15 Outstanding Preachers

This past week, a preaching colleague of mine engaged me in a conversation.  Being a person who loves to dialogue and debate, he posed to me a very interesting question.  He asked, ‘Pullam...who are your top 10 favorite preachers?’  While I am not the best in the preaching craft, I love preaching; and I love to talk about preaching, read on preaching, and I love to preach.  So...I called the roll: My father, J.A. Reed, Jr., my uncles, Joe Samuel Ratliff, Cleophus J. LaRue, my pastor, Harvey Clemons, Jr., J. R. Miller, R.L. Sanders, Charles Spurgeon, H.B. Charles, Jr. and several others.  Then, he gave me a few qualifiers that threw me.  He said 1) Someone who has lived in my lifetime (in the past 35 years), whether living or now deceased.  2) Someone to whom you aren’t related nor have had a close relationship. 3) Someone over the age of 50.  4) These had to be men, not women (which I found rather odd, but okay, I can do that).  I told him I needed some time, and asked him to give me his list first.  He could only give me five.  I could only do the same.  It has lingered with me; and I think I have 15!  lol  This morning, I have gone through my list; and (while I will not take the time now to provide a description of the following), it has really provoked me to redefine the shape of my own preaching, reflect on the way these preachers have touched me, and to challenge myself to further come into my own self as a proclaimer of God’s Word.  Here is my tentative (almost definite) tope 15, mindful I’ve probably missed someone....in light of my friends’ qualifiers.

1. E. K. Bailey (While he was my college pastor, whom I met and fellowshipped with on occasions, my years there at the Concord Church were times of health challenges for Dr. Bailey.  We didn’t spend extensive time, one-on-one.  Therefore, he is #1!)
2. Ralph West
3. Gardner C. Taylor
4. W. A. Criswell
5. John F. Macarthur
6. Melvin V. Wade
7. Isadore Edwards
8. Calvin Miller
9. Joel Gregory
10. Billy Graham
11. Manuel Scott, Sr.
12. Adrian Rogers
13. E.V. Hill
14. Jasper Williams
15. Darrell Gilyard

These men are not perfect men.  And, surprisingly, it became of interest to me those who I placed on my list.  But these are definitely the ones who stand out for me.  Some I have only heard 4 or 5 times; but their preaching has completely impacted my life and ministry.  Maybe some day, after I reflect, I can go into how these preaching heroes of mine have touched and spoken to me personally and in preaching.  But....here’s my list.  I will invite my friend to read this blog! :)

If anyone is reading.....I’m curious.  Who is on your list???

Dr. Gardner C. Taylor on ‘The Presumptuousness of Preaching'

Since my formative years of preaching, I have always had an admiration and connection to the preaching prowess and giftedness of Dr. Gardner C. Taylor.  In short, his preaching has always carried me to a peculiar mix of height and depth I still fail to adequately explain or describe, even now.  Some of my favorite preachers are not originals; but their preaching is highly filtered through the sifting of their own personality and crafting of the art we call ‘Preaching.’  This should at least solicit a respect and reverence of the diligence the preacher has committed to the stewardship of their ministry.  Patti Labelle, the long-standing R & B singer, is a great example.  When you hear her voice, there is no question on whether or not you’ve heard her voice.  In fact, unlike many singers, many who’ve come and gone have not even attempted to imitate the tone, texture and intonation of her voice.  In some sense, I suppose it seems pointless and redundant to do so.  This example helps me to explain my view of Dr. Taylor’s preaching giftedness.  Unlike many preachers, there is no way to put a handle on the preaching of Dr. Gardner C. Taylor.  When you hear his voice, there is no question on whether or not you’ve heard his voice.  If a young (or old) preacher made an attempt to emulate his preaching, they would merely be caught in an ecclesiastical web of preaching futility.  

I contend that, while Dr. Taylor can be hard to pen down, he is worthy of the attention of any preacher, young or old.  He, now in his 90’s, brings a grace to the pulpit that is unparalleled.  One of the things one will note in his preaching, and in his classic work, ‘How Shall They Preach’, is Dr. Taylor’s language and communicative distinction.  You cannot help but note that he is heavily drawn to Alexander Mclaren, or J.W. Forsyth and a G. Campbell Morgan (one of my favorites).  You can also discern his love of the works of the Quakers and the Puritans.  How he has redefined black preaching to the extent of being given the nomenclature ‘Prince of Preachers’ (beyond all color lines) is a testament, in and of itself, when you consider Dr. Taylor never perfected the ‘Art of Intonation’ or what we call, ‘Whooping’, in the African-American preaching context.  

