Preachers often find that the spiritual inspiration they receive preparing a message doesn’t usually translate into the same inspiration listeners receive when hearing it. This writer has been in this ministry for nine years in April, 2021. He has often criticized himself for failing to communicate in preaching the formidable spiritual charge he received preparing for worship.
Until this past week when he suddenly had an epiphany. He realized that the difference is neither mysterious nor unexpected. For a simple reason: it’s the difference in SOURCES. The preacher has the ORIGINAL and listeners the SECONDARY source. Getting the message directly from God in his Word, preachers have the privilege of the Holy Spirit’s First-hand teaching. But any message derived, once filtered through the human vessel, necessarily sounds inferior to what Almighty God gave the preacher through the Holy Spirit. (This writer remembers in Graduate School reading selections from second century church fathers. While not as well acquainted then with New Testament teaching as he is now, the reduction in spiritual power in second century leaders astonished him.) What to do then with the frustration of feeling one’s self an inadequate messenger? First, it’s TRUE. Accept it. It’s natural. It’s inevitable. Do not fear the diminution experienced. Second, do not fear the dilution of God’s Word in its passage through vessels of clay. God knows that HE must protect his Word from our humanity as well as from Satan’s attacks. Isaiah 55:10-11 assures us that any message sent from God will achieve whatever success he determines. The Holy Spirit may depend on us to teach mortals, but he retains for Himself the authority needed to instruct, educate, convince, convict and convert sinners and edify saints. Another promise is included. Each believer shall one day experience all the power God’s Word possesses by being taught First-hand by God’s Son through God’s Spirit. And then…and forever after…each perfected mortal will be far more spiritually charged than any preacher now preparing messages from God’s Word. Amen.
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