On preaching and ministry, volume 1, number 1

Introducing

On Preaching and Ministry presented by The Jenkins Institute

Our tagline at TJI is “Serving God’s Servants.” We strive to encourage, engage, aid and empathize with those who are ministers. To that end we believe a publication is needed for Gospel Preachers that focuses on the work we are striving to do. On Preaching and Ministry joins our combined blogs, books, Stat Stuff Saturday, Scoops, The TJI Preaching and Ministry Podcast, BETTER and FIRST YEARS Conferences, and 4youR Monday as the newest of our offerings at fulfilling our mission.

It is our desire that first of all we are true to the Word and to that end we will strive to present articles by those who can be trusted with that Word and who strive to be true to it’s precepts.

We will spend time in areas that focus on the act of preparing and presenting the Gospel as well as engaging our readers in matters of what we might call practical ministry. Through our research arm and from our seminars and input from you we hope to offer materials that encourage you in the areas you need encouragement in. We hope to hear much from you on potential themes and topics, as well as suggestions and ideas for improving this publication. We encourage you to use these freely - to print them off and share them with others. We do ask that you at least cite the author and TJI as the source. With that you have our permission and blessing. We also hope you will share this with others and share email addresses of others in ministry with us.

May God bless you in what you do in His service toward glorifying His name. We believe preaching to be the greatest work in the world and we hope to strengthen both your preaching and your resolve.

- from The Editors, Jeff and Dale TheJenkinsInstitute@gmail.com

HOW TO REMAIN A CHRISTIAN AS A PREACHER

by KEITH PARKER, kparkers5@bellsouth.net

Let me start with a confession. As you know, confession is good for the soul and bad for the reputation. Nevertheless, I’ll give it a try. The older I get, the more fearful I become.

I’ve become more fearful about my future, family, finances and faith. Where will I spiritually be twenty years from now-- closer to Jesus or further from my Lord? Will the invitations to preach grow or diminish? Will I have enough money in retirement? What about my health?

Will my children stay true to God’s Word? Will my grandchildren grow up to love Jesus?

Jesus has called me to be faithful, not fearful. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

The opposite of fear is faith and the opposite of faith is fear. I want to be faithful, not fearful.

So how do I remain faithful?

How can I be less fearful and more faithful? How do I remain a Christian as a preacher?

First, I need to realize that I am a Christian first and a preacher second. I don’t have to preach to go to Heaven, but I have to be a Christian. “The

disciples were called Christians” (Acts 11:26)…not preachers. I need to walk the talk and talk the walk because I’m a follower of Jesus. I need to be careful about the movies that I watch and the music that I listen to because I belong to the Lord. The way that I treat my wife, communicate with my children, respond to my friends is guided and governed by God, not the fact that I’m paid by a local church.

Second, I need to rely on God. F-R-O-G—fully rely on God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). What does this mean practically? I need to spend time, lots of time, with him in prayer and listen to his voice in his word. Paul put it in these words: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). In other words, don’t worry about anything, pray about everything.

Not only do I talk to the Lord in prayer, I need to allow God to talk to me through his word. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). God’s word will keep us from sin and sin will keep us from God’s word. Studying for sermons and Bible classes is not only important, but necessary in the work of a preacher. But, preaching brethren, don’t limit your reading and study to the preparation of sermons and classes. Read the Bible for your own personal growth. Listen to God’s voice to get better acquainted with the author.

Third, I need to recharge myself spiritually by spending time with my brethren. It is interesting to me that when Peter and John had been threatened and persecuted for standing for Jesus, they went to their own people (Acts 4:23). Get together with people of like precious faith. Have Christians into your home for food and fellowship. Play games together, sing together, pray together, and eat together. “Encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13).

So how do I remain a Christian as a preacher? The same way that Christians remain Christians…by spending time with God and his people.

