When the Preacher Responds
I remember it very well. I was preaching a sermon on the subject of being a Christian husband and, as the sermon went on, I realized that I had not been the type of husband that I was preaching about. So, at the conclusion of the invitation song, I motioned for people to be seated even though no one had walked down the aisle.
After that, I walked back up to the pulpit and publicly repented of not being the type of husband I needed to be, asking God and my wife for forgiveness, and seeking prayers of encouragement. It was the only time I had ever responded in that way to my own sermon.
(There is a really strange story connected with this serious moment, by the way. After services, one of our newest members–who had only placed membership maybe a month earlier–came up to me and said that he and his wife were very nervous that they had placed membership at the wrong place when I walked back up to the pulpit. They said that, not long before, they had been visiting a congregation when the preacher did just the same thing, and admitted to having an affair and resigned. He said they both looked at each other when I walked back up to the pulpit with faces that said, “Not again!” Then, he gave me a hug and said he was proud of me.)
Anyway, it is very rare for a preacher to be the one sitting on that front pew, or seeking prayers at the end of a sermon. As I said, I have done it once, and I have seen it maybe three or four other times.
So, are preachers just perfect and not in need of any change?
No, preachers are very human. And what you may not know is how often your preacher “responds” as he prepares and reflects on a sermon.
It may be why he is preaching on a particular text or topic. While he does not need to just preach his “needs” all the time, it is very possible that, every so often, he selects something to study and preach because he knows he needs to improve. As he does that, he is responding through his study and consideration of God’s Word.
It may occur as he is studying for a Bible class, a sermon, or even a bulletin article. He will read a text he has read hundreds of times and something will strike him that is amiss in his own life. Right there at his computer or with several books open, he will pray that God will forgive him and give him strength to be better.
It may occur as he makes final preparations for a sermon. A lot of preachers (me included) take some time on Saturday to read back through their notes or do other “routines” that help them get the lesson in their heads. It is amazing how often those times just reading back through seem almost as if you are preaching to yourself, and cause some times of repentance and prayer.
And, yes, it may occur while he is preaching the sermon, or as he reflects back on it when worship services are over. Something may strike him just like it may strike you. He may go home and apologize to his wife or children. He may text the elders and ask for prayers about something. He may contact someone privately and seek forgiveness because he realizes that what he was preaching, he was in most need of.
You may hear preachers sometimes say something like, “I’m preaching this for me,” or “The guy standing up here needs this as much as anyone else.” If your preacher is a man of integrity, those are not just words. He means them. And he means them because the Word of God has touched his heart so deeply as he has prayed, studying, prepared, and is now delivering some truth found in it.
You can hear that and think that he shouldn’t be like that; that, because he is a preacher, he should be perfect and should not have to repent.
Or you can hear that and remember that, while he tries to be good, he is still a man, very much in need of your prayers.
But just know, if he is a man of integrity, he is responding often…even if he is not walking the aisle.
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn