"Perspective"
“Perspective”
February 13, 2014
“O my brethren, my
heart is enlarge towards you.
I trust I feel
something of that hidden,
but powerful
presence of Christ, whilst I am preaching to you.
--George Whitefield
It has been just about 40 years since I first began
preaching. It is true that the first 20
years were spent filling in for the various ministers in my life and preaching
for the Gideon’s. It is also true that things
have changed for me since that first nervous endeavor those many years ago.
Preaching is very much about the message, the study (I’ve
been reading three books this morning, just in prep for Sunday), the
preparation and the delivery. It is also
about the people. It is humbling to exposit
God’s word to and for others. The
serious student of God’s word should quickly conclude that Scripture is meant
to be read by a mirror, not through a lens.
In other words, Scripture should bring one to conclude that changes need
to be made in oneself, and not to conclude how others should change. To reverse this process and study Scripture
through a lens is the practice of Pharisees.
The very art of preaching places one at the precipice, the fault line
between evangelist and Pharisee.
Perspective makes all the difference.
I have become very comfortable preaching without a
manuscript much less notes. This
practice was taught to me as much as it was by choice. I am grateful because it has afforded me a
different perspective. If I read, it is
the Scriptures, but exposition without notes allows me to look at people and their
faces. My mind is intent on delivery of
the sermon. Something strange and somewhat
mystical happens there on those wonderful Sunday mornings. In many, many faces God brings to mind their
stories. The stories from the pews are
heartwarming, sometimes bitter, but often full of real change, true hope and
magnificent testimonies to the transformational power of God. I wish more people would experience those
magic moments. I wish more people would
simply tell their story. Such an experience,
from just the right perspective of knowing that Jesus is still at work in the
lives of His people - that is humbling.
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of
them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room
for the books that would be written.”
Comments