Sermon Central
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Are You Running From Your Calling As A Preacher?
By Sherman Haywood Cox on Mar 4, 2026
Some pastors avoid difficult truths in preaching, choosing encouragement over correction. Faithful ministry requires proclaiming the whole counsel of God, even when it is uncomfortable.
Are You Running from Your Calling as a Preacher?
Running from ministry does not always mean refusing a call to serve. Sometimes it happens while a pastor is preaching every week. When ministers avoid difficult biblical truths and only deliver encouraging or popular messages, they may be neglecting their true calling. Scripture commands pastors to preach the whole counsel of God, both comfort and correction, blessing and responsibility. Faithful preaching requires courage, prayer, and attentiveness to the real needs of the congregation. When pastors commit to proclaiming God’s Word fully, the church is strengthened to endure trials and grow in holiness.
Folks will sometimes say that a young man or woman who obviously has gifts in ministry is running from the ministry when she or he does not want any part of the ministry. God has called them, and instead of walking in that ministry, they want to do something else. That is a definition of “running from the ministry,” but there are other ways to run from the ministry.
Whole Counsel Preaching Is Needed
What about when God calls you to preach a word of correction to your people (it is time to live right), and instead you preach yet another word of encouragement (God will be with you in your pain). Certainly, both are needed…but you might be running from your calling by not preaching both over the course of your ministry.
What about when your people need to hear about the ethical demands of being a member of the Kingdom of God (Turn the Other cheek, love your enemies, bless them that curse you), but you only preach about the benefits of being such a member? (God has a blessing for you with your name on it!)
Great Preaching Is Not Always Easy
You see, as a preacher, we are called to preach the word in season and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2) We are called to preach the whole counsel. (Acts 20:27) It may be easy some weeks, but it is gonna be hard other weeks, but nobody said it was gonna be easy. In fact, we are told that godly living will result in persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12)
But too many of us are running from the ministry even as we preach every week. Too many of us are running from our calling even though we “wreck the house” and “shout the church.” Many of us are running from the ministry that God has called us to.
Steps To Better Preaching
What can we do if we are running from the ministry? First, pray to the Lord for both forgiveness and guidance as we seek to do better.
Second, recognize that God still has blessed and will bless the Word that has gone out. If God can use a Donkey (Numbers 22:28), God can use our truncated message. Yes, the word will not come back void. (Isaiah 55:11)
Third, sit down and look at the real needs of your people. Turn off the media ministers who are on the radio and television. They cannot preach to your congregation’s needs; they must preach to a larger world, but you have a specific people with specific needs, hopes, and dreams that must be addressed by the Balm of Gilead.
Some people desperately needing a word from God. Don’t give them empty promises of certain financial blessings. Instead, stop “running from the ministry” and preach the full counsel of God to your people so that they can withstand the fiery ordeal. (1 Peter 4:12)
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