Advice for a Young Preacher…and an Older One

I preached my first sermon 29 years ago. It was awful: simplistic, moralistic, and immature. But hey, I was 13. I had a friendly audience (the church was my grandfather’s). They endured it patiently and were effusive with their praise. Who isn’t going to cut a teenager some slack?

Moving into my first pastorate, however, I encountered my first real criticism about my preaching. Wow, did it sting and I have never forgotten the criticism or how it felt. Happily, God used the incident to make a better preacher of me (I hope!). Recently a younger preacher I know has encountered criticism and I offered him the following advice, things I have told myself many times:

Perspective is in order. People who complain often magnify the scope of their criticism. While I suppose it is possible that “a lot of people” agree with it, truth is the number of critics are often disproportionate to the amount of volume they generate. Still, it is worthwhile to flesh out the criticism and evaluate it. Is there something to it? As I said before, in the very first church I was at, an elderly man came up to me one day and said he wished I would start preaching to the congregation. I was initially hurt, thinking, "What do you think I am doing?" In time I came to see that what he was telling me was that I was making two errors: I was over-engaging their minds and under-engaging their hearts. I was teaching over their heads and failing to bring "thus says the Lord" into the pulpit. He was largely right and I have never forgotten it. That conversation still affects the way I preach today. I am thankful for that dear saint, though I was initially stung by his words.

Perseverance is in order. Sometimes even the saints won't endure sound teaching. Jerusalem stones the prophets and all that. Preach the Word. Remove hindrances to being heard (losing big words and watching the clock are necessary concessions at times). Follow the advice an old RE gave me once: be thick-skinned and tender-hearted. Remember that the preaching of the Word is a saving event. God is calling out his elect and keeping them in the faith through your labors. He does this even when we flub it and they resist it.

Pride checks are in order. Others may not struggle with this, but I do. I love hearing that people liked my preaching. I hate having my wife (or anyone else) tell me I stunk on any given Sunday. (She generally says it in a loving way.) Why? Sinful, wicked pride. Pride also rears its ugly head, masking itself as concern for the sheep. We tell ourselves we fret for the welfare of a church when we leave, but we really are wondering, "How will the ever get along without ME?" Sinful, wicked pride. I have to constantly remind me that the church is Christ's, not mine. I have to remind myself that the glory is Christ's, not mine. I have to remind myself that the same Christ who is sovereign in my life, is sovereign in the life of that church. We may be able to get along just fine without each other, but neither of us can get along without Christ.

Perspective. Perseverance. Pride. Good things for a young preacher to keep in mind. And an older one.