BECOMING A STUDENT OF PREACHING

by JACOB HAWK, jdhawk87@gmail.com

I love to play golf. Some preachers love fishing and hunting. But my “escape” is the fairway and green.

I love everything about the game.

I love the competition—the only one you’re truly competing against is yourself.

I love the integrity—golf is built on penalties that can destroy your score, if you’re honest enough to abide by the rules.

I love the motivation—you can easily set goals. When you first start playing, your goal is to break 100. Then 90. Then 80. Then 70! And only a few golfers will break 70 in their lifetime. I’ve been blessed to break 70

twice, in over 1000 rounds played. As you can see, it doesn’t happen very often!

But here’s ONE bad thing about golf. If you aren’t a professional, you eventually reach a point where it’s almost impossible to score lower unless you quit your job and leave your family. As a skilled amateur, +4 or +5 over par will become your most consistent score, unless you get lucky every now and again. This is a lesson that took me years to learn. For those who never learn it, they become so frustrated because they don’t get any “better’, and for them quitting golf is a smart move.

But preaching is very different than golf. If a preacher think he’s an “expert”, he needs to stop preaching. We can always be better preachers, not only in our understanding of God’s word but in the way we present it as well.

So, as students of preaching, what steps can we take to be better? I’ll mention just three.

#1 Listen to yourself preach Even if your church website doesn’t upload audio files, your sound system should have the ability to record sermons. If it doesn’t, record them on your smart phone. If you don’t have a smart phone, you probably don’t have electricity either. NOW BEWARE—listening to yourself preach is a painful exercise. Most likely, you will think you sound awful. You might even ask, “Why would someone want to listen to me?” That’s a good sign. You’re still humble. Other preachers have told me that we’re usually harder critics of ourselves. I hope they’re right. But I’ve made big steps in my preaching by learning from my own mistakes, and one of the best ways to learn from your mistakes is by listening to yourself preach.

#2) Listen to others preach Every week I’m listening to other preachers—sometimes in the car, sometimes at the gym on a podcast—sometimes at my desk on the computer. This has been invaluable for my ministry. When I listen to other preachers, it’s for my own edification. I don’t steal their material, but I learn from them. In recent months, I’ve even started listening to preachers that I don’t particularly like more than those I do like. Why? So I can learn what not to do. Learning what not to do is just as important as learning what to do. This exemplifies your effectiveness more than you think.

#3) Pray before you preach This is the most important step in becoming a better preacher. Before I get up to preach or teach, I pray the same prayer: “Lord, take my feeble words and use them for your glory in ways that I can’t even imagine or understand.” I’m confident that He does, even if my listeners don’t tell me.

Better. That’s one thing every preacher can be. Give these three things a try, and I think you’ll find that “better preaching” soon follows.

WHY PREACHING IS STILL NEEDED

by JAY LOCKHART, jaylockhart@whitehousechurch.org

Preaching has always been important in God’s purpose for man. Noah is said to have been “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5).

The Old Testament prophets were preachers. Jesus himself was a preacher. The apostles were preachers. The church was born and grew with preaching. Preaching has always been prominent in God’s plan for the world. The apostles were told by Christ to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15); they were to preach so that people can hear, believe and obey the gospel (Rom. 10:13-14); and they were to preach because “it pleased God by through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21).

Preaching was needed in the first century as a part of God’s purpose and is needed in the twenty-first century to fulfill God’s purpose. Why is this true?

First, preaching is needed today because of what preaching is.

Two New Testament words that define preaching are, first, euaggelidzo , meaning “to bring good news, to announce glad tidings” (Thayer, 256), and, second, kerusso, meaning “to proclaim to persons one with whom they are to become acquainted in order to learn what they are to do” (Thayer, 346). The good news is what God has accomplished for us through Christ and must include how we may become acquainted (know) him and know what we are to do. To accomplish these things, we must “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2) and include “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Preaching is not simply giving a spiritual pep talk, telling people to be nice, or failing to call for action on the part of the hearer. Biblical preaching is to encounter God himself, and this will always be needed if we are to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives and if we are to be saved.

