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.

Balance

Can a man be a pastor of a church without meddling in everything in the town, or without policing every den in the community, or without becoming a storm-center in politics, in the schools' situation, or in civic affairs?  The pastor must bear his share of the community load; yet if he is new to the community, he must remember that it would be better for him to wait until he is asked for his advice or his services.  He must be smart, but not too smart; he must be quiet, but not too quiet.  He must be nice; but not too nice.  The place of a new minister is a hard place to fill.  -The Making of a Preacher, W. W. Melton, Pg56, Zondervan Publishing House, c1953

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

During the course of the E.K. Bailey conference, I was most intrigued and impressed with the up-close-and-personal encounter we had with Dr. Bailey.  At the hotel, we were eating lunch between sessions, and Dr. Bailey came over and sat with us.  I was always impressed by all of the ministers who seemed to know Rev. Miller; and also my father.  

Interestingly, I wouldn’t know until years later that Dr. Bailey was actually the best of friends with my uncle, Rev. Monty Francis, of Waco.  Bailey sat with us for at least one hour or so, sharing his experiences of putting the conference together, his congregational life, T.D. Jakes’ recent move to Dallas, etc.  I found it impressionable how he had no issues or qualms with Jakes’ presence in Dallas; and that he had seen no problems with those who would decide to leave and become a part of his growing congregation.   I couldn’t believe how personal and down-to-earth he was.  As impactful as that experience was for me, nothing during that time matches another experience I had at that particular event.  We were in a general session; and in walks the late Manuel Scott, Sr.  By that time, I had read his two books; and had really grown to love his preaching.  My Uncle Monty, my father and especially Rev. Miller had developed a deep respect, love and closeness to Dr. Scott.  I was amazed at how he seemed to be so genuine, even in that passing and fleeting moment that lasted all but one minute.  I remember, as he walked, he was apparently going blind at that time…he was impeccably dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black tie.  He reached out to touch my head, grabbing my hand and, after asking who I was and following my response, he said, ‘Son…I know your family.  I love you, son.  Don’t you ever forget where you came from.’  That would be the only encounter I would ever have with such a great man and venerable sage, who has proven to be one of my favorite preachers of all time.  It became surreal when, years later, I would stand to preach in the place he proclaimed the word for many years, at the historic St. John Church of Dallas.

By the time I would enter my final year of high school, I had worked up to being a young, itinerant, teenage preacher.  I was preaching regularly in revivals for my mentors, the late R.L. Sanders (of Fort Worth), my uncles...Monty Earl Francis (of Waco, Tx) and Lloyd A. Pullam (of Denton, Tx).

A funny thing would happen to me on that same summer, after attending the Bailey conference.  I was scheduled to preach in revival for my uncle, Monty Francis, at his church in Waco, the Pleasant Olive Church.  As fate would have it, there was also another revival going on down the street, at a neighboring congregation.  The evangelist there was none other than the highly regarded C.A.W. Clark, distinguished Pastor of the historical Good Street Baptist Church of Dallas!!!  I will never forget stoically staring at the Waco Tribune-Herald local column seeing my picture plastered next to the legendary Caesar Clark.  What a humbling (and for me at that moment….humiliating) experience for a 17-year old kid with private insecurities.  One night my uncle took me over to meet Dr. Clark.  Clark had finished preaching, and was standing up front to greet the local parishioners.  I was immediately struck by his height.  He was short in stature, but possessed a quiet serenity and coolness that seemed to shine through taller than a high mountain.  As I approached him, I had the opportunity to ask him to sign my Bible.  I told him that I was in revival down the street; he shared a few words with my uncle, whom he knew.  All he said to me was, ‘….bless you!’  That was enough for me.  It made my day!

I most enjoyed preaching at my home church, St. John 1st in Corpus Christi, at Friendship (where Rev. Miller served as Pastor), and for my preaching mentor, Earl Jackson, in Kingsville, Tx. and the late E. Thurman Walker, of San Antonio, Tx.  These men, among many others, willingly allowed me to share from their pulpits, even when I often failed to do the best.

Their kindness, advice, counsel and confrontations are something I’ve never forgotten; and always consider to be a mark of God’s own faithfulness to me.  So many of these ‘servants’ and ‘angels’ were a blessing to me spiritually and monetarily.  Not just these men; but many others with whom I would encounter along the way.  Just one example of this came just before my sophomore year in high school.  My parents and I were traveling to take my elder brother, Keith, to Prairie View, for his freshman year of college.  Staying over in Houston on Saturday and Sunday, I simply had to go by and see the preacher I had grown to admire, Gary (G. Emerson) Scott, of the Trinity Fellowship Church.  He had left a congregation in Houston and planted his own church, in the Southeast section of Houston.  As a result, it was difficult to locate where he would be on Sunday.  However, my Dad (in some way) found his church, and there we were!  He and his congregation were meeting at a Holiday Inn in Houston.  We were late; but simply being there made me feel like a kid at Disney World.  After service, Pastor Scott took us to his little portable office in the hotel, and personally let me see all of his books.  I was quite astonished to see that he liked many of the same authors I was reading at that time, namely Max Lucado, Frederick Buechner and Paul Tillich.  He then asked his secretary to write me a check for $150, and instructed me to invest in my ministry, but to also pick up a Greek Lexicon published by Baker.  I was on cloud 9!  This continued throughout my young ministry; and has never failed to impress upon me a desire to invest in the lives of young ministers that follow.  
     