“How Shall They Preach” is a collection of Dr. Taylor’s Lyman Beecher Lectureship on Preaching, held at Yale Divinity School since 1871.  Taylor lectured there in 1975-76.  His book (and lecture) is vintage Dr. Gardner C. Taylor.  It is filled with his wit, genius, humor, charm, wordings and a summation of forty years of preaching sojourn, at that time.  Dr. Taylor explores 'the presumptuousness of preaching’, as he terms it.  He says, ‘…preaching is a presumptuous business.  If the undertaking does not have some sanctions beyond human reckoning, then it is, indeed, rash and audacious for one person to dare to stand up before or among other people and declare that he or she brings from the Eternal God a message for those who listen which involves issues nothing less than those of life and death.’ (pg.24)   Dr. Taylor puts forth and holds up an important facet of preaching - the preacher must strive to know the God in Whom we proclaim.  We must acquaint ourselves with the very character, nature, personality and even tendencies of the God of the Bible.  Even as we study the scripture and read the historical events in the pages of God’s Word, we must always identify the character of God.  When we commune with Him, and come to know Him, those things become much easier to spot.  This becomes a life-long pursuit, I think.  After all, no one can claim to know fully a God Who is not only ubiquitous, but simply mysterious.  Dr. Taylor says that, “The temptation to vanity is one of the great perils of the person who preaches.” (pg. 31) Taylor says that, if we are not careful, we can start to believe in our own press clippings.  

I believe it is best for us to carry the conviction of our preaching with us home and in life, but that we should keep the influencing charisma of our preaching in the pulpit.  In a sense, forget about it!  

Taylor says:

“That was a fine sermon,” said a woman as she left the church. “Thank you,” said the preacher, “the devil has already told me so.”

When God uses us as instruments to deliver an outstanding message that touches people, please remember that God hasn’t just smiled on you, or on His people….He is smiling on His Word!  God responds to the proclamation of HIS Word.  If you happen to see ‘preaching’ that seems to elicit excitement from the crowd and there is clearly no reference to God’s Word, it is nothing more than objective truth that has been sweetened by music and made palatable by religious entertainment.  

When it comes to the presumptuousness of preaching, Dr. Taylor lists the great temptations of the preacher:

1. To recline
2. To shine
3. To whine (pg. 33)

In a culture that views the preacher as the mogul or ‘next door Savior’, we must avoid these temptations like the plague.  Taylor says, and I agree, that we should take our flaws and morph them into our strengths.  We should use our infirmities and flaws as an opportunity to not only identify with the humanity to whom we preach, but to flesh it out in a manner that grows us and them.  He says, ‘We who preach are apart of the whole human undertaking.’ (pg. 34)  In describing the power of this reality, in connecting with the humanity (and weaknesses) within one’s self and others, Taylor parallels our pursuit of God with God’s pursuit of us through the incarnation.  That somehow it is implicit within the gospel that God could not work through us until He got ‘with us.’ (i.e. - Immanuel)  I think it is important to note that when we become acquainted with our own human proclivities, and avoid the temptations to become celebrity, and are aware of our own flaws, it places us in the right position to minister effectively to others who, knowingly or unknowingly, have the same plight.  We are then apt to allow God’s Spirit to proclaim “from" victory, rather than “for" it.  

My original intent was to review the entire work, ‘How Shall They Preach’, however, I guess this will suffice.  I highly recommend every preacher find a copy of this book, if possible.

Sunday in Retrospect

Well....another great Lord's Day!  

This was not without its challenges; but we had a great day in the Lord.  It has been refreshing (as I've probably said before) to witness some of the things I have envisioned for our congregation come to fruition.  For the laymen's understanding, the experience is akin to witnessing your child become responsible and make wise decisions without your stern direction at every turn.  It is God's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.  

My experience has been quite challenging yet quite rewarding.  Pastoring is hard work!  Yes, it comes natural when you're called to do it.  But it is hard work!  Those who've said it is not hard work, I will not say they are doing something wrong; but will simply argue they are in the minority.  Most would contend.....pastoring is hard work!  However, it is the most rewarding experience in the world.  Going from a congregation I started to a congregation over a century and a quarter old is about as contrastingly distinctive as it comes.  But it has been good for me.  I'm learning a lot, about patience, vision, preaching, inclusion (nothing to do with Carlton Pearson!), balance, Pastoring everyone, and so much more.  

