By Ken Idleman
A well-prepared life is indispensable underpinning for authoritative and effective preaching in the 21st century. In 1 Timothy 4 the apostle Paul charges Timothy with a succession of imperatives. “Set an example. . . . Devote yourself. . . . Do not neglect your gift. . . . Be diligent. . . . Give yourself. . . . Watch your life. . . . Persevere.” These charges to live a life above reproach are fused in the passage with admonitions about preaching.
A well-prepared life not only validates but also empowers our preaching. The conversion of Paul makes us receptive to his teaching about the grace of God. The faithfulness of Job makes us receptive to his convictions about theology. The devotion of David makes us receptive to his wise counsel to seek God”s face in his Word and through prayer.
And in our generation, knowing something of the life of Charles Colson makes us more receptive to his insights about resistance to cultural seduction, knowing something of the life of Joni Eareckson Tada makes us more receptive to her challenge to persevere in extreme trials, and knowing something of the life of James Dobson makes us more receptive to his insights in the realm of marriage and family life.
The priorities of a well-prepared life in the early 21st century include:
“¢ Integrity””Being authentic, not simply trying to be believable. This means you are the same person backstage as you are center stage, the same person in the golf cart as you are in the pulpit, and the same person when you are alone in a motel room as you are with your children in your family room.
Integrity gives us power with God and men like nothing else can. Call it moral authority, holiness, piety, or godliness. You will preach in much more compelling ways when you are:
Walking in obedience””Paul was so serious about walking in obedience that he said, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:27). I heard veteran preacher Wayne Smith once say, “I have told the Lord, if I ever start running my life from my rib cage down instead of my shoulders up, just take me home!” He was talking about the importance of walking in obedience.
Walking in devotion””It is one thing to obey; it is another thing to be devoted from the heart. Every preacher knows the difference between preaching from a full heart and preaching from an empty heart. We know when we are operating in the flesh and when we are energized by the Spirit. We know the difference between going through the motions and ministering with spiritual dynamism. We would do well to protect the time necessary to look intently upon the Lord in order to have our faces glow with the reality of his presence.
“¢ Community””You won”t do your best preaching if you are isolated from people, although that is the temptation, especially as your church grows. It is true we must have times when we come apart lest we come apart. Jesus retreated to desert places from time to time. However, he did not stay there. He had a rhythm in his interaction with people. He was out among them to teach informally, touch physically, pray, counsel, and heal. He stayed in their homes and ate at their tables. He did not embrace an executive lifestyle.
A well-prepared life is lived in community. There is something about community that enhances communication.
There is something about community that makes us feel real. Isolation feeds our false sense of ourselves. It distorts our thinking about who we are. We can begin to feel out of touch. Our preaching will lose its relevance. Watch this one. I have seen some megachurch pastors opt out of community. They become invisible and insulated. I know the temptation well. I am saying, push back on it if you want to preach from a well-prepared life.
“¢ Creativity””Preaching is such a left-brain exercise for me. . . . I think biblically, logically, linearly. But my own son and some other contemporary communicators have convinced me it is preferable to preach in an expository manner without sounding like a commentary. If we are going to maximize our hearing in this generation, we need to engage the right side of our brain.
Balance content with creativity. Invest in some new wineskins. Get interested in art, edifying films, and culturally relevant books. Don”t always mute the commercials. There is some real creativity in the media”s attempts to “sell” us.
Have you noticed most of the preachers getting a popular hearing today use creativity? They have backdrops and use props. They sometimes integrate music. They employ drama and testimony. They use video clips, PowerPoint, and MediaShout.
Jesus was a cutting-edge communicator in his day. He employed creativity with his references to nature, use of humor, and descriptions of real-life situations. He seldom started with the text of Scripture, but he always found his way there.
Paul preached the same way, especially to the Gentile audiences. Incidentally, that is largely the audience we are trying to reach in our generation. The Roman/Athenian mind-set is pervasive in the United States today.
We must begin to cultivate the garden of our creativity. It will freshen our preaching if we are well-prepared in this area.
“¢ Testimony””I strongly believe that exercising our witness in the non-Christian world will infuse our preaching with passion and relevance. I am trying to take a mission trip once a year because it enriches both my soul and my preaching.
In Havana, Cuba, I had the opportunity to preach in a house church to nearly 30 people, most of whom were not Christians. I preached from Matthew 27:22 on “Life”s Greatest Question” (What will I do with Jesus Christ?).
More than 20 responded affirmatively. I thought they had misunderstood me. I asked my interpreter to clarify the invitation. He affirmed their desire to become disciples. I was deeply moved in that moment. That experience helped to energize my preaching.
“¢ Study””Of course, a well-prepared life is also a life of study. Good preaching flows out of good Bible study. My old seminary professor used to say, “It is cheaper to buy books than to rent moving vans.” His point was that desirable preaching flows out of a life of substantive study.
Defensive study prepares you to publicly present your sermon or lesson. Tony Campolo”s phrase, “It”s Friday, but Sunday”s comin”” may be designed to energize our hopefulness about the resurrection, but it is also a sobering reminder we are close to delivery day for our weekly message.
The content-in-preaching bar has been raised over the years. The expectations are greater now. The investment of time and energy needed to be well-prepared for Sunday is critical for God”s spokesmen in the 21st century. Carve out the necessary time early in the week and protect it at all costs. Give time for your study to get into your heart as well as your head.
Offensive study keeps you digging your wells deeply so you can preach from the overflow, involuntarily developing sermons in your thought life. This kind of study means sermons will find you; you will not have to go looking for them.
A wise person said, “If you drill your wells deeply, God can irrigate widely.” We tend to associate study alone with what it means to preach from a well-prepared life, but there must also be:
Integrity””so keep your obedience current and your devotional life fresh
Community””so stay connected to/and involved with people
Creativity””so take up skydiving or graffiti painting or something
Testimony””so keep talking to people about the Lord
Study””so don”t lose your passkey to the monastery.Ken Idleman has served the cause of Jesus Christ and the Christian churches/churches of Christ for 40 years as a youth minister, preacher, evangelist, writer, teacher, college president, and senior pastor. After 34 years with Ozark Christian College (1973″“2007), he was called to the Crossroads Christian Church in Newburgh, Indiana, where he serves today. He is a certified church health consultant with the Rainer Institute. He and his wife, Kaylene, have been married for 39 years and have three married children, all of whom are in vocational ministry leadership. They are richly blessed with six granddaughters and four grandsons.
Ken Idleman has served the cause of Jesus Christ and the Christian churches/churches of Christ for 40 years as a youth minister, preacher, evangelist, writer, teacher, college president, and senior pastor. After 34 years with Ozark Christian College (1973"“2007), he was called to the Crossroads Christian Church in Newburgh, Indiana, where he serves today. He is a certified church health consultant with the Rainer Institute. He and his wife, Kaylene, have been married for 39 years and have three married children, all of whom are in vocational ministry leadership. They are richly blessed with six granddaughters and four grandsons.
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