As I’ve had the opportunity to preach more and more over the years, I’ve been very thankful. But it’s also led me to do a lot of reflecting about my insecurities and motives, and also how God has been working on my heart over the years in my preaching. Below are five thoughts that keep coming back to me. This is advice that I try to give myself regularly. If you are a preacher or communicator, maybe this could encourage you too. If you aren’t a preacher, hopefully this will help you encourage other preachers.

1. Study and pray dilegently.

Real talk: I can write sermons in my sleep! I’ve been trained to do it and I’ve been doing it for a while now. I’m a communicator, so it comes natural for me. I’m thankful for this gift, but there is also a danger here. If I’m not careful, I can write a sermon without even talking to God about it. This thought scares me to death, because if I haven’t heard from God, prayed, and brought my sermon notes to Him, should I even share them with others?

Preaching only exists because the Gospel and Bible exists. That’s a humbling thought because it reminds me that it’s not about me (or any preacher). God uses people to be his mouthpiece (Romans 10:14), but it’s not our message we proclaim; it’s His.

Before this message is proclaimed though, we must first be with God and let Him work on our own hearts. One pastor has said it like this before: “When we read the Bible, the Bible is reading us.” We must open His Word, meditate on it, wrestle with it, study it, and lay our talents before Him. When we remember WHY we are preaching and we study and pray in complete dependence on Him, He takes care of the rest.

2. Be YOU, not anyone else.

I feel like I could write a whole book just on this point. For years, I have wrestled with comparison (and still do at times). When I first started preaching, I would compare myself to other guys and think to myself thoughts like this: “I need to be like them. They aren’t even looking at their notes. I know I can’t do that! They scream a lot and get everyone’s attention. I don’t like to scream. Do I need to scream? Their jokes are hilarious. I’m not really a funny person. They know the Bible in and out. I’ll never be that smart. How do they end their sermon right at 35 minutes every time? They have a huge following. How do you get to that point?” The list goes on and on…

As I compared myself to them, I began to look at all the things I wasn’t doing. So, I tried really hard to sharpen up things. The problem was that many times my motives were not for God using me as He created me (growing in the right way), but were for me trying to be someone I wasn’t. Thankfully, God has now free’d me of that, and I preach as relaxed and comfortable as I ever have, because I’m finally being ME. I’m a teacher / conversational style preacher, and that’s where I need to stay. I’m confident in how God has wired me, and I lean into that. I wish I would have caught this sooner, but God has been working on me in this area and I’m thankful. Everyone has a unique gift and wiring, and when we aren’t leaning into that, we aren’t accepting how God has specifically made us. Comparison will kill your soul. Be you, not someone else!

3. Preaching is NOT performance.

“Great sermon. That was so good!” If you are a preacher, you love to hear that don’t you? But WHY was it a good sermon? Of course there is a gift and skill of preaching that comes with this, and as we use our gift we connect with people. But what really makes a great sermon? Is it just talent, or something more?

There is a difference in preaching a good sermon to do your best for God, and then performing to get attention from others. For me, listening to a good sermon is when I have walked away loving Jesus more and being challenged in a next step of obedience from His Word. (By the way, if the Bible isn’t opened, read, or expounded in any way, it’s not a sermon). The preacher could have been a screamer, monotone, or conversational (now don’t get me wrong, I understand that it’s hard to listen to boring preachers!), but what really makes a great sermon is how God used it in people’s lives. Preaching is NOT performance! We should do our best, but not to gain attention. Idolizing preachers is a dangerous thing. Don’t forget, they are human too. We shouldn’t listen to a sermon being ready to critique it, or having expectations to be entertained. We should listen to sermons with open hearts, and focus on the words that are spoken through Scripture.

4. Be humble, but also confident.

Once again… “Great sermon. That was so good!” If you are a preacher, how do you respond to that? I have been encouraged by people saying things to me like that after sermons, but I also can’t help but to walk away feeling a bit uncomfortable. What am I supposed to say? “It wasn’t me. It was all God. Glory to Him.” I’ve heard some guys say that and I have too. But sometimes that sounds a little off (Now of course, it’s okay to say that at times). Is it God? Absolutely. It’s His presence, work, words, and Word through you. But you also played a part. You studied, prayed, prepared and delivered the message. It’s God, but it’s God using you as you obey Him and use the gifts He’s given you. We should be humble, recognizing that apart from God we wouldn’t be preaching, but we should also be confident in how God has equipped us. So now, I don’t worry about saying something that sounds spiritual. I just say, “Thank you.”

5. Rest in what God will do in and through you.

RELAX! Easier said than done, I know. The truth is, there is a massive weight to preaching that no one understands until they do it. You feel the weight of handling the Bible and communicating truth correctly and clearly. There were and still are times, when my stomach hurts before I preach and my nerves start turning. I have a hard time not thinking about it until I’m officially done. I think those things are normal and somewhat healthy, because it is a heavy responsibility. However, we do not want to be governed by fear and anxiety.

Every preacher is different in their routines and preparation. There is not just one way to go about it. What I try to do though now, is finish my sermon a couple days before I deliver it. Then, I put it down until the night before. I look it over one more time, mark things on it, say a prayer, and go to bed at a good hour. I try to trust the preparation that I’ve done, and I just ask God to use it. There are always more things that could be added to a sermon. But at some point, you just have to let it go and trust the Lord’s work. Our just is simply to be faithful and obedient. But it’s not our job to save people and convict their hearts. The Lord works in ways that only He can. And His Word will do what it does. We are simply the mouthpiece and deliverer.

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Study and pray diligently. Be you, not anyone else. Preaching is NOT performance. Be humble, but also confident. Rest in what God will do in and through you.

I am reminding myself of these things constantly. Preacher, keep up the great work. Be faithful, work hard, take care of yourself, and trust God. Release the pressure to be the “perfect preacher”. We all have a part to play and God is using all of us. If you aren’t a preacher, pray for those that are preaching. Encourage them. Check on them. And thank them.

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

-2 Timothy 4:2