I am really excited about the meeting we had today with those involved in Worship service.  We have been looking on ways to improve our worship experience, and also to flow better in our services.  I envision planning our services, as do some congregations now.  Shout out to Derrick Garrett.  This guy, who is also one of our Deacons in Training, has been a Godsend.  Joining our church about a year ago, he come from a congregation who worked monthly in planning their services.  Glad to have him as our Director of Worship & Fine Arts.  

This past Lord's Day, I also announced our congregation's very first Media Director, Erikka Murphy.  This is a major milestone in our congregation; and it is necessary if we plan to do effective ministry in the 21st century.  Erikka, one of our recent college graduates, will help us bring interactive media to our services, including mid-week; and also assist us in the process of the audio and visual recordings of our weekly Sunday services.  Please pray for us.  This is a huge step; and a necessary challenge for a 141 year old congregation.

I continued our series through 1st Peter.  Here is my outline...

This Joy That I Have

1 Peter 1:6-9

Big Idea: Believers rejoice in the midst of suffering

I.      There is a Joy that comes through Faith (Verses 6-8)

                 a. The Ground of Faith

                 b. The Growth of Faith

                      1. Tests and trials are temporary 'for a little while'

                      2. Tests and trials are tailored 'if necessary'

                 c. The Goal of Faith

                     1. God wants our faith to grow in value—“greater than gold.” Verse 7

                     2. God desire our faith to grow in validity—“proved genuine.” Verse 7 

II.      THERE IS A JOY THAT COMES THROUGH HOPE (Verses 7b & 9)

                 a.     The Hope of Comparison

                 b.     The Hope of Completion 

                           1. We have certainty of Christ’s return.

           a.“Praise”—Christ will say “well-done.”

           b.“Honor”—Christ will give us honorable positions of authority.

      c.“Glory”—Christ will give us glorious bodies and place us in glorious   offices.

                             2. We have the assurance of salvation’s results, verse 9

III.      THERE IS A JOY THAT COMES THROUGH LOVE (Verse 8)

                a.     There is the Joy of Loving

                b.     There is the Joy of Being Loved

Thank God for the one who made a decision to unite with our congregation today.  Glad to have him.  Also glad to get a few gifts this week for my birthday.  That was great!

Sunday in Retrospect

This past Lord's Day happened to simply be one of those Sunday's where practically everything went right.  While I am not naive to the realities of 'tomorrow', it was a good refresher for me and us as a congregation.  Attendance was great, all seemed to have a great attitude (if they did not, they didn't let me know), God smiled on the morning Sermon, people responded to the message, choir sang like they rehearsed, liturgical ministry danced in a way that I believe was pleasing to God, and the people were receptive throughout the entire service and day.

Of course, moving to being an experienced Pastor, this has both been Spirit-led and directed, along with premeditation on my part.  This past week we had a Mid-Year Tune Up 2-night revival.  One of my old preaching mentors, Rev. James R. Miller, shared with us last Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Monday night.  Our congregation was tremendously blessed.  More than this, God sent us just what we needed, both in terms of encouragement (as we seek to move forward for the rest of the year) and instruction.  Rev. Miller has blessed me and us in more ways than I am sure he even knows, as Pastor and people.

I began a series yesterday in First Peter.  I've been flirting with the idea of going through this great Petrine epistle for over a year; and I just decided to finally 'jump'.  Typically, I don't start a new series like this in the Summer; but it started off great.  I pray that it grows our congregation, as it has and is growing me personally and devotionally.

My greatest challenge has been to grow in the area of my study of the Word of God, as well as my private devotion.  In my sermonic preparation, I am trying to glean from what I've learned several weeks ago at the E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference, and trying to have the bulk of my sermon done by Tuesday, and written out in manuscript form by Wednesday.  While this has been only a slight change (last year I've tried to complete my sermon manuscript by Friday morning, 8am), it has been a challenge because my preaching has moved entirely to working harder to frame and construct as much of my own sermon skeleton and content, with utilizing a plethora of resources, documenting my sources.  Over the years, I became 'lazy', and utilized some 'sources' that really gave me time to simply deal with the surface elements of textual study, without digging deep in the wells of the Word, FOR MYSELF.  With this change, and wanting to publish, much of my preparation and manuscript writing is now being  re-framed and re-formed.