I really enjoyed my senior year of high school.  Though in a relationship that somewhat put a damper on the experience, I must admit that I had a great year!  My experience at the Bailey conference solidified my growing desire to be a student of ‘expository preaching’.  In addition, I knew one thing up to that point: I had to go to school.  At that time, I had the plan of attaining my doctorate by the age of 30, no later than 35.  By this time, I had begun to communicate on a regular basis, in written communication, with Cleophus J. LaRue, a native of Corpus Christ who had become quite successful in the world of Academia and, by then, had become adjunct professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.  My entire plan included one day attending Princeton as a graduate student.  By my senior year, I had already envisioned my purpose, calling and the route I desired to take in life: to preach, to teach preachers, to teach in seminary, to write and to pastor.  I had no desire to do anything else.  That was it!

Over the course of my senior year, my major disappointment came in April of ’97.....

Musings from Osborne's "Sticky Church"

We've discovered lots of ways to reach people.  We've offered the high-powered programs and slick marketing of attractional churches, the cultural savvy of missional churches, and the relational intimacy of small churches.  But we've often become so focused on reaching people that we've forgotten the importance of keeping people.  Pg.13

Stickier churches are healthier churches.  They not only draw in spiritual window-shoppers and lead them to Christ; they also grow them to maturity.  Pg.13

Everything we do is aimed at helping the Christians we already have grow stronger in Christ.  But everything is done in such a way that their non-Christian friends will understand all that we're saying and doing.  Bottom line: We've tried to create a perfect storm for come-and-see evangelism while velcroing newcomers for long-term spiritual growth. Pg.20

...a sticky church offers the perfect environment for come-and-see evangelism, because while every service is designed to help Christians become better Christians, it is always done in a way that non-Christians can understand evyerthing that's said and takes place. Pg.32

Most of our discipleship programs are very linear.  Unfortunately, most spiritual growth is not. Pg.41

Most spiritual growth doesn't come as a result of a training program or a set curriculum.  It comes as a result of life putting us in what I like to call a need-to-know or need-to-grow situation. Pg.42

Another spiritually crippling falsehood that began to lose its grip on our congregation was what I call the Holy Place myth.  It's the idea that God's presence is somehow greater in some places than in others.  It's why some Christians will tell a joke at the office they'd never think of repeating at church.  It's why others don't think twice about lying on a loan application but still swear they live by the Ten Commandments.  The Holy Place myth fosters a false dichotomy between secular and the spiritual by leading us to believe that there are some places where God hangs out and lots of others he seldom frequents. Pg.50

...transparency is hardly the hallmark of most churches.  So much so that for most people, the stereotype of a church is a place with lots of plastic smiles.  Pg.54

One reason I want my messages to be memorable is that I want people to apply the important spiricual truths and doctrines of the faith.  I know that if I can change the way people think, it will change the way they live. Pg.63

While I understand the desire to remove the intimidation factor, something seems wrong with a world where we remove all the adults from the nursery.  Pg.69

Assigning people to groups by neighborhood sounds great on paper, but it seldom works well in real life...That's because one of the poorest predictors of a potential deep friendship is the neighborhood we live in.  In most cases, it doesn't indicate anything other than shared economic status.  A much stronger likelihood of future friendship exists when we build groups around share interests or a common station in life. Pg.79

It all starts with our mission.  We describe it this way: Making disciples in a healthy church environment. It's our way of expressing that when it comes to ministry, both task and health are equally important. Pg.101

An easy-out philosophy doesn't mean a lower commitment level.  It actually creates more opportunities for greater commitment.  Pg.111

As important as it is to know what to look for, it's equally important to know where to look.  Some fishing pools yield far more of a catch than others. Pg.128

When we at North Coast Church began our small group ministry, we fell into a common trap.  We overtrained.  Pg.134

Despite the rhetoric, most small group programs and methods don't work very well.  They haven't for a long time.  There's a huge gap between what we claim they do and what they actually accomplish. Pg.140

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make when it comes to either launching or reengineering a small group ministry is a failure to carefully align both vision and methods. Pg.149

Sticky Church, Larry Osborne, c2008

Four Pages of the Sermon

Several months ago, I had the opportunity to refresh, renew & revive myself on the West Coast for several days. During that short span of time, I caught up on a little reading.  I was able to read through Thom amd Sam Rainer's "Essential Church", a book recommended to me by my brother, Kevin. It was a good read.  Incidentally, I have already begun to find relevant insights and applications in my own pastoral work; and hope to both share with our congregation and have our leaders read this enriching publication.

