Proclaimer Blog
Encouragement for preachers
It's Friday. That means Sunday is getting close. You're either well set (if you're that kind of early prep preacher) or just getting started (last minute preacher). Either way, Sunday can sometimes seem a little daunting. The passage is not as straightforward as you thought, perhaps. It's easy to make top level applications, but you know your people need some of the deeper, more focused applications that lead from the text, but you can't quite make your way through yet. Perhaps you know your delivery of late has been a bit poor, lazy even and you know you need to spend some more time thinking this through. The last few weeks haven't gone so well. There's been little fruit, as far as you can see.
In short, it's easy to be daunted by Sunday.
This morning, I'm preaching Ezra 5.1-2 and I'm encouraged all over again to see both the necessity and work of gospel ministry, The necessity is clear. Work on the temple building has stopped. And it is only the proclamation of God's word that gets it started again. The work is clear. This is a work of the word. The prophets are those who bring God's word. Now is not the time to trace the connection between OT prophecy and NT preachers. But there is one – in the nature of the ministry at least.
So, here is encouragement for preachers on a Friday. That work you are doing this Sunday is the God-ordained means of building the church. It's hard work at times, sure. Sometimes discouraging in the fruit it brings. But our encouragement comes not from the fruit of our labours but from the one who calls us to serve. This is a glorious ministry.
Be encouraged.