Saturday Short Thought: Let Man Not Separate Holy Spirit and Personal Accountability

December 31, 2011December 28, 2011 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

This week I have been thinking out loud about how we can fall into the trap of separating the Bible and aspects of preaching from the work of the Spirit. This is a dangerous divorce in ministry. I’ve thought about this in terms of Bible study and sermon preparation. I’ve pondered it in respect to sermon content and sermon delivery. One lingering thought remains…

There is a dangerous temptation for some to separate themselves from personal accountability by presenting things under the label of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you’ve had one of those conversations with a lovestruck person who tries to hide from their responsibility by saying that God has told them to divorce their spouse and marry that other person’s spouse. Or maybe the single who has the exception clause that God has told them to marry that person who has no regard for the Lord (but suddenly has a tenuous Christian connection through ancestry or somehow is a seeker whose salvation can be guaranteed). It is so frustrating to pastor somebody hiding behind the shield of untouchability, because, after all, well, you wouldn’t want to argue with God, would you?

The same thing applies the other way around. Listeners can be frustrated by preachers who claim God told them what to preach on, but then the message bears no thumbprint of God’s deep and fresh work in the preacher or the preaching. Followers can grow weary of every decision a leader makes being the fruit of their personal heavenly hotline that therefore can never be questioned. Surely the fruit of the Spirit should lead to deeper relational connections, not to greater relational superficiality?

By all means be someone who prays and longs to hear from God. Be someone that only wants to do what the Spirit empowers. Be someone that has a close and real walk with the Lord. But don’t hide yourself from any personal responsibility by making that a shield behind which you hide.

As we move into 2012, let’s be preachers and leaders who walk very closely with the Lord, who saturate our ministry and lives in prayer, who yearn to know God more closely and please Him more profoundly. But let’s not protect ourselves from potentially legitimate correction, instruction, and accountability from others by inappropriately hiding behind a front of unquestionable spirituality.

____________________________________________

Next Week:

Confessions of a Preacher

Let Man Not Separate Holy Spirit and Sermon Delivery

December 30, 2011December 28, 2011 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Yesterday I urged the preacher to not abdicate the role of text explainer, or text applier, but rather to do both in full prayerful reliance on the Holy Spirit. Apart from Christ we can do nothing, but we are not asked to do nothing. Now a third danger of illegitimate separation of Spirit and ministry in preaching, the issue of delivery:

3. The idea that any overt attempt at effective communication is somehow a slight on the Holy Spirit, who would much rather the preacher was completely ineffective so it could be “all of God.” Another strange one, and again, quite inconsistent. While it would be ridiculous to make the presentation all about the preacher’s ability to perform, leaving God out (and we’ve probably all sensed that now and then with some), surely it is equally ridiculous to try to abdicate our role as communicators.

The Holy Spirit is preeminently concerned with effective heart to heart communication (that is the ongoing ingredient in almost all His roles in Scripture, it seems). We don’t honour the Spirit by communicating as poorly as possible. Equally, we are inconsistent if we make any effort to be loud enough to be heard, or if we at least speak with coherent and distinct words – why bother at all? Just mumble quietly. No, in reality the Spirit is the One who is at work in peoples’ hearts and lives, yet for some reason He also works through us as we preach. Preacher, lean fully on God’s strength and pray continually for the Spirit to be at work, and communicate as effectively as you can, that’s part of your role.

2 Days Left to Win 2 Great Preaching Books

December 29, 2011December 29, 2011 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Over on the facebook page associated with this site I’m offering the chance to win two great preaching books. Andy Stanley’s Communicating for a Change and Jeffrey Arthurs’ Preaching with Variety. All you have to do to enter is click “Like” in the facebook box over to the right, and then click here to go to the promotion details. To enter you’ll need to give your name, email address and country. Please spread the word about this promotion as we seek to share a passion for biblical preaching! Thank you.

Let Man Not Separate Holy Spirit and Preaching Content

December 29, 2011December 28, 2011 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Yesterday we addressed the issue of preparing to preach, and how that is a part of ministry life that truly and profoundly involves the Holy Spirit (or at least, it should). The danger of divorcing our ministry from the Spirit persists into the preaching event too.

There are a few places where this danger lurks:

1. The notion that explanation is not needed from the preacher, for the Spirit will bring home the truth of God’s Word. I have come across this a few times. It comes across as if something profoundly spiritual is supposed to be happening as the preacher states the Word, but fails to explain it. It may be accompanied by knowing comments and tones that give the impression that those “in the know” have some sort of insight here, and hopefully the rest of us will get that mystery knowledge too. Then maybe the preacher carries on with this statement-without-explanation approach, or perhaps they move into a list of highly relevant personal applications (or anecdotes).

