I never wanted to preach. It wasn’t something that had ever been on my radar. Yet, for the past four months I’ve been delivering messages at church.
I’m reminded of the words of Paul, “the least of these.” Many men have helped the church in this time where we’ve been looking for a new lead pastor. I feel the least qualified to be up there. If they knew the things I’d done, I don’t know that they’d be so welcoming. Sin is an ugly beast. Thankfully, God has forgiven me; I’m still working at it.
There is a lot of responsibility that one bears when giving a message. In the age of super pastors, the focus is all on delivery: not truth. That lopsided approach has led to a level of apostasy and apathy that my nation has never seen before. Super pastors are so focused on building up a flock (and, thus, finances) that they lose sight of the heart of the matter: are your people being fed? Are they holier than they were last year? Are they more Christlike?
I find myself fond of the notion of the bi-vocational pastor. I like the idea of a lead pastor with a group of elders who handle the work of the church. I’m a minority in that view.