Can I Preach It If I Haven't Mastered It?

John E Miller

commented on Feb 21, 2012

If a preacher is struggling with some issue in his own life, the important thing is to first deal with the matter in the Lord's presence. Peter had to learn this at the end of John's Gospel. The Lord deals with the question in Luke 6;39-42. After Peter had dealt with his own personal allegiance to Christ he could stand up and accuse his fellow Jews of denying Christ (Acts 3:14), the very sin of which he had been guilty. If he had not dealt with his own failing could he have condemned their's so powerfully. Confess your sin in the presence of God, repent, seek the help of the Spirit of God and your ministry will be free from the weakness of unjudged sin and powerful in the proclamation of God's wotrd.

Jeff Strite

commented on Feb 21, 2012

Thanks Ron, that was a simple but insightful observation

Jeff Strite

commented on Feb 21, 2012

Thanks Ron, that was a simple but insightful observation

Richard Hertsel

commented on Feb 21, 2012

Great article. I like what John E Miller said also. If we preach on a subject with which we may have spiritual problems with it may help us overcome the issue because of the research we do. However it might not be practical to get married the week before we speak on marriage nor should we convince our spouse we have to matriculate a baby in three weeks so we can speak on parenting. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Marc Heatherington

commented on Feb 21, 2012

The question reminded me of Ephesians 3:19, where we are encouraged to "be filled with all the fullness of God." How many could teach this passage from experience and encourage others to aim for high such a high calling?

James Walker

commented on Feb 21, 2012

I seldom comment on these sorts of things. Everyone has an opinion! However, I do have strong feelings about this particular subject. First of all the question is not about "sin", though I have repented in sermon preparation as God allows me to see myself first of all. The question is about areas of our Christian walk we are not where we want to be. How do we preach the ideals of God's Word when we feel we have not personally attained to those ideals? Frequently I feel called to preached to the "flock" things I know WE all need to hear from God's Word and yet is a personal growth area. For example, God calls pastors to exhort our churches to pray, to evangelize, and to give. Do I need to pray more, evangelize more, and give more? Absolutely! I am quick to tell the congregation when I need to preach about an area in which I feel weak that, "This is one of my personal growth areas. But God has called someone to do the preaching and that is me. Church, we are all fellow-strugglers in the walk of faith and I am not where I want to be in this area." I want my charges to understand that I am also growing and struggling and growing etc. etc. I am more comfortable in my preaching with the "WE and US" than I am with the "I and ME". I am one with the Elders, one with the Deacons, one with the fathers, one with the school students, one with the victorious and one with the defeated. Most would agree that we do not want our churches to place us on pedestals in their estimation of us and yet, we unwittingly elevate ourselves as having attained perfection in the areas we preach. Then we tell them not to place us on pedestals. Sadly, they are pedestals of our own making and this often occurs in our preaching. Do not hesitate to preach the whole Word of God and become a fellow-struggler in those sermons where you have not attained and need personal growth.

Andrew Dixon

commented on Feb 22, 2012

Thanks Ron, Great question, however, I would be concerned with any pastor who feels he has mastered any area ... whether it be through schooling or life experience, because neither is the final say so. As was said already we must teach the whole counsel of God, it is not our opinions or experiences that matter, what we are to preach is the word of God, which doesn't require our expertise or experience. Too much of either one in our preaching can lead us down a dangerous path.

Robert Sickler

commented on Feb 22, 2012

Excellent advice. I have listened to many a preacher eloquently deliver a solid scriptural sermon that was totally sterile. By that I mean the sermon came out of the preacher's head and not his heart. When we preach what we have mastered (?) we lecture down to the people, but when we honestly preach what we struggle with we share the word of God with our brothers and sisters.

John E Miller

commented on Feb 22, 2012

Robert Sickler, you listened to many preachers eloquently deliver solid, scriptural sermons that were totally sterile. That statement alone is totally self-contradictory. Then you decided that the sermons preached, and we note there were many, came from the preacher's heads not their hearts. Brother, you are on very thin ice indeed (2.Chron.6:30, Prov.21:2, Luke 16:15, Rom.8:27 etc., etc.). I was under the impression that God alone knows what is in the heart of man. Preaching a solid, scriprural sermon would be an outward indication of a heart that is right with God.

Jun Baday

commented on Feb 23, 2012

If we preach only what we have mastered in life, then we are short-lived. We are called to preach the whole counsel of God, not partly. And we have to do it for a life time and learn in the process. Now if preacher should preach the whole counsel of God and mastered it all, then who is qualified?

Trevor Payton

commented on Feb 24, 2012

I think brother Sickler was referring to well-researched and polished sermons that lacked a real sense of passion or urgency. As the old puritan writers used to say, we need both light (well-written and insightful sermons) AND heat (passion and urgency) in the pulpit. Light alone tends to come across as flat (even if the truth proclaimed is glorious), and heat alone tends to have little substance and little transformative power. Light and heat...we all need both in increasing measure. This is a good article: honesty and humility go a long way all the time, but especially when preaching areas where we struggle.

Pollie Marabe

commented on Mar 6, 2012

Thank you very much for more lessons I've learned from different comments.God Bless you all!

Con Gould

commented on Jul 7, 2018

Interesting article! Jesus mastered his flesh on the cross. But he preached before the cross! He is the King of Kings, The Lord of Lords! I outline what he did in my life in the series, I Should Be Dead at connie gould Blog.simplesite.com....

Katoaa Aretema

commented on Jul 9, 2018

this is about a welcoming Jesus..Martha's to her house.