From my perspective this lack of explanation tends to come across to some as profound spirituality that inspires or intimidates, and at the same time it can come across to others as indicative that the preacher is incapable of explaining the text and is sort of bluffing. Preacher, lean fully on God’s strength and pray continually for the Spirit to be at work, and explain the text, that’s part of your role.

2. The idea that application is the Spirit’s work, not the preacher’s. I have come across this one more than the other, perhaps at the other end of the ecclesiastical spectrum. It is exemplified in my experience in a sentence that rings alarm bells – “Now may the Spirit apply to our hearts and lives the truths we have seen in His Word. Amen.” This sentence sometimes comes after a lengthy lecture of biblical content devoid of overt application and clarified relevance. Why is that somehow the Spirit’s role, but not at all the role of the preacher? Is this phrase suggesting that the explanation was all of the preacher, and nothing of the Spirit? I hope not.

So why not follow through and not abdicate a key role the preacher is called to – namely to not only lecture biblical content, but rather to communicate the meaning of the text with an emphasis on its relevance to the contemporary and specific listeners? Preacher, lean fully on God’s strength and pray continually for the Spirit to be at work, and apply the text, that’s part of your role.

One more area tomorrow – the whole matter of delivery.

Let Man Not Separate Holy Spirit and Preaching Preparation

December 28, 2011December 28, 2011 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Yesterday I wrote about the error of separating devotional spirituality from exegetical rigour. Skill in handling the Word should not be divorced from personal spirituality and our walk with the Lord. There is a very direct correlation. I’ll stay with this theme of not creating false separation with three more preaching and Holy Spirit related posts this week.

Today I’d like to address the myth that preparation for preaching somehow reduces the involvement of the Holy Spirit. You may know people who suggest something along these lines – “Oh, I don’t want to get in the way of the Holy Spirit, you know, and lean on my own understanding.”

It is a very real danger that prayerless preparation can cause us to lean fully on our own strength and to dismiss the work of the Spirit.

but

It is a very real danger that failing to prepare can cause us not to lean fully on the Holy Spirit, but rather on the random cocktail of energy stirred within by nervous tension and adrenaline, drawing on reserves of content that are neither fresh, nor suddenly “spiritual” due to our irresponsible and inconsistent view of ministry. (I am not here addressing the situation where preparation was not possible due to sudden need or massively impeded preparation due to unforeseen family/pastoral crisis.)

the right approach must surely be prayerful, Spirit empowered preparation.

1. The Holy Spirit does not guarantee that our interpretations of a passage are infallible. He will work with us as we show our whole-hearted, whole-mind, whole-strength love for the Lord as we study His Word to seek to truly make sense of it.

2. The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God, and so is not insulted when we try our hardest to handle it well. Surely the insult comes when we brandish it as if it were merely magic words to be thrown at people.

3. The Holy Spirit is also at work in the lives of the people to whom we will preach. Surely it makes more sense to prayerfully prepare to preach to them, than it does to busy ourselves with other things and then suddenly claim Spirit empowerment in the moment of preaching. He is working in them all week, why not let Him work in the preacher too in anticipation of that preaching moment?

4. The Holy Spirit normally works far more consistently and progressively in both the preacher and the listener, rather than the relatively rare “intuitive flash” (which in some cases might very well be explained by other causes, though not always, of course).

5. The Word that the Spirit Himself inspired includes the instruction to a local church based preacher to “make every effort” in teaching the Bible accurately (2Tim.2:15). He hasn’t changed His mind.

Let Man Not Separate Bible and Spirituality

December 27, 2011December 26, 2011 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Yesterday’s post touched on an important point – that preaching is not primarily about method. There is something much more significant going on in terms of our view of God, of His Word and as a result, of preaching itself.

Saturday’s post prompted a couple of comments. In the post I noted how I had run two very unprofessional polls. In one, preachers noted what would help them improve; and in the other, people were asked the greatest weakness in the preaching they hear. Almost no preachers selected the need for further training in biblical studies, while the runaway winner in the other poll was that the greatest weakness lay in the area of poor Bible handling. Hardly a scientific poll, but a discrepancy that does ring true, I feel. It is very hard to spot poor Bible handling in the mirror!