All along, I've been scamming through a book written by Paul Scott Wilson entitled, "The Four Pages of the Sermon". After reading books on morphology, lexicography, biblical languages and texts, I love reading books on sermonic preparation and delivery.  Biographies and autobiographical works are a distant second.  Among my favorite books on the methodology of expositional preaching, it's study and delivery are:

- Al Fasol's 'Steps to the Sermon'

- Stephen & David Olford's 'Anointed Expository Preaching''

- J.P. Gibb's 'The Preacher & His Preaching'

- 'Preaching in Black and White' (Bailey and Wiersbe)

That being said, I love the concept and creativity of Wilson's Four-Page concept.  While I understand the concept of brevity when one is trying to market a product, I am convinced that the four-page model would benefit the busy minister were it summarized in blog form.

Under Wilson's structure is a proverbial (or literal) manuscript with four distinct pages. On each page there is a different approach to the the sermon preparation and delivery. Each page is approximately 20-25% of the sermon, upon completion.

Page One: The Problem in the Text

The first page looks explicitly and exclusively at the biblical text. Here, we are to name the problem that gave rise to the text. We know this will inevitably require the study of the context, culture and customs, along with correlating historical facts surrounding the traditions of that day.  Apart of this includes situational ethics and the exploration of the themes, central thesis, thought and theology of the writer and that problem.  Explicitly, the goal here is to summarize the manifestation of sin in the Bible world. We make sure to look at the text in a literary, historical, and theological form, so that the hearer clearly understands and grasps the text from all those different angles and realities. While this task alone is mammoth and gargantuan, it greatly informs the congregation of the Biblical material as well as the background behind the material; and the integrity of the message being conveyed.

Page Two: The Problem in the World

Page two incorporates a move to the contemporary world into the here and now. This is the Word being made flesh, so to speak. Here the preacher looks at issues in the present world that are similar to the problems that gave rise to the text. This is an interesting move that guarantees some “relevance.”. In practical terms, Spurgeon was right...we are to proclaim with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.  To be sure, the newspaper and periodicals are not our primary source; but they are a resource of the times, nonetheless.

Page Three: The Gospel in the Text

Page three is another look at the text. However, this time we look for good news in the text. Here we clearly identify what God is doing in the world of scripture. We clearly show how God redeems the Bible world in the text.  This is what makes the Gospel...good news, in the transition to page four.  As an example, we ask...what is the good news in Exodus 14, as the people face the challenge of crossing the Red Sea?  Or,,,what's the good news in Isaiah 6, during the moment Isaiah sees the Lord in His resplendent glory in the temple? There are historic implications when studying Isaiah's culture, context and the condition of his people after the death of King Uzziah.  It is good news in knowing God is seated in His place of dominion, sovereignty and reign.

Page Four: The Gospel in the World

This is where the text becomes relevant to the heads and hearts of the listeners.  For me, I like to speak to both the saved and unsaved? What hope is there to those of us who have been redeemed? Further, what hope is available to those who are here who've never encountered the reality of our resurrected Lord?  Using Isaiah 6 once again, the good news for us today is, for one, God is in control.  Another is that He will continue to reign, even when mortal kings and princes have failed.  This is even good news when we think of our election season.  For the unsaved.l.the good news is, He can reign in your life, as He is placed upon the throne in your heart!

Wilson does assert that the minister is at liberty in shifting order of pages.  But I happen to like his order.

All in all, I think it is an approach that is worth utilizing in one's sermon preparation.  Most ministers, as myself, have used this approach for years.  However, Wilson simply shows a clear method and description of this approach. This book is not for the beginning preacher, or is it for the three-point only preacher. This book is for someone who understands the narrative approach to preaching and wants to improve their mastery of this style. The book is a must read for practitioners of the narrative-inductive style of preaching. Before this book is read, one should read “Preaching” by Craddock and “Homiletical Plot” by Lowry.

Be An Original...Well, An Original Copy! (Part 4)