Here is my outline:

Subject/Title: When Following Jesus Seems to Wreck Your World
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-2
The Big Idea: How God's people stay on course when following Christ brings pain and calamity, conflict in this world.

I.  REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE IN THIS WORLD OF CONFLICT

1.    You are Special to God – “elect”

a.    Israel, the chosen people of God (Isa. 43:20-21)

b.    Church, the chosen community (Gal. 6:16)

2.    You are Strangers to the World – “strangers” or “exiles”

a.    The example of Abraham (Heb. 11:8-13)

b.    The experience of Christians (Heb. 13:13-14)

3.    You are Scattered to Serve – “Diaspora” or “Dispersion”

II.  LEARN HOW TO HOLD YOUR HOPE IN A HOSTILE WORLD

1.   The Word of the Father

a.    Choosing to reveal Himself as Father

b.    Choosing to redeem His people as Children

2.    The Work of the Son

a.    The shedding of His blood

b.    The sprinkling of His blood (Exod. 24:3-8)

3.    The Work of the Spirit

a.    Sanctification—an accomplished fact (1 Cor. 6:11)

b.    Sanctification—a progressive necessity (2 Cor. 3:16-18)

III.  KEEP STANDING RIGHT SIDE UP EVEN WHEN YOUR WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN 

Thankful for the souls who came forward.  And I am looking forward to continuing on with 1st Peter 1:3 this coming Sunday.

Dr. P.S. Wilkinson, Sr.

For years, I have heard about the preaching legend and legacy of Dr. Paschal (P.S.) Wilkinson, Sr.  Born on December 8, 1905, he went Upstairs on December 3, 1977, just five days shy of his 73rd birthday.  He was 72!  Growing up, I was often told he was one of the greatest pulpiteers of his generation; from pulpit acumen to preaching prowess, he was said to be in a class all his own.  

Beginning his preaching ministry at the age of 14, he is best known for his role as the Senior Pastor of New Light Baptist Church (San Antonio, Tx) for almost 45 years.  He also served for many years as the President of the American Baptist State Convention and apart of the Educational Board of the National Baptist Convention.  

For some years now, I have been trying to get a hold of a copy of the one book he had written, 'Pilate's Judgment Hall.'  This book is a collection of the sermons and messages preached from the pulpit of New Light.  Interestingly, when I was a teenage preacher, I had the opportunity to hear a tape of an older P.S. Wilkinson preaching.  Needless to say, it left an impression.  Considering myself a student of preaching and preachers, I have coveted the idea of attaining a copy of his book.  While I am certain a few preachers have a copy, I only personally knew of two - My father, and the late Rev. R. L. Sanders, who pastored for years the Mt. Gilead Church in Forth Worth, Texas.  

After about 10 years of searching, I happened to come across a copy of Wilkinson's book.  While the book was written in 1948, many of the pages missing, I have found a richness and depth to his preaching that is peerless and impressionable.  While I am, by far, no Pashcal Wilkinson, Sr., the single book has renewed my commitment to writing and written communication.  What I would give to have more of such a great preaching legend.  I am convinced that, as I struggle to refresh my mind with new, meaningful, and varying insights from God's Word and others, that each and every servant of God would build a legacy that is unique to their own calling.  I hope to share excerpts in the future of this great preaching legend.  It has blessed me tremendously.

The Patented Preacher

By Warren Wiersbe

Taken from Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching, The by CRAIG BRIAN LARSON; HADDON ROBINSON. Copyright © 2005 by Christianity Today International.

Why is it that so many preachers do not enjoy preaching? Why do some busy themselves in minor matters when they should be studying and meditating? Why do others creep out of the pulpit after delivering their sermon, overwhelmed with a sense of failure and guilt?

“It doesn’t make sense!” said my pastor friend.

We were lingering over lunch and discussing the Bible conference I was conducting in his church. I’d just commented that the church was having a strong influence on the students and staff of the nearby university.

“What doesn’t make sense?” I asked.

“Where you and I are serving,” he replied.

“You’re going to have to explain.”

“Look, I’m really a country preacher with a minimum of academic training, yet I’m ministering to a university crowd. You write commentaries, and you read more books in a month than I do in a year, yet your congregation is primarily blue-collar and nonprofessional. It doesn’t make sense.”

The subject then changed, but I have pondered his observation many times in the intervening years. I’ve concluded it’s a good thing God didn’t put me on his “Pastor Placement Committee” because I would have really messed things up.

