Church Family,
I just finished reading Alec Motyer’s book on preaching. I found it to be instructive and insightful. While the book touches on multiple topics related to preaching, the heart of the content is what he refers to as the rails upon which expository preaching is built. The rails include examination, analysis, orientation, harvesting, presentation, and application. While this sounds complicated, it ultimately concerns understanding the text, organizing the text, preaching the text, and applying the text. While I won’t take time to develop each rail, I think Motyer helps preachers by asking: “Have the hearers understood? Has the Bible been properly and fully made plain? Has the material been set out in an orderly fashion? (33).
One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter 13 – The last lap. In this chapter, Motyer sets forth the importance and priority of prayer when it comes to preaching. He emphasizes the need for constant and earnest prayer – that we will be faithful in dealing with souls, faithful to teach and to warn, and that God will make us sensitive to the eternal issues at stake while guarding our hearers from the “dreadful pit of refusal of His word” (139). I believe that one of the reasons that churches don’t see the Spirit of God move more powerfully is because of prayerlessness. This isn’t to say that pastors don’t pray, but perhaps not as earnestly and consistently as we should. By the way, I’m not just talking about the preacher (whoever it may be). What if the entire congregation committed to praying for each worship service and each sermon? Perhaps churches would see greater fruitfulness.
Each week we publish a prayer guide that seeks to follow themes of the text that is to be preached that week. We encourage you to pray through that guide (you can find it in the Midweek Update or on our website under the resources tab and blog link. And on Sunday mornings, ask God’s Spirit to move in powerful ways. Ask God’s Spirit to empower the preacher to speak clearly and decisively. Ask God’s Spirit to soften hearts so that people will to respond to the message in a way that glorifies God.
Now, we need to recognize that when we speak of fruit, we are not just talking about people being saved or coming forward for baptism. Each week, the Spirit of God works to bring about sanctification in the life of God’s people. Such growth in Christ is essential. So yes, pray that people would come to Christ, but also pray that God’s people would be more surrendered to Christ in their daily living.
Finally, I want to say that I am grateful for Trinity Baptist’s long history of taking the word of God seriously. For many of you, former pastor David Evans remains your favorite preacher. While I’ve never sat under his preaching, by all accounts, he is a Spirit-empowered, engaging, and top-notch preacher. I’m thankful for his nearly 20-year ministry at Trinity Baptist. Perhaps your favorite preacher never served in the capacity of senior pastor at TBC – Todd Blackhurst, Carey Skinner, Ryan Miller, Joshua York, Derek Hall, Daniel Coward, Tim Sperduto, Zach Scoggin – all gifted and faithful preachers in their own right! Praise God for men like these. And praise God for other staff ministers who may or may not have filled the pulpit but faithfully minister(ed) in their areas of ministry for God’s glory – Tara Cruse, Beth Edfeldt, Melissa Raleigh, Gary Hendricksen, Hunter Wilkerson, Troy McConnell, Casey Flynt. (Although Troy did preach once and definitely hit it out of the park!)
As for me, I’m still shocked that I get the privilege of being the senior pastor of such a great church. When I first came to TBC (some of you will recall) I stated publicly, I have no idea why you are calling me to be your pastor. I was young (not quite 30), inexperienced (2.5 years as a senior pastor), intimidated (my experience was in a small church with no staff), and a sub-par preacher (which a group of about 30 people loved to remind me of). I’m no longer young (not quite 49), I have plenty of experience (some of it I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy), and I’m no longer intimidated (I do believe that God has grown me as a leader). Now, as for preaching, I relate to what Motyer writes: “Not everyone can be what people call a ‘good preacher,’ but no one need to be a ‘bad preacher’” (9). I’m grateful that people don’t remind me that I am a ‘bad preacher’ any longer!
Pastor Nate