PREACHERS: WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT HASN'T BEEN SAID?

Standing before an assembly of ordinary people to deliver what is known as The Sermon is an absolute privilege that I, personally, didn't see coming.  It is outrageous in task and immeasurable in privilege.  Why?  Because it is within this fundamental earthling process that the Divine connects with us....with all.

The task before me Sunday by Sunday is increasingly challenging.  When one has been at a church for say a few years everyone in front of you is basically of similar mindset. About year seven for me I began to notice an additional challenge.  How do I say important and fundamental matters to the original ones who have already heard and the newly added members who have never heard of such matters before?  And then complicate this by staying through year 20, 25, 30, 35....and now year 39.

For example, I'm currently preaching to a group who have heard much about the Holy Spirit and my personal illustrations that go with it.  Yet, an entire rookie group also sits before me who haven't heard of such concepts.  How are we to maneuver such a Holy mixturistic terrain?

We trust in the activity and the action of the Living God.  He will speak beyond our human words.  He will supply ideas and give direction that the speaker has no idea what hearers need.  He does.  We don't.

I know for me that I don't run the show.  God does.  I am weak.  He is strong.  Fact.  His Word is practical, impractical, profound, and confusing...all in one Package.  Those of us who speak wish so deeply to impart words which breathe life into very dear people.

But we can't pull it off by our cleverness of speech.  The truth is that we must rely on the Holy Spirit to do what needs to be done; all the while we stand before this group absolutely clueless of how to say and exactly what to say.

So preacher friends of mine, do not resist the cluelessness of our task.  It's a vital part of the God-scheme.  He baffled the entire creation by first presenting Himself as an infant.  As such, He became the hope of the world.  Do not fight being inadequate (though we are very strongly so); but rather remain enamored with the incredible reach that Father has for His beloved created ones.

Preach the Word.  Preach with incredible awareness of how terribly small we are and how immeasurably immeasurable He really is.  As long as we are preaching His message it will always be new...even if it has already been said...many...times.