The preacher's name was Jerry D. Black; he looked, in my view, nothing like he'd sound.  He appeared as a thin, straight-haired, pretty-boy, middle-age guy with hazel eyes. But as he stood in the pulpit, I was immediately struck by his baritone-bass voice, coupled with his role in the service.  He seemed to inadvertently direct the choir, the band and the entire experience flowed at his direction.  He possessed a perfect blend of a country/city preacher. He was clearly intellectual, but also emotive and 'down-home.'. I would find out years later that he grew up in the back hills of Arkansas, and actually got his start as a church musician, and then became a prominent preacher, coming to Atlanta some years later. It all made perfect sense - he had the gifts to touch both head and heart. With all of the energy, detail and effort that was dedicated to the worship experience, everyone seemed to know that the central purpose  was to hear the preaching of the Word of God.  Jerry Black, the preacher, read from Luke chapter 13, the story of a woman bowed down for eighteen years and encountered Christ and eventually healed.  He titled the message that morning, "The Crooked Made Straight.". As he preached, I began to alternate between the hats of being a young teenage Christian and a student of preaching.  I could be biased, but I will say that I've heard Jerry D. Black many times since that day, but on that occasion he seemed to be in rare form.  Actually, that has been the only time, even now, I can recall a preacher literally shouting while preaching. He preached.  Clearly, whatever insults we young preachers made to Rev. Miller and my father behind their backs, it was all worth it.  As we climbed back in the van to head back home to Corpus Christi, we were all quiet, some even crying.  We were simply blown away, as probably some young basketball novice who would see MJ for the first time on court.  As we returned, I had determined in my heart and mind that I would certainly follow in MLK, Jr. and Miller's footsteps, and attend Morehouse College. (More on that later!)

As a sophomore in high school, my Dad took myself, along with his other preachers, to the Prairie View A & M's Minister's Conference.  I was most excited about hearing G. E. Patterson, who had been slated to speak at the banquet. Unfortunately, he did not show!  Imagine my heartbreak...  Nonetheless, I had some very good experiences there at the conference.  Most notable was being introduced to the preaching of William D. Watley, among others.  It was my first real experience of seeing preaching across denominational lines.  It was still good preaching, nonetheless.  On Tuesday night of the conference we played hooky and traveled with Rev. Miller to Brookhollow Baptist Church, aka 'The Church Without Walls.'. It was a midweek service, but I never will forget being on the Bingle location campus, remarking how many people were there. In fact, it wasn't just a lot of people for a midweek; it was just a lot of people!  The worship was exciting and alive, led by V. Michael McKay.  Then the pastor, Ralph D. West (a guy who I remember seeing at the Prairie View conference, seeming to be a little cocky) took the stage. I'd never heard of him before, but everyone seemed to listen to his every word. Admittedly, I wasn't impressed. No one, including myself, would have ever thought that he would one day be my most favorite preachers in the world. I was there to hear Charles Boothe!!!  Finally, after that 'West guy' was done 'talking', Charles Boothe was up.  Again, he had preached. I would later hear him at the conference later that week.  I seemed to be in my element when listening to the message of the preacher. Somehow, I loved the emotional side, but my should leaped in the content the way many leap at the 'close'.  Needless to say, I really connected at that conference, and was enriched by the experience.

During my junior year in high school, I never will forget that our city hosted our national convention's mid-winter board.  This was a great experience for me because I would finally get to see all of these preaching legends I had heard for years on tape.  James Dixon (who had grown to be a favorite of mine) was there, the Sampson boys (F.D., Asa, etc) were all there, along with C. L. Harvey and Isadore Edwards.  All of these guys had different styles, but by then I had grown to appreciate them all.  No vivid memories stand out, aside from one night when I was at home.  Rev. Miller insisted my Dad make contact with me to be at the meeting that night in the general session.  Miller conveyed the message, and my Dad co-signed and agreed, that I wouldn't want to miss the preacher.  It is ironic, as I reflect...after arriving there, the preacher Miller and my father were insistent upon me hearing, I had heard once.  It was L.K.Curry, the Chicago preacher I had heard years before that played a part in starting everything!  The one who preached on being inadequate and an underachiever.  As I sat there in the back of this packed house, this guy's presence was simply vintage.  He even 'looked' like a preacher.  I never will forget he had on a nice black, 3-button suit, a white shirt, a grey satin-looking tie and a white handkerchief.  As soon as he spoke, I made the instant connection.  Interestingly, I didn't really want to be there that night! But Miller, who was like a father figure to me and had been such a blessing to me as a young preacher, let alone my Dad's instruction, I was there out of respect.  I must admit that I don't remember his text, but I remember the title of Curry's message was 'Divine Closure'.  I remember him telling the story of being a little boy when his mother passed; and that as others were wailing the death of this young woman, he sat there in quiet content and peace, knowing that his mother was in good hands and safe keeping. He said that he unknowingly had 'Divine Closure.'. Again...Miller, nor my father, steered me wrong.  That one message has gone into the archives as one I continually replay through the virtual IPod of my mind. 