In response to a comment essentially raising the issue of personal spirituality, as opposed to issues of technique and practical matters, Lonnie made a comment that included this statement: “Wouldn’t handling the Bible better result in a closer walk with the Lord, for you and your listeners?” Let me quote my response and add a few comments:

I think there is a dangerous divide forced between Bible study and personal spirituality. I don’t want to hear from a preacher with great exegesis but poor devotional life, neither do I want to hear from a preacher with a great devotional life but poor exegesis. The two must must must go together. Good exegesis is not the only ingredient in spirituality, but the Bible must be a primary feature of genuine Christian spirituality, so good exegesis can never be an optional extra, or simply something left to certain “elite” teachers.

It is my conviction that all of us, not just preachers, can enjoy a delightful and very real relationship with God as we meet Him through His self-revelation in the Word. I find it frustrating when Christians give the impression that their walk with the Lord is going well, even though they don’t have much of a taste for the Bible (or conversely that their studies are diligently pursued, without much of a taste for God Himself). I find it frightening when I sense that a preacher doesn’t have both realities working hand in hand.

All this to say, in line with Lonnie’s comment, that I agree absolutely that better Bible handling is not just a matter of method or technique, but a feature of genuine spirituality and devotion to our Lord.

Not (just) a method

December 26, 2011December 26, 2011 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

I am very thankful to Andrea Aresca for his guest post that I share here today. I’ve had the joy of sharing many conversations about preaching with Andrea over the years and I am so encouraged by what he has to offer. If you read Italian, please visit predicalaparola.com, but if not, he has translated today’s post for us here. I agree absolutely with Andrea that preaching is not (just) a method . . .

____________________________________

Reading some of the articles on my blog or Peter’s blog (especially those that describe the stages of sermon preparation), it may seem that the method is the most important issue in preaching.

I am absolutely convinced of the usefulness of knowing the fundamental principles of the text’s interpretation and communication and a lot of them can actually be applied to non-Bible texts, as well. Many of those “rules” help us not to say what the text doesn’t say and to communicate the biblical truth in an understandable way. Furthermore, having a method is very useful in the first years of our experience as preachers, because it helps us to consolidate those habits that allow us to be really “faithful” to the Scriptures.

Nevertheless, the method is not the primary issue in preaching, nor its description the main goal of this blog.

What I want to promote is, indeed, a vision.

A vision of God who loves us and wants to have a relationship with us.
A vision of the Bible as the revelation of God, through which we can know His heart and what He desires for us.
A vision of preaching that really puts at the centre God and His Word, that communicates the Word’s meaning without preconceptions, that promotes the Word’s application in contemporary life, that considers the personality and the needs of people who listen.

All that I write (including the posts that can be defined as more “technical”) has the goal of showing this biblical vision of preaching.

The preaching of the Bible has been used this way by many men about whom we read in the Scriptures and in church history, through which God brought about extraordinary renewal. Certainly we too can tell how God spoke to use in a special way through the message of those who preached, both with heart and led by the Spirit, the truth of the Bible.

My prayer and the goal of this blog is that all this can be realized more and more, every time the Bible is opened and preached.

Saturday “Short” Thought: And the Winner Is . . . ?

December 24, 2011 / Peter Mead / 10 Comments

There is a discrepancy that I need to share with you. This week, in a slightly relaxed pre-Christmas mode, I ran a couple of polls on the Facebook page and the LinkedIn group associated with this blog. I asked, what do you wish you had more of in order to help improve your preaching. Here are the results in reverse order . . .

In last place – further training in biblical studies (5%)

In fourth – more encouragement from listeners (10%)

In third – further training in preaching (19%)

In second – more fellowship with other preachers (24%)

And the winner – more time for preparation (43%)

Now I have done enough classes in quantitative analysis and statistics to know that this survey is bordering on meaningless, but in the spirit of bad statistics, let me make a couple of comments before I point out a big discrepancy for pondering over this festive season.

Comment on the winner – people responded to the survey by clicking on their most desperate felt need. I suspected that time would be the greatest felt need because many of us wish we had more of it every single week! This doesn’t mean that only ten percent of preachers need more encouragement from listeners. I suspect that number would be higher if people could have voted for two or three options.

Another comment on the runner-up – it is interesting that quite a few folks expressed the desire for more fellowship with other preachers. I suspect that the ministry of preaching is unnecessarily lonely in many churches. Perhaps it is worth starting some sort of preacher’s gathering in your area, or better, in your church. I have been so encouraged by the first two gatherings of a dozen preachers and interested parties in our church.

