In Boston, near the church where he preached for years, there is a statue of Phillips Brooks. In the statue his left hand rests upon the Bible and behind him the fingers of his Lord rest upon his shoulder. Both Brooks and Jesus Christ were in the pulpit at the same time. It is what makes preaching powerful.
Numerous books have been written on the subject of preaching – many of them are classics. Those that have made the biggest impact on preaching have dealt not just with the mechanics of preaching but also with the person who is called by God to preach. Though the technical aspects of preaching are important, the preacher who preaches with power must also have Christ with him in the pulpit.
Churches in many denominations periodically elect a pulpit committee to search for a new pastor. In other denominations bishops assign and reassign pastors to local congregations. In searching for a new pastor, human yardsticks are usually given a high priority: education, eloquence, charisma, administrative ability, speaking style, pastoral heart, and money-raising talent. Far more important than any or all of these combined is the question, “Is the individual in question learned in God’s Word?” If so, it will be evident that both Christ and the prospective pastor will be in the pulpit as God’s Word is preached.
The primary job of any pastor is to be the voice of God to the congregation. Preaching the truth does not always make the preacher popular or widely accepted. Theodore Epp, founder of Back to the Bible radio ministry, realized something was wrong when he stopped receiving critical mail. Convicted that he was not challenging his flock enough, he changed his preaching. “I’m afraid that when I’m pleasing everybody, I’m not pleasing the Lord,” he later said, “and pleasing the Lord is what counts.” This is not to suggest that a pastor is only successful when he upsets his hearers. But his priority must always be to preach truth – even if it hurts!
“Do not worry about what to say or how to say it,” Jesus said to His disciples as He sent them out. “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:19-20 NIV). This does not mean that in today’s world a preacher should not prepare and study, for the early disciples had already been thoroughly prepared when Jesus spoke these words. Jesus, in essence, was saying, “Be sure when you stand to preach that I am with you.”
The preacher’s state of mind is critical. Preachers should not pump themselves up with boldness. Some preachers already have too much boldness and not enough substance to go with it. The boldness should come from the knowledge that Christ is with you as you speak. Every preacher’s charge is to preach the whole truth. “Away with this milk and water preaching of the love of Christ that has no holiness or moral discrimination,” proclaimed Charles Finney, one of the great preachers in the 19th century.
One pastor, filled with ego rather than the Holy Spirit, and overly impressed with his preaching skill, said to his wife one Sunday on the way home from church, “Honey, how many great preachers do you think there are in our country?” She wisely replied, “I don’t know, but the number is one less than you think!”
Another minister, after he had resigned to accept another church, said to a parishioner who was feigning regret that he was leaving, “Look at it this way, my dear, your next pastor will likely be far better than I have been.” She remained inconsolable and said, “That’s what everybody said before you came.”
You already know your pastor is human. Like you, he makes mistakes. But his mission is so important that he needs your prayers. Oh, and by the way, he also needs your help.
The Paper Pulpit 
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