Be An Original...Well, An Original Copy! (Part 3)

On the night of my Trial Sermon, I was very nervous.  I had remarked to my older brother, Keith, as we sat in my father's study that I was scared.  He, being a young up and coming sax player in the church world told me that fear is merely Satan's attempt to neutralize my faith, and cause me to move away and turn back.  He said that it is okay to be nervous, not afraid. I've never forgotten his admonishment and advice.  As I walked out...I couldn't believe how many people were there.  Everyone seemed to be there.  J.R. Miller was there, along with many of my uncles, including my Dad's brother, Lloyd A. Pullam. Cleophus J. LaRue, Harold T. Branch and most of the local pastors were present.  It wasn't until years later that I realized that their presence there was not only because of me, but more out of support and esteem for my father.  It speaks volumes to me, even now.  I shall never forget, after preaching, Dr. Joe. S. Ratliff, of the Brentwood Church, in Houston, mailed me a book on ministry and preaching, along with a note of encouragement.  To this day, I still have that note and book somewhere in my library.  After preaching, I can vividly remember something Harold T. Branch said to me.  He said, 'Son, the greatest gift God has given you, after the cross..., is your mind.'. I didnt know if this was a generic, hyperbolic statement that Dr. Branch gave to every young preacher he would come across, but that is what he said to me.  And while his words seemed minuscule to my 15-year old mind, I remembered, and ran with it!  I remember my dad raised an offering for the church that night.  He said that the offering would be used to build my library and for the sole purpose of 'sharpening my ax.'. I never will forget that the offering was $347.00!!!  My first purchases from that offering were A Broadman Commentary Set and a Thompson Chain Study Bible.  My father also encouraged me to purchase a concordance, bible dictionary and a few other books for my fledgling library.  He also did something else. With the little money I had left, he took me to the bank, and made me open up an account. My first check was my tithe check!  

After preaching that night, my aunt 'Renee' (who was a member of the prestigious Antioch Church of San Antonio) said that she thought I would love a preacher who came on BET on Thursdays by the name of Frank M. Reid.  She was right; I DID!  For me, Reid became (after my father and Miller) my first real model for preaching. He definitely became my first portable preaching seminary.  From his demeanor in the pulpit to his preaching style, to his close....it all seemed planned though spirit filled.  His preaching changed years later; but I really fell in love with his preaching from the mid-nineties to early 2000's.  I loved it because I could SEE him preach, juxtaposed to all the guys I had only heard via tapes.

Several years later, Rev. J.R. Miller, who attended Morehouse, got word that some of us were curious about attending Morehouse one day.  So...one summer, he and my father drove us young preachers into a church van and took us to Atlanta.  Man....up to that point, I had never seen a city like that, in that way.  Miller took us by Salem Baptist Church (all of us wanted to see the place where Jasper Williams preached!). At that time, prior to the emergence of T.D. Jakes....Jasper Williams was the go-to guy in black preaching.  We also had a chance to go by Rev. Miller's home church there, Antioch. We met his college Pastor, Dr. Cameron Alexander, and was able to tour his church facility. That was my first up close encounter with a church that ran like a full-fledged business.  I can still remember seeing so many people, and being amazed that so many people were at church, in professional attire, working in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week.  

We also had a chance to go by the Atlanta malls, see the sights and the girls, and also ran into TLC, a girl-singing group.  They were walking through the mall, without a crowd or entourage.  It was just after one of the group's member, Left Eye, had burned down her boyfriend's house in an Atlanta suburb.  After noticing we were following them, I never will forget Left Eye remarking I was cute.  I guess she meant as a little boy, but for some reason I thought she was trying to get a date.  I had to let everyone know that Chili was my girl, and that was it.

That Sunday, for some reason, my father and Rev. Miller didn't take us to Salem, where we wanted to go.  We were very upset, but he promised us we would not be disappointed.  This was my first test in taking Miller at his word, when it came to preaching.  We were ALL upset, to say the least. He took us to a Beulah Baptist Church.  I will never forget that as we drove up to this school-looking church, people were running to get into church.  Though the church was packed, Rev. Miller had an old classmate who was a member there, who had arranged for all of us to sit together towards the front.  What I experienced next....far exceeded what I had heard as a little boy on that golden-looking tape......(To Be Continued)

Be An Original...well, An Original Copy! (Part 2)

As I listened to Jasper Williams, I couldn't believe the energy, style and intonation given in one single sermon.  This one preacher made me feel as if I wanted to be sitting there in the very building in which he preached.  His style was boiled down to an actual science, an actual art form, if you will.  As I listened, I felt as if I were in church, though in my room in our home on Trojan Drive.  I said to myself, "I can't do that!". This, however, did not diminish my love and appreciation for his style. Interestingly, Jasper was an exception to what I would hear later in my adult years to many who tried to emulate him - he had style AND substance!  Until maybe a few years ago, I could probably quote verbatim Jasper Williams' sermon 'Who's the Greatest'.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) my Dad had no other copies of his messages that I could find. But I did come across messages on old wax records of W. Leo Daniels and C. L. Franklin. Apparently, I would conclude Jasper Williams had been cut from these guys' proverbial ecclesiastical cloth.  

