. It is much more important than the disseminator of truth use sound, biblical interpretive techniques that he is trained in public speaking or oratorical skill. The faith must be in the Word of God not in some show the preacher puts on or exercise of his brilliance or scholarship that is intended to impress and wow the listener.
In the final analysis, God rewards faithfulness more than sheer skill or natural talent, or even education (D. L. Moody never went to a seminary, yet God just chose to anoint him to preach the gospel, not to mention the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon!). Before preaching we ought to have done our homework, prepared ourselves spiritually, and have faith God will use us. Always "Preach the Word (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2), and do not give in to "itching ears," giving people what they crave or are curious about. Consequently, we ought to make it our aim to preach, not like we have studied preaching and know the art, but that it be demonstrated we know the Lord. Above all, aim to be praised by God, not man! Soli Deo Gloria!