You know I love to preach and love to share some of the knowledge that I glean from Scripture throughout my studies during the week. I have preached some real doozies and I have also preached some easier messages. There are times that I wonder if preaching is what I am actually supposed to be doing for my ministry. A lot of this could be the devil, but at the same time I wonder that even though I love to preach, I am not that great of a communicator. There are also times when I just want to get up and preach until my voice fails and not care at all what people would say or think about the things I would say knowing full well that they are from Scripture in my heart.
There is one inherent problem with preaching, whether it be on a regular basis or more of a spread out schedule. When I preach I always feel more of a disconnect that is built up between me and the people that I am trying to teach/preach to. I have noticed this with other preachers too, and especially remember this in my father. Sometimes I don't wonder if the strong desire of preaching a message to challenge people, at the very same time pushes some away. It is also very possible the people that are feeling challenged by God through the preacher a disconnect of, lets say conviction forms for whatever reason.
I don't believe this is a new problem that I am experiencing. Looking back through all the people that have been preachers/priest/prophets/disciples/more importantly Jesus, they all went through dealing with issues that appear to relate to what I am feeling. Moses felt this with his very own sister and brother. Prophets on countless occasions were persecuted for what they were saying FOR GOD by their own people. Jesus was ridiculed, and rejected by the very people that likely helped raise him in Nazareth, due to the closeness of their culture.
So maybe my problem isn't actually a problem necessarily. I wonder in some form or another if a closeness to people can be hindering in a sense. Only in the way that it would stop a minister from actually speaking God's word in fear of hurting feelings, or actually causing conviction to become an issue for people.
Monday, April 21, 2008
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