I’d never have sent rustic Amos to the affluent court of the king; I’d have given him a quiet country church somewhere. And I’d never have commissioned Saul of Tarsus, that “Hebrew of the Hebrews,” to be a missionary to the Gentiles; I’d have put him in charge of Jewish evangelism in Jerusalem.

Al l of which brings me to the point of this article: If God has called you to preach, then who you are, what you are, and where you are also must be a part of God’s plan. You do not preach in spite of this, but because of this.

Why is it, then, that so many preachers do not enjoy preaching? Why do some busy themselves in minor matters when they should be studying and meditating? Why do others creep out of the pulpit after delivering their sermon, overwhelmed with a sense of failure and guilt?

The Difference a Witness Makes

Without pausing to take a poll, I think I can suggest an answer: They are preaching in spite of themselves instead of preaching because of themselves. They either leave themselves out of their preaching or fight themselves during their preparation and delivery; this leaves them without energy or enthusiasm for the task. Instead of thanking God for what they do have, they complain about what they don’t have; this leaves them in no condition to herald the Word of God.

One Christianity Today/Gallup Poll showed that ministers believe preaching is the number one priority of their ministries, but it’s also the one thing they feel least capable of doing well. What causes this insecure attitude toward preaching?

For one thing, we’ve forgotten what preaching really is. Phillips Brooks said it best: “Preaching is the communicating of divine truth through human personality. The divine truth never changes; the human personality constantly changes—and this is what makes the message new and unique.”

No two preachers can preach the same message because no two preachers are the same. In fact, no one preacher can preach the same message twice if he is living and growing at all. The human personality is a vital part of the preaching ministry.

Recently I made an intensive study of all the Greek verbs used in the New Testament to describe the communicating of the Word of God. The three most important words are: euangelizomai, “to tell the good news”;kerysso, “to proclaim like a herald”; and martyreo, “to bear witness.” All three are important in our pulpit ministry. We’re telling the good news with the authority of a royal herald, but the message is a part of our lives. Unlike the herald, who only shouted what was given to him, we’re sharing what is personal and real to us. The messenger is a part of the message because the messenger is a witness.

God prepares the person who prepares the message. Martin Luther said that prayer, meditation, and temptation made a preacher. Prayer and meditation will give you a sermon, but only temptation—the daily experience of life—can transform that sermon into a message. It’s the difference between the recipe and the meal.

I had an experience at a denominational conference that brought this truth home to me. During the session at which I was to speak, a very capable ladies’ trio sang. It was an uptempo number, the message of which did not quite fit my theme, but, of course, they had no way of knowing exactly what I would preach about. I was glad my message did not immediately follow their number because I didn’t feel the congregation was prepared.

Just before I spoke, a pastor in a wheelchair rolled to the center of the platform and gave a brief testimony about his ministry. Then he sang, to very simple accompaniment, “No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus.” The effect was overwhelming. The man was not singing a song; he was ministering a word from God. But he had paid a price to minister. In suffering, he became a part of the message.

The experiences we preachers go through are not accidents; they are appointments. They do not interrupt our studies; they are an essential part of our studies. Our personalities, our physical equipment, and even our handicaps are all part of the kind of ministry God wants us to have. He wants us to be witnesses as well as heralds.

The apostles knew this: “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). This was a part of Paul’s commission: “You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:15). Instead of minimizing or condemning what we are, we must use what we are to bear witness to Christ. It is this that makes the message our message and not the echo of another’s.

The Myth of “The Great Sermon”

It’s easy to imitate these days. Not only do we have books of sermons, but we have radio and television ministries and CDs by the thousands. One man models himself after Spurgeon, another after A. W. Tozer; and both congregations suffer.

Alexander Whyte of Edinburgh had an assistant who took the second service for the aging pastor. Whyte was a surgical preacher who ruthlessly dealt with man’s sin and then faithfully proclaimed God’s saving grace. But his assistant was a man of different temperament, who tried to move the gospel message out of the operating room into the banqueting hall.

During one period of his ministry, however, the assistant tried Whyte’s approach, without Whyte’s success. The experiment stopped when Whyte said to him, “Preach your own message.” That counsel is needed today.

Every profession has its occupational hazards, and in the ministry it is the passion to preach “great sermons.” Fant and Pinson, in 20 Centuries of Great Preaching, came to the startling conclusion that “great preaching is relevant preaching.” By “relevant,” they mean preaching that meets the needs of the people in their times, preaching that shows the preacher cares and wants to help.