So, it goes without saying...that when I began to sense a strong sense of calling at 14, I was frightened because of my human limitations.  Somehow, I equated preaching greatness (amid so many others) to that of Jasper Williams. While the others were good and great, somehow his charisma shined through stronger than all of the others. But as I began to pray, have private meetings with my father, his reading assignments, our praying together...I somehow happened upon a manuscript and tape of a Chicago preacher, Dr. L. K. Curry.  It was a recording of him preaching at a Minister's Conference in Dallas at Bishop College, a message entitled, "The Blessing of Human Inadequacy.". This one sermon actually changed my life.  It became the catalyst that would push me over my human reservations for not obeying the call.  Curry stated that it is the very mundane, human deficiencies within us, that attract a surrender which inevitably causes a dependence and reliance on the sovereign ability of God.  I never forgot that. At that point, I became serious, knowing that at least God could call someone like me, amid my obvious deficiencies.  

In the midst of all of this, I found myself heavily reading MLK Jr's messages, speeches, lectures and writings.  During this time, A. Louis Patterson became a stronger influence on my development, prior to announcing my call.  I would write out many of the phrases and words of Patterson, and commit them to memory.  I also found myself waking up earlier on Sunday mornings to hear a Pentecostal preacher, Gilbert Earl Patterson, come on at 7:30am.  I remember always wondering if these two Patterson men were related, in some way.  After about a year of private meetings with my father, in December of 1993, I would publicly acknowledge my call into Christian Preaching ministry.  I was 15, and a Freshman at Richard King High School.  One of the things my private conversations, meetings and prayers with my father did....it solidified my call.  When I stepped forward to acknowledge my call, I had no single doubt, then or even now, I had been called by God to preach His Word.  I clarified that this was not a human call.  My mother, father, family, the church nor anyone else was responsible for this heavenly call.  I am eternally grateful to both my heavenly and earthly father for earnestly settling that for me, without my knowledge, at that time.  Interestingly, I already had several sermons under my belt by the time I professed my call publicly.  Admittedly, the best seemed to be a sermon I had re-crafted, re-structured and studied, making my own, out of a message I had heard preached out of Philippians 2:12-16. I would then study this particular passage left and right, backwards and forwards, in and out....for the next several months.  One of the books my father gave me to read was Al Fasol's 'Steps to the Sermon.'.  To this day, this is probably the most valuable book I have in my library, after the Bible.  This is a book I use now, not only in reading every year, but also in a graphic form to clarify my sermon structure and direction.  Last year, a dear colleague of mine who is good friends with Fasol, took this book that my father gave me after graduating college, and had Fasol sign my book with encouraging words.  That made my year!!!  

I preached my 'Trial Sermon' on March 27, 1994.  The day before, I preached this message to an empty sanctuary, with my Dad sitting in the middle of the church.  Almost 20 years later, after preaching in various settings to hundreds and thousands in churches, hospitals and colleges across the states and I'm Africa, I can honestly say that that moment was the most frightening!  As I preached to my father, he actually said nothing.  He had no expression, anything.  I've never asked him, but I think that was intentional, I letting me know that the message goes beyond him to One sitting in the audience Who is far more significant, and Who's approval is most meaningful. That night was the beginning of a continuing quest for discovering who I was in the vast sea of many ecclesiastical preaching whales....(to be continued)

Be An Original...well, An Original Copy! (Part 1)

Prior to entering ministry, I was a very unusual child.  My parents were avid attendees on the convention scene, especially their beloved National Baptist Convention of America.  My father thought it strange (though I didn't know it at the time) that I, as early as 8 or 9 years of age, would ask him to bring me tapes of the preachers at these conventions.  He would!  At that age, I would listen to the preaching of Asa Sampson, Gardner C. Taylor, Isadore Edwards, E.K. Bailey, A. Louis Patterson, Jr., Terry Anderson, Albert Chew, Manuel Scott, Sr. and many others.  Early on, I somehow knew these guys were the best at their craft.  Early on, I became struck by the oratorical ability of many of these preachers.  Little did I know that my father apparently didn't bring me the hooping giants; but those preachers who seemed to harness within me a singular appreciation for the content of the message.  To this day, I do not know if it was intentional or not. I seem to think it was unintentional since, even now, one of my Dad's favorite preachers is A. L. Patterson, Jr.  Nonetheless, I studied these guys, wrote out their words and often memorized their styles, expressions and words. This, at some point, led do a desire to learn more.  I remember wanting to write down the words I heard from Patterson, Bailey and especially M.V. Wade...until finally, I saved up enough money to get a dictionary.  I would learn them, and study those words. One day it dawned on me that I needed a thesaurus!  

At 10 or 11, I was heavily into Martin Luther King, Jr. Admittedly, I was more in tune with his oratory and charisma than I was the understanding of his cause among the plight of my people, at that time.  His words seemed to flow and just roll, like an art form of sorts.  He heavily reminded me of Gardner Taylor, but a younger, sharper version.  At some point I learned that they were colleagues in ministry and the Civil Rights movement.  