DISCREPANCY! I posted another poll in a larger group of Christians asking “What is the greatest weakness in the preaching you hear?” The options available were lack of Bible, poor handling of the Bible, lack of clarity, lack of relevance, and poor presentation. Issues of clarity and presentation came last, lack of Bible came third, lack of relevance second, but the runaway winner was poor handling of the Bible with 45%. Combine that with lack of Bible for a total of 65% and two things jump out at me.

1. I’m breaking too many quantitative analysis rules to list.

2. Runaway greatest need in one poll (Bible handling), and distant last in perceived need among preachers (further training in Biblical studies) – could it be that preachers are generally over-confident in their ability to handle the text accurately and effectively? I know some of the preachers who responded to the poll and don’t think this to be true of them, but in general, this strikes me as true: many preachers need more training in effective Bible handling. I wonder if it would be worth picking up that book that might help over the next couple of weeks as we sit at home enjoying Christmas festivities? That might be the best feast of them all!

_________________________________

Have a wonderful Christmas!

What Would Help? People

December 23, 2011December 20, 2011 / Peter Mead / 1 Comment

This week I am pondering how we might pursue improvement in our preaching ministries. We’ve thought about training and time. Today let’s talk about other people. (If you want to see the poll on LinkedIn, click here. There is also a poll on the Facebook page here.)

Preachers need preachers for mutual encouragement – As I wrote recently, preaching can be a lonely experience. Preparation tends to be done alone. After preaching preachers would often rather be alone. But is a ministry of preaching a commitment to lots of solitude? Yes and no. It would be wrong to lose sight of the need of the body of Christ for everyone in it, including those who preach. Having fellowship with those who understand and care makes a big difference.

I would encourage every preacher to be involved in, or to organize, a gathering of preachers for mutual encouragement and resourcing. Not a venue for egos, or for pyramid climbing, or for conflict. But a venue for genuine heart to heart fellowship and support. Is there one in your community? There is value in sharing with other preachers outside your church. I have been involved in a ministry that seeks to launch preachers clubs around the world – where these have worked, the ministry has been greatly blessed. Gatherings of preachers meeting every month or two and working on a passage of Scripture as well as praying for each other – valuable, to say the least. Having a local preachers’ group is great. Even better, is there one in your church? Surely we should all be looking to build up others and mentor others, so why not develop a preacher’s gathering within your church?

Preachers need people for encouragement as well as feedback – Listeners tend to fall into three categories. One is the listener who never communicates with the preacher other than being polite. Another is the listener who only communicates critique (either directly or through asides). The final category is the listener who genuinely looks to encourage the preacher. People in this last category are worth their weight in gold. Finding people who will pray for the preaching ministry, and encourage the preacher, and advocate for the preacher, etc., is not easy. Yet when people in this category offer feedback, it is so much more palatable.

I don’t want to slip off into discussing issues of feedback. I want to recognize the need for encouragement, just as all people, in all ministries, need some encouragement. Doing ministry does draw down on our resources. We look to God for empowerment, but He chooses to give us strength, in part, through the proper functioning of the body of Christ. I don’t know how to let your listeners know that you need this, perhaps you should accidentally send a link to this post (or maybe an appropriate moment of vulnerability in a message might help).

For what it’s worth, I’ll offer the results of the poll in the short post tomorrow.

What Would Help? Time

December 22, 2011December 20, 2011 / Peter Mead / Leave a comment

This week I am pondering how we might pursue improvement in our preaching ministries. Last time I thought about training. Today let’s talk time. (If you want to see the poll on LinkedIn, click here. There is also a poll on the Facebook page here.)

We probably all wish we had more time. Truth is, we can only free up the time we have and use it better. Some things cannot be avoided – demands on our time from a certain amount of pastoral crisis (although boundaries are important here to protect us from too much), and family responsibilities (boundaries are needed to protect this time).

I had an email from a friend the other day pondering the signs of superficiality. Included in his list were such issues as prayerlessness, failure to get into the Word, failure to read solid meat materials, great time wasting, a passion for secondary issue pursuits and the latest fad. We also need to take stock of the age in which we live – an age characterized by instant and constant communication, but not an age characterized by people of great spiritual depth.

Diligently managing our time is not simply about getting time to prepare sermons – a very pragmatic goal. It is about having the space to soak in a deep relationship with God, so that out of that depth, we might offer to others the blessing of profound preaching and ministry. I wonder if the next couple of weeks are a good time for us to prayerfully take stock of the time challenges in our ministry. Perhaps some changes need to be made. Perhaps some boundaries need to be installed. Perhaps our hunger for the things that really matter needs to be cultivated afresh.

What have you found to be helpful in terms of managing your time as a preacher?