If this is true, then there are thousands of “great sermons” preached each Lord’s Day, preached by those whose names will never be printed in homiletics books but are written in the loving hearts of their people. Listen again to Phillips Brooks:

The notion of a great sermon, either constantly or occasionally haunting the preacher, is fatal. It hampers…the freedom of utterance. Many a true and helpful word which your people need, and which you ought to say to them, will seem unworthy of the dignity of your great discourse… . Never tolerate any idea of the dignity of a sermon which will keep you from saying anything in it which you ought to say, or which your people ought to hear.

Preaching Christ, Not Myself

Let me add another reason for insecure feelings about our preaching. In our desire to be humble servants of God, we have a tendency to suppress our personalities lest we should preach ourselves and not Christ. It is good to heed Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians 4:5: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” But we must not misinterpret it and thereby attempt the impossible. Paul’s personality, and even some of his personal experiences, are written into the warp and woof of his letters; yet Jesus Christ is glorified from start to finish.

During the past twenty years, I have been immersed in studying the lives of famous preachers of the past. Most of these ministered during the Victorian Era in Great Britain, a time when the pulpits were filled with superstars. If there’s one thing I learned from these men, it’s this: God has his own ways of training and preparing his servants, but he wants all of them to be themselves. God has put variety into the universe, and he has put variety into the church.

If your personality doesn’t shine through your preaching, you’re only a robot. You could be replaced by a CD player and perhaps nobody would know the difference.

Do not confuse the art and the science of preaching. Homiletics is the science of preaching, and it has basic laws and principles that every preacher ought to study and practice. Once you’ve learned how to obey these principles, then you can adapt them, modify them, and tailor them to your own personality.

In my conference ministry, I often share the platform with gifted speakers whose preaching leaves me saying to myself, What’s the use? I’ll never learn how to preach like that! Then the Lord has to remind me he never called me “to preach like that.” He called me to preach the way I preach!

The science of preaching is one thing; the art of preaching—style, delivery, approach, and all those other almost indefinable ingredients that make up one’s personality—is something else. One preacher uses humor and hits the target; another attempts it and shoots himself.

The essence of what I am saying is this: You must know yourself, accept yourself, be yourself, and develop yourself—your best self—if preaching is to be most effective.

Never imitate another preacher, but learn from him everything you can. Never complain about yourself or your circumstances, but find out why God made things that way and use what he has given you in a positive way. What you think are obstacles may turn out to be opportunities. Stay long enough in one church to discover who you are, what kind of ministry God has given you, and how he plans to train you for ministries yet to come. After all, he is always preparing us for what he already has prepared for us—if we let him.

Accepting What We’re Not

I learned very early in my ministry that I was not an evangelist. Although I’ve seen people come to Christ through my ministry, I’ve always felt I was a failure when it came to evangelism.

One of the few benefits of growing older is a better perspective. Now I’m learning that my teaching and writing ministries have enabled others to lead people to Christ, somy labors have not been in vain. But I’ve had my hours of discouragement and the feeling of failure.

God gives us the spiritual gifts he wants us to have; he put us in the places he wants us to serve; and he gives the blessings he wants us to enjoy.

I am convinced of this, but this conviction is not an excuse for laziness or for barrenness of ministry. Knowing I am God’s man in God’s place of ministry has encouraged me to study harder and do my best work. When the harvests were lean, the assurance that God put me there helped to keep me going. When the battles raged and the storms blew, my secure refuge was “God put me here, and I will stay here until he tells me to go.” How often I’ve remembered V. Raymond Edman’s counsel: “It is always too soon to quit!”

It has been my experience that the young preacher in his first church and the middle-aged preacher (in perhaps his third or fourth church) are the most susceptible to discouragement. This is not difficult to understand.

The young seminarian marches bravely into his first church with high ideals, only to face the steamroller of reality and the furnace of criticism. He waves his banners bravely for a year or so, then takes them down quietly and makes plans to move. The middle-aged minister has seen his ideals attacked many times, but now he realizes that time is short and he might not attain to the top thirty of David’s mighty men.

God help the preacher who abandons his ideals! But, at the same time, God pity the preacher who is so idealistic he fails to be realistic. A realist is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been purified. A skeptic is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been burned. There is a difference.

