When You Preach, Don't Settle for Mediocrity
The one thing that will determine whether you become an excellent speaker or not is your desire. As one writer put it, “If I could measure your desire, I could determine almost exactly your success as a speaker.” There is no such thing as a born speaker. The men who excel in preaching all have had the desire to be effective preachers. And that desire counted more than any natural talents they may have possessed at birth. Those men refused to settle for mediocrity.
“We are ambassadors for Christ,” Paul tells us (2 Cor. 5:20). What an incredible privilege! Christ does not have to use frail humans as His ambassadors. He could use mighty angels instead. And they would be glad to serve in that capacity. In fact, I’m sure they would make wonderful ambassadors.
But, no, God chose to deny the angels that privilege and to give it to us instead. What a wonderful Lord He is!
Why We Should Have the Desire to Preach Effectively
When we speak in front of a congregation, we’re not representing ourselves. We’re representing Christ. We’re speaking as ambassadors of His kingdom. We have the opportunity to speak as Christ’s personal representatives about the matters that are important to Him.
I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoy preaching and teaching—speaking as an ambassador of Christ. To be sure, scheduling the necessary time for preparation isn’t al-ways easy. And, like most other speakers, I experience speaker’s fright before I preach. But as soon as I get past my first sentence, it is an experience I cherish. In fact, I always feel a tinge of excitement when our pastor asks me to speak on a future Sunday.
There is something really special about being able to speak about God, His Word, and the Christian life. It is indeed a privilege. But it’s also a responsibility.
A speaker never knows for sure what impact his message may have on lives. However, the potential is great. There may be first-time visitors to your church on the Sunday when you speak. They may be seeking to join a church where the Bible is taught without its message being watered down. This may be their first time to visit a church like yours. They probably will form a lasting impression of your church based largely on your sermon or devotional.
© Scroll Publishing Co.
This article was taken from David Bercot’s book on how to preach and teach effectively, entitled Plain Speaking.
