What was I to do?

During my last year of seminary I experienced the greatest challenge of the entire three year adventure. I was to preach before my peers. Thirty other men who had abandoned different walks of life to enter the ministry were my congregation. Our professor was a Dutchman who was an amazing preacher. You hung on every word. What was I to do?

Fortunately, I was preceded in line by another student. It was fortunate only because of the outcome. He was a powerful speaker. I remember an assignment we were given in class. Each student was directed to a particular Scripture to read. He read the genealogy from Matthew! It was brilliant. I have never heard anything read with such passion and elocution as that. Now he was preaching just before me. What was I to do?

As I expected, his message was breathtaking. It was delivered like a master preacher. I was going to fail for sure. The professor went before the class. He gave his review of the message. Just as I thought, it was wonderfully crafted and powerfully delivered. His times of emphasis were classical. What was I to do?

Then my salvation arrived when the professor said the following words. “I only had one small problem with your message. It had nothing to do with the text.” A hush swept across the room. The great one had fallen. He had committed one of the gravest mistakes from the pulpit. His message was great. The delivery was great. But, he used the wrong Scripture.

I quickly checked my Scripture. I still remember that I was preaching on marriage from Ephesians, the 5th chapter. My message was solidly centered on the correct passage. I passed. The professor had much more to say about my delivery, but nothing about my Scripture.

Week after week you and I seek what the Lord wants for His children and for those outside the flock who have come to the Church. What are you to do? It is not an easy task. It requires prayer and practice. You must be diligent about your research and developing the structure of your message. Then, bathed in prayer and humility, you do what the old preacher told his young students, “Start slow, stay low, rise higher till you catch fire, and then burn.”

I am here to help you do just that. Refining happens in the fire. Let me hear from you.