Self-evaluation is a difficult and dangerous thing. Sometimes we’re so close to our ministry we fail to see it. One of my students once asked me, “Why can’t I see any spiritual growth in my life? Everybody else tells me they can see it!” I reminded him that at Pentecost no man could see the flame over his own head, but he could see what was burning over his brother’s head.

A word from the Scottish preacher George Morrison has buoyed me up in many a storm: “Men who do their best always do more though they be haunted by the sense of failure. Be good and true, be patient; be undaunted. Leave your usefulness for God to estimate. He will see to it that you do not live in vain.”

Be realistic as you assess your work. Avoid comparisons. I read enough religious publications and hear enough conversations to know that such comparisons are the chief indoor sport of preachers, but I try not to take them too seriously. “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12).

Although we are in conflict against those who preach a false gospel, we are not in competition with any who preach the true gospel. We are only in competition with ourselves. By the grace of God, we ought to be better preachers and pastors today than we were a year ago.

If we are to be better pastors and preachers, we must be better persons; and this means discipline and hard work. The “giants” I’ve lived with these many years were all hard workers. Campbell Morgan was in his study at six o’clock in the morning. His successor, John Henry Jowett, was also up early and into the books. “Enter your study at an appointed hour,” Jowett said in his lectures to the Yale divinity students in 1911–1912, “and let that hour be as early as the earliest of your businessmen goes to his warehouse or his office.” Spurgeon worked hard and had to take winter holidays to regain his strength.

Obviously, we gain nothing by imperiling our health, but we lose much by pampering ourselves, and that is the greater danger.

The Gift Is Sufficient

If God has called you, then he has given you what you need to do the job. You may not have all that others have, or all you wish you had, but you have what God wants you to have. Accept it, be faithful to use it, and in due time God will give you more.

Give yourself time to discover and develop your gifts. Accept nothing as a handicap. Turn it over to God and let him make a useful tool out of it. After all, that’s what he did with Paul’s thorn in the flesh.

Preaching it not what we do; it’s what we are. When God wants to make a preacher, he has to make the person, because the work we do cannot be isolated from the life we live. God prepares the person for the work and the work for the person, and, if we permit him, he brings them together in his providence.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He’d never put us into a ministry where he could not build us and use us.

Sentence Sermonettes

The Almighty gives the best to those who leave the choice to him.

Sin thrills and then it kills.

The heart of religion is the heart.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Sin always carries with it a built-in deception about judgment.

If you are happy, tell your face about it.

Are you on a collision course with God?

Your soul will live forever, somewhere — ​where?

Love gives and forgives.

Good works are the fruit, not the root, of salvation.

God’s will is not always easy, but it is always right.

Not to decide is to decide.

Sin is personal but not private.

Life without Christ is an empty existence.

Every problem is in reality an opportunity.

Prejudice is a lazy person’s substitute for thinking.

Hell is a place of no hope.

People judge each other by rank; God judges all by service.

Happiness is a sweet perfume you cannot pour out on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

No joy is complete unless it is shared.

Not failure, but low aim, is the real crime in life.

A sharp tongue will cut your own throat.

Life is like a bicycle — ​stop pedaling, and you fall.

Worry is a mental tornado.

A problem honestly stated is half solved.

Blessed are those who can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. — ​Chinese proverb

One may be better than one’s reputation but never better than one’s principles.

It is evil not to do good.

Is your heart on its knees?

Love is the only effective way to deal with a problem.

To poison a person’s mind is a worse sin than to poison a person’s food.

If you kicked the one responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for six months.

Forgiveness: man’s deepest need and highest achievement.

Two things are hard on the heart — ​running up stairs and running down people.

Most friction in life is caused by the tone of the voice.

Unfounded and unnecessary fears are deadly enemies that paralyze the will, poison the affections, and if allowed to continue, may destroy the soul.

If you want to be rich, give; if you want to be poor, grasp.

Cast all your care on God! That anchor holds. — ​Alfred Tennyson

It is natural to be religious; it is supernatural to be Christian.

God’s wisdom is both timely and timeless.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

Be An Original...Well, An Original Copy! (Part Seven)

As last stated....my major disappointment came in April of ’97.....

In April of 1997, a letter from Morehouse College, stating that I had NOT been accepted!  I felt as if all of my dreams had been shattered.  By then, I just knew that I would be accepted, especially after being accepted into Baylor College.  This was not the case.  It took me years after to publicly admit that I had not been accepted.  But, yes, I was NOT accepted into Morehouse!  Then I seemed to receive clear direction.  The idea of Dallas Baptist kept popping up.  However, I had no desire to attend such an unpopular, ‘boring’ school; and saw no way how this would fit into God’s ultimate plan for my life and ministry; and how this would even connect to my intended plan of attending Princeton.  Plus…I HATED Dallas!  But along the way, doors began to open at Dallas Baptist.  It was clear to me, if no one else – that is where God wanted me!