Second, preaching is needed today because God has made preaching a part of the worship of the church.

In 1 Corinthians 14 the “in church” meeting, described as when “the whole church comes together(1 Cor. 14:23; see also 14:19, 28, 34-35), is in the context of worship. The Jerusalem church worshipped in the temple area and as a part of those assemblies “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42, 46). At the church meeting in Troas the disciples came together for the purpose of taking the Lord’s Supper and Paul preached unto them (Acts 20:7).

Preaching was one of the avenues of worship in the 1st century.

Indeed, it was the only part of worship in which God spoke his word to the people when that word was faithfully presented by an “earthen vessel”.

Preaching in worship deserves our best efforts in preparation and delivery on the part of the preacher and careful attention, personal application, and transformed living on the part of the hearers.

Third, preaching is needed today because it meets the greatest needs of man.

What does man need more than bread to eat and water to drink? First, man needs to be saved from sin (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Preaching brings to bear on the sinners heart what he needs to do to be saved. The gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16) when it is preached in its fullness. Second, as a Christian, one need to grow or mature in Christ (1 Pet. 2:1-2; 3:18; Heb. 5:12-14; Eph. 4:14-16).

The faithful preaching of the gospel, “the word of his (God’s) grace” is “able to build” (promote the growth) the spiritual growth the child of God (Acts 20:32). Preaching that is 1st century in content and 21st century in application will always be needed because it is relevant to man’s greatest needs.

Now, for a final word. Preaching is not designed to make people laugh (although there is a place in preaching for humor). It is not designed to entertain the hearer (although it is proper for people to enjoy the sermon). It is not designed to simply make folks feel good (although the biblical sermon

can bring spiritual refreshment to the hearer). Preaching is designed to better acquaint us with Jesus, to save the lost, to edify the church, and to allow us to hear the voice of God. Because these things are true, preaching will always be needed.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PREACHING IN CHURCH GROWTH

by GARY BRADLEY, SR, 256 426-6236

In the past, it has been said that the purpose of the church is threefold: education, evangelism and edification. That is a false statement since our purpose is the same as our Lord’s who said that He came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” The purpose of the church is singular--saving souls. Stated in “Alabama language,” we must keep the ones that we have and go after those we don’t have. “ Now, we do this through education, evangelism and edification. With this in mind, it is evident that the preacher is vital to the health and growth of any congregation.

This fact was recognized in the early church as shown by the examples given throughout the book of Acts. In those examples, when preaching took place, growth followed as the numbers of disciples multiplied. Then, in Rom. 10:14, Paul affirms this principle it as he speaks of

his mission to the Gentiles when he says, “. . . .how will they hear without a preacher?”

We talk about church growth as if it’s a phenomenon. Growth occurs naturally if a church is healthy, and part of that health is having a preacher who recognizes his role and assumes it. We assign the name, “leader,” to the elders and deacons, but the preacher also is a primary “leader” in the growth of any church through his teaching and influence. One of my favorite quotes (not original with me) is, “if you want to know the health of the church, stick the thermometer in the preacher’s mouth.” The preacher knows the members of the congregation’ he has built a rapport with them and ascertains what is most needed from the pulpit.

Any preacher who desires church growth must act accordingly. He must realize who he is, because he will preach out of his own passion, emphasizing what is important to him. It is said that a church takes on the personality of her preacher. He should be aware from the beginning of his ministry that this is not a profession; it is not just getting through each Sunday and another two sermons. It’s a life! It’s saving one more!

A preacher must see it as a lifetime commitment of hard work, tenacity and tenure. He can’t lead a church in growth if he moves every three to four years. Sometimes one only swaps problems if a move is made to escape difficulty.

