I love being a pastor. I felt called to the ministry when I was 17 years old, and I will always be grateful to God for that call.
I especially love preaching the good news of the Gospel. But I have to admit that it is not an easy task. It takes a lot of research and writing. As I prepare, I want to be faithful to God’s word and also to the historic doctrines of the church, as well as appeal to our contemporary culture.
After the sermon is written, it needs to be reviewed and practiced.
Prayer must certainly be added to the preparation, prayer that God will speak through these often-inadequate words and the flawed messenger. To put it simply, if there is not serious preparation, I just feel like it is an injustice to those who have gathered to hear the preaching of God’s word. If there is not serious preparation, I am not being faithful to God’s call.
Then comes Sunday morning and the actual delivery of the sermon. So many things can potentially derail things for a moment, like a fire truck with a screaming siren driving past the church!
After the worship service is over, I am usually emotionally and physically spent, but it is always worth it. I would not trade it for anything.
Our world today desperately needs to hear the Gospel. We need to hear about the dangers of sin and the importance of repentance. And we also need to hear about God’s love and God’s offer of a second chance at life. It is the greatest news in the world!