During all of this, I was unknowingly exposed to some of the best preaching through my father's pulpit ministry.  While my father was not an oratorical or hooping heavyweight, I would discover in college that he was a homiletical genius! I later realized he is one of the best teachers when it comes to sermon structure, delivery, simple communication, pulpit decorum and pastoral preaching.  His good friend, Rev. J. R. Miller, was also a huge influence on my preaching ministry.  I'm convinced that Rev. Miller was and is not only one of the best there is in preaching; but, like Kobe Bryant, he knows his craft like it is a natural instinct.  I have always believed him to be able to stand on the same stages as all of the aforementioned preachers, with ease. In fact, he has!  We as young preachers, looked to him as young basketball novices look to MJ. My Dad and Rev. Miller would often have Dr. Joe Samuel Ratliff to Corpus Christi to preach.  Instantly, he became one of my favorites.  He seemed to entail the oratory, the charisma, simplicity, intellect combined with a Pentecostal yet religio-conservative touch.  I didn't realize until many years later that Ratliff did this by intention, but simply made it seem like it was second nature.  As I reflect, I think of many preaching giants in my own world who influenced my life and later preaching: Cleophus LaRue, my uncles (Joel A. Ward, Monty Francis and Lloyd A. Pullam), my grandfather in ministry, Rev. A. L. Kennon.  Other influences were Harold Branch (the younger brother of E. Stanley Branch) and H. C. Dilworth, who heavily influenced J. R. Miller, my Dad, Cleophus LaRue and many others.  

At the age of 12 or so, I remember our city had a citywide Spring Break revival, held at my Dad's church.  They brought to town a young preacher, Gary Scott.  He sort of reminded me of Ratliff, but was also a little like Rev. Miller...but also had a voice and could sing.  I liked him a lot; but that was also a red flag for me.  I said to myself, "I can't do that!". This somehow stuck in my mind.  I had not earthly idea that the enemy of my soul was beginning to work in my mind then through comparison, feelings of inferiority and even fear.  Simultaneously, I remember one day going through my Dad's tape collection, when I came across a shiny, golden-looking tape.  (Whether this was a divine appointment or a scheme of Satan working in a little boy who shouldn't have been snooping through his Dad's stuff, I don't know). I went to my room, put that shiny golden tape from a place called 'Salem Baptist Church' in 'Atlanta,GA' with a message entitled 'Who's The Greatest' by a preacher with an equally shiny name as that cassette tape, "Jasper Williams.". And what I heard next literally floored me....this is a long blog, I'll have to continue with a part 2! Stay tuned...

Children's Ministry

Effective children's ministry has never been more important to the life of the church than it is today. In my generation children went to church because their parents told them to. My parents were not particularly concerned whether I was having a good time at church. When I would ask my mother if I had to go, she would always respond, "No, you 'get' to go to church.' That dynamic has completely reversed; parents now go to church if their children want to go. In a growing congregation, ministry to children cannot be a back-burner issue.  Not only do children often determine if and when the family goes to church; the reality is that most people who commit their life to Christ do so before they are eighteen years old. When we focus on the adults and hope for the best for the children, we are missing the major opportunity of the twenty-first-century church. - Geoff Surratt, Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing, pg. 78

What's Been Going on in my World, Part One

It goes without saying that I've been in a period of transition. In November of 2010, I stood in the pulpit and shared with the congregation I founded in 2005, that I felt I had taken our church as far as I could. Our congregation, like many churches, had weathered through many challenges and tests. Some, through the years, were added, while others went on to other places as seasons would change, as they do. But I sensed, for some time, that this was not my church. Yes...I know it is not mine by ownership; but a release from it perhaps no longer being mine by stewardship. This was a total shock for me, and a blow to everything, little or much, I had spent more than 6 years...invested in. I saw the vision. I felt the vision. I had a fire emblazoned within for that vision. Nothing and no one could or would deter me....until, I saw my reality completely disconnected from the vision God had given me. Quite natually, this process seems normal. We all have seasons where we don't see what we envisioned. And I did, for years, liken the many red flags to "spiritual warfare". Several years ago, for the 2nd time in my ministry life, and first as a pastor, I entertained the prospect of going to pastor a nearby congregation, who had been searching for a pastor. I was a little hesitant, knowing that congregation had voted out their pastor. While being a more prominent church in Houston, it didn't help that the church was less than 15 miles from where our congregation worshipped. I was one of two candidates presented to this church for consideration of the pastorate. My internal plan was to possibly merge my congregation there, which would have worked well when considering music and ministry styles, etc. All seemed well, interview went GREAT, the committee seemed to love me, and I was more confident than usual, though prayerful, not overly confident. But something happened that, I believe, bruised me personally and also made me somewhat resentful to myself more than others. As I walked out into the sanctuary...I saw many people present from the congregation I pastored. Apparently, someone close to me had spread to others in our church where I would be preaching, and why. That, with also the visibility of this church, naturally drew my curious parishioners. As I saw that, in that very moment....my spirit sank. It was as if i had no further drive to pursue this vineyard, especially staring into the faces of some of the people i had pastored for, at that time, 4 years, including the person i knew shared where i would be. I should've just preached my heart out. While I did preach the Word, I look now at that DVD, and am certain it was not even close to my best. I'm still realizing the scars that experience left me with. But what I do know, in hindsight, is that was where my credibility was called into question. Things, for me, were never the same again. Until this day, I still don't understand the logic of the person who even shared that trusted information. But that, along with many experiences, taught me many invaluable lessons regarding life, people, and our people. After that, the other congregations voted to call the other candidate. That was September 2008. Things were not the same for myself or the congregation, after that. I made a decision, at that point, I would remain faithful where God had planted me; not pursue anything that God did not tell me to and, third, to go home and give my very best.

