 By James H. Cagle |
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles” (Romans 16: 3, 4 KJV).
More and more when I go to church I hear preachers crying out for help. While preaching they cry out, “I wish someone would help me preach” or “I wish I could get some help up here.” I visited a large church recently in which the pastor sat in a large rocking chair that was on the podium and rocked in the chair until he got up to deliver his message. He didn’t take his responsibility serious, he was at ease, and very comfortable. And while preaching he naturally asked for help. The only thing missing in this church to keep it from being exactly like an adult club was adult beverages. They had everything else. They had the hard loud music that shook the whole building (a large building) and they had soft porn.
As I listen to these preachers ask for help I sincerely wanted to help them but not in the way they wanted to be helped. They alone were not able to get the congregation whipped up into an emotional frenzy and have people shouting and jumping and dancing or running in the aisles, so they cried out for help from members of the congregation to get the excitement going. And this is done because the preacher wants quick results from his preaching. And the results he receives are the work of the flesh.
I’ve never helped a preacher stimulate, manipulate, or intimidate a congregation. Paul was the most effective preacher there was apart from Jesus Christ and the method he used was persuasion (2 Cor. 5: 11), and because this is God’s method, it was successful.
There are many helps for the preacher. The important thing though is where does the preacher turn to for help? Does he turn to man and the world or to God? Sadly many turn to the world and adopts its methods for doing God’s business to get worldly success. The preacher is in God’s work so to do the work the way God wants it done he should turn to God for help.
Bible (KJV) reading and studying is the greatest help a preacher can have. The Bible is not a technical book where the preacher looks to find a message and when found is done with the Bible till next time. The Bible is the revelation of the mind of God. By reading and studying it we get to know God’s will and way. The Bible is for us to come to know God and then bring our life in conformity to His will and walk in fellowship with Him. The Bible shows us God’s message, methods, and mission, and the manner of man the minister should be.
If the preacher is in fellowship with God then when he prays his prayers will be heard and answered and he will then receive the help of the Holy Spirit in preparing the message He burdens him with and the help in bringing sinners to Jesus Christ.
There are many others things that can help and steer a preacher away from his shallow faith and shallow preaching, but if he will make the Bible the center of his life and God’s fellowship the most important thing in his life he will find that God is all he needs and that his best help comes from the Lord (Ps. 121: 2).
