Daily Devotional for Monday, September 21

A New Commandment

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake,” 2 Corinthians 4:5.
Learning to speak in public is a skill, and it is a skill that can be learned. When I was in the Army, I took a course entitled the Instructor Training Course; when it was complete, I was able to teach Army people Army things in a competent way. In college, everyone had to take a speech course.
Even in seminaries, young preachers learn practical tools for delivering God’s Word to others. That is why so many preach the fabled three-point sermon. Preaching is a skill that can be learned.
On the other hand, some things cannot be taught when it comes to delivering God’s Word to people. First, preaching must be under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our words must be God’s words and not ours. We must be prayed up. Second, preaching must accurately present God’s Word. We have to get it right, and we have to be studied up.
Why do I keep saying “we”? After all, most of us are not called to stand in a church pulpit and preach. You may not be called to be a preacher, but the call for believers to preach the gospel to those around them is universal. That is how universal calls work; they apply to everyone. Some people try to escape the burden of that by claiming it is not their calling. I hate to break it to you, but it is.
To meet that call does not require a degree in public speaking. It only requires the intangible things we talked about earlier. If you go through life as a believer studied up and prayed up, then you will be ready at all times to proclaim the gospel. Are you?

Just a Thought
If preaching is not powered by the Holy Spirit and based on an accurate rendering of the Bible, it is just empty words.

Wally Fry