With the support and commitment of the local elders. A preacher can lead in four areas: (1) balance, (2) education and encouragement, (3) motivation, and, most importantly, (4) example.

Balance is one of the most important factors in the life of a preacher and in church growth. In my life, Dr. Rex A Turner, Sr., had a profound influence through his emphasis on “every preacher remaining balanced,” Ira North’s emphasis on Balance in his book of that name has been a part of my life since I first read it in 1983. Every preacher and elder should read this book. Every preacher should strive for balance in his preaching and in his personal and spiritual life.

The preacher educates a congregation in church growth through his sermons. His passion for church growth is “caught” by church members.

This is where that personality of the preacher is taken on through his emphasis on church growth and caring for others through constant encouragement, a major part of growth.

Motivational sermons should be preached to urge members to action, implementing necessary ways to bring more to the Lord and His Church.

Then, the preacher’s personal example is that lifetime commitment that is spoken of earlier. Influence is leadership! He must be out front in doing what he preaches. Space will not allow elaboration on this major factor, but Paul said it well when he said, “Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you� (1 Timothy 4:16).

CAN PREACHING STILL CHANGE LIVES?

by Jeff Jenkins, jeffajenkins@gmail.com

The big question in our day is not what type of preaching we should be doing. Early in my preaching life, there was a big push among some of the elite preachers to make every sermon inductive. In recent years, there has been encouragement from leading preachers to make all sermons expository. One writer even suggested that if your sermon is not an expository treatment, it isn’t a sermon!

Some are big fans of topical sermons and series. Some believe that all preaching should be done through series. Others want to preach through some Church calendar. Some believe that teaching needs to be presented in a discussion format or small group settings.

The major issue for us to consider is not whether the preacher is eloquent, down-home, funny, serious, highly educated, or self-educated.

The big question is not whether preaching should be done in metropolitan areas or rural areas. It is not whether preaching should take place in megachurches or small gatherings.

The big question is, can preaching still change lives? Does preaching still work? Has preaching become outdated? Is it an old-fashioned way of delivering an ancient message? It is our conviction that preaching not only works in our day but that it is the best of all methods to proclaim the message of salvation.

GOD SAYS PREACHING WILL CHANGE LIVES One of the first great heroes in our world was a “Preacher of righteousness.”

(2 Peter 2:5) God used preachers, or prophets, throughout the history of His people to communicate His message. The one selected to pave the way for the Messiah, to be his forerunner was a preacher. The Son of God, the Savior of the world, was a preacher. (Ephesians 217) Before His Ascension

He charged His disciples with preaching the Gospel to the entire world.

(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) Our brother Paul was a man who was on fire about the preaching of the Gospel (Romans 1:14-17). He believed that the Gospel still changes lives. “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Notice how Paul doesn’t place the emphasis on the style of preaching or the preacher himself. The emphasis is always on the message that is proclaimed during the preaching act. “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).

No wonder Paul gave this solemn charge to all of us who are preachers. “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with [a]great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

WE HAVE SEEN IT WITH OUR EYES As well as having the testimony of God Himself regarding the fact that preaching still changes lives, we also know from our experiences in preaching that lives can be changed.

We have seen atheists become believers through the proclamation of the Gospel.

We have seen worldly; reprobate sinners change the course of their life through the preaching of God’s Word.

We have seen prodigals come back to the Father when the Good News has been spoken in love.

We have seen the preaching of the Truth, convict men, women, boys, and girls.

We have seen families strengthened, broken relationships mended, hearts encouraged, and communities made better through preaching.

WE SENSE IT IN OUR HEARTS Let’s be honest brothers. We know that preaching still changes lives because we know how it convicts our hearts every time we study and every time we preach the Word. We know that it makes a difference in our walk

with God. We know it makes a difference in the way we treat our wives. We know that it impacts how we deal with our children. We know that it changes how we treat others. We know how preaching changes our life, and we know it will continue to change us as we participate in the God-mandated method of changing others!