mgpcpastor's blog

Preaching God’s word is more interesting that anything a preacher concoct themselves. It also frees us from the anxiety of having to attempt to guess what the hearers want to hear and focus instead with assurance on what God wants to say.

To be forced by Scripture to be servants of the demanding Word, rather than servile to our congregations, is true pastoral freedom. We are free to speak not out of personal preference, existential concern, or desperation to preserve intramural relationships, but rather to offer what we have received in our encounter with Scripture. The text hoists pastors out of the mire wherein congregations sequester us, demonstrating that “we don’t preach about ourselves” (2 Cor 4:5) but rather what we have been told to preach, obedient to the voice on the Mount of Transfiguration, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!” (Matt 17:5)
I’m sure that’s the reason many preachers testify that they are less constrained while preaching than in any other act of ministry.

Preachers Dare, Will Willimon, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2020, pg 69.

Jesus’ preaching is challenging to use as a model.
Many did not understand what they heard. Jesus did not seem to spend time clarifying himself.
And there were many who may not have understood exactly what he was saying, but their reaction demonstrated the point they believed he was making meant that they were implacably opposed to him.

Jesus’s preaching often attracted multitudes, at other times mockery and scorn, but it was effective enough to get him tried, tortured, and horribly, publicly, humiliatingly executed. Though his metaphors were sometimes obscure and his parables card to follow, he spoke clearly enough to for even the governmental and religious authorities to get his point. They crucified him to shut him up.
For three days silence was deafening.

Preachers Dare, Will Willimon, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2020, pg 58.