Just after graduating high school, and being accepted into Dallas Baptist University, our city (Corpus Christi) hosted a City-Wide revival.  Interestingly, the preachers who were on to share that week just so happened to hail from Dallas.  One of the evangelists was Frederick D. Haynes, III.  When I finally heard him preach, I thought he was good, but different.  After a while, his preaching began to grow on me.  While I didn’t connect with his exposition at first, I was blown away by his linguistic ability, his use of words (which sort of reminded me of A. Louis Patterson) and his seeming ability to touch the heart of the hip hop culture.  One of the things that fascinated me, when it came to the preaching of Frederick Haynes, is that he seemed to get a very enthusiastic response and dialogue from the crowd without ever utilizing the ‘hoop’.  In fact, it seemed to me, the response was even stronger!  It was then, that I began to develop atleast a momentary confidence and comfort in my ability to ‘tell the story’ and use my mind to speak to and capture the hearts and minds of the hearer.  During that season of my life, this is when Haynes became very instrumental in my use of illustration and introductions in my sermon delivery.  For me, Haynes’s preaching never failed to provide me with anecdotes, word pictures and heart-wrenching questions that would help me to build my own sermons and content.  Unfortunately, it somewhat became a crutch along the way.  I began to study less and listen to tapes for insight and enlightenment.  I discovered at the moments when my study would outweigh the listening aspect, my preaching would be more empowering; and when I listened and copied more, studying less…it had the opposite effect. 

As I prepared to go off the school in the fall of ’97, I was very excited about attending some of the churches of the preachers I had grown to admire.  Unfortunately….my parents didn’t allow me to take my car that fall.  Incidentally, the only church within walking distance of our aloof campus was The Potter’s House of Dallas, where Bishop T.D. Jakes served as the founding pastor.  At that time, Jakes was somewhat of a stigma, seen as highly charismatic and highly misunderstood.  For many, he was very new; and had yet to gain the crossover title of ‘The next Billy Graham’, friends with presidents, renowned publisher, Dr. Phil consultant, Oprah friend, etc.  To say the least, I had to sneak over to his church.  This was during a time when Saturday services were quite new.  I left my dorm room at about 5:30pm, and walked over to The Potter’s House.  Whatever I had seen regarding a ‘church crowd’ paled in comparison to what I saw that night.  Of course, this would be the beginning of what I would encounter in Dallas, but this was ‘epic’.  Imagine coming from Corpus Christi, where things were a little ‘simpler’, entering into a church with thousands of people there, on a Saturday night, with screens, music that could rival a Michael Jackson or Madonna concert, and ball players within you eyeview.  I guess you can say that it was ‘culture shock’.  Interestingly, this was my first experience seeing an epilogue leading up to the worship, and an actual countdown to the opening of the worship experience.  What seems so commonplace now was quite astonishing to me then.  During this first-class worship experience, Jakes comes out!  I don’t know how I remember what the people wear; but I actually know he had on a mauve suit with a curved lapel jacket.  I noticed that, as he stood in the pulpit, he seemed to be in a modus operandi of CEO; checking out the staff, musicians, crowd, etc.  Then he stepped to the podium and welcomed everyone to worship.  After his welcome, he actually came down and shook hands.  Somehow, he and I shook hands.  Tough I would come to know his children in the coming years, that was really the only encounter I’ve had with him personally.  One thing is clear….he preached!  Though different from most of the preaching I’d grown accustomed to; I vividly remember being a little shocked that he preached a solid message.  Don't ask me why I was shocked...I guess during that time many only knew of Jakes as a Pentecostal preacher who hollered and screamed.  Somehow, I played into the hype.  But there was and is not doubt in my mind that, even in listening to the sermon today (I somehow managed to purchase the sermon), the quality and content of his sermon was solid and strong.  He preached, ‘Christ in Crisis’, from an obscure passage in Colossians, dealing with the all-sufficiency of Christ, along with the familiar story of Christ in the boat with his disciples.  I remember walking back, as all of those nice cars left the building…uplifted by the message; while also saying to myself, ‘I can’t do that!’?.....