Preachers I Want to Hear

Sometimes I get asked what preachers I like to hear preach. The fact of the matter is, every person–even every preacher–has a favorite or two.

But preachers can also play the “If I could only preach like…” game. There are some guys who just do certain aspects of preaching so well that I sit back and am blown away. Then, I find myself thinking, “If I could just…”

• If I could have the recall of Jay Lockhart, preaching with no notes but with seemingly perfect command of his material…
• If I could make people think for the entire duration of the sermon like my dad does…
• If I could drive a point home like David Shannon…
• If I could illustrate and illuminate a concept like Neal Pollard…
• If I could unlock a passage like Dan Winkler…

But here’s the problem: what’s the “then” to those “if” statements?

You see, I chose these five men for two reasons.

First, they are amazing preachers, and any time I hear them preach I am just blown away. They help me in my spiritual journey, but as a preacher I am amazed by how they handle the “art” of preaching.

But–and here is my point for this post–I also chose them because I know them all, and each of them never thinks they have this preaching thing “down.” They all want to do better. They all encourage other preachers. They all are some of the most humble people I know, even when talking about preaching, which it is obvious they are very good at.

So, what is my answer to my favorite preachers?

The answer is this: I want to hear men who humbly preach the truth.

They don’t have to be the best at any one aspect of preaching. They don’t have to be men that are “known” in the brotherhood. In fact, some of our very best, I believe, toil in relative obscurity, but souls are saved and strengthened by their faithful work. They have stars in their crown. Their labor is not in vain, because it is in the Lord.

It’s fine to have a few favorites, but if the man who stands before you is not a fantastic pulpiteer or orator or illustrator, that’s okay, so long as he is humbly feeding you the life-giving Word of God.

If he is doing that, that’s a preacher I want to hear.

COMMENTS: Instead of a question, I would just like to read your reactions to this post in the comments.

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Photo credit: Joel Kramer on Creative Commons

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