For the next two years, that is exactly what I did. I gave my all, implemented a few changes, and began to evaluate where we were in moving forward, including a better facility, with classroom space and technologically savvy, along with more freedom for facility use. Personally, I accelerated my educational pursuits, obtaining my MDiv from Southwestern in May of 2009. I felt if I had to start all over again, I would be bi-vocational, which led me to Chaplain Residency, which began in September 2009. Little did I know, or anticipate, the toll this would take, nor the growth and maturity this would require of my already fledgling congregation. I began to see that, as I moved over, many were not stepping up. Those that were stepping up, the ones who weren't stepping up resented those that were. Immediately, I began to hone in on my gift of Christian Education to try and grow our people to all were as teams, and to all work in the area of evangelism and outreach. I expected some to step up more, but they didn't, and I was busy trying to jeep up at the hospital. Eventually, a few left as a result of my growing commitment to the hospital. It would be impossible for any member I pastor to call and I not be there. That was guaranteed. But....I think they may have sensed my busy-ness, ESPECiALLY the young adults. That is, in fact, the only demographic I've discovered, who must have that connection with their pastor. Don't know if this is because I'm a young adult and they see more in me; but from my readings and research, I gather it has much to do with a generational things my generation needs to have with their leader. All in all....I sometimes winder if I should have just 'sucked it up' after a long day, and met a different person, each day, at Starbucks. But if I did that I'd drive myself crazy. I would later discover that I'm actually a very good pastor who loves people. Something I suppose I knew all along. After all, I've only been under great pastors, so I got something by osmosis!

At every stage and phase, I saw a different dynamic at work. I have gone through my own changes, and so had the congregation. Somewhere along, I sensed a change taking place between us.

Back to November 2010....I preached the first Sunday of that month entitled 'When God says No', referring to God's informing to David that he would not build the temple. I simply said, without saying I heard an audible voice from God (I'm afraid to do that), I had taken the church as far as I could. I had it all figured out...even had in mind who would succeed me. Little did I know....my life and ministry would become more difficult than ever.

In just one Sunday....
I was viewed (not by all people, don't get me wrong)
....as a quitter
....as opportunistic
....as discouraged by the numbers
.....as disappointed in our people

I felt that I had searched and personally settled all of these issues, deducting them as not me...even before mounting the pulpit that Sunday morning. What happened next, is when things probably became a little more complicated.

Stay tuned for part two of 'Whats been going on in my world"...

God is Faithful

I am currently in the process of reading Ray Pritchard's 'The God you can Trust.' In it Pritchard seeks to unmask the theological query many of us tend to grapple with as it relates to the reliance and providence of the very things that devastate our heart and leave us looking for answers - what can we trust? More specifically, we are lead to explore Whom we trust!? When an expectant mother rushes to the ER and gives birth unexpectedly to a stillborn; when a healthy Christian seeking to devote her life to missions goes for her annual checkup only to be informed that cancer is riveting her physical anatomy and she can expect to live, at most, the next three months alive. Or...when a devoted husband of two is delivered divorce papers, and later told by his wife of 20 years that she has fallen in love with his best friend. Inevitably...we are called to examine the extreme elements of our trust.

Of course, Pritchard's theme and thesis points to conclude the inevitable reality that the answer to life's queries are in God and God alone. I am convinced that God, in and through His Word, is teaching me the importance of ministering efficiently and effectively to beleivers who are struggling to 'hold on to their faith in the midst of confusing circumstances, unexplainable tragedy, and their own foolish mistakes'. Charles Haddon Spurgeon is noted to have said in his lecture series to his students that our preaching should strive to minister to those that are hurting. He says that if they minister to them that hurt they will always have captive audience.

Obviously the same is true today! People are hurting. People are struggling. And unfortunately, many false leaders have gone to the extreme and have begun to incorrectly minister to the struggling masses by feeding them placebo (candy) and spiritual lolipops that will only appease them temporarily and superficially. This concerns me; but it also strengthens my faith, in knowing that God's Word is faithful and true. We are seeing a true manifestation of a generation that 'will not endure sound doctrine' and those who have 'itching ears'.

My prayer for those who are my comrades in faith and ministry is that they (you), whether leading 50 or 5000, will remain faithful to the One Who remains so faithful to us. I concur with Pritchard, He is a God we can verily and surely trust!