I recently read the short book/booklet by Alistair Begg "Preaching for God's Glory". Chapter 5 was entitled "Practical Pointers" and was quite challenging for me. These are pointers that anyone who has the privilege of preaching should remember. They involve what we should do in terms of preparation for preaching and spending time with Him and the text. Here are his five points:
1) Think yourself empty - if we do not become thinking pastors, we are unlikely to have thinking congregations.
2) Read yourself full - the pastor should read widely and regualrly.
3) Write yourself clear - freedom of delivery in the pulpit depends upon careful organization in the study, we must put our thoughts down clearly.
4) Pray yourself hot - there is no chance of fire in the pews if there is an iceberg in the pulpit; and without personal prayer and communion with God during the preparation stages, the pulpit will be cold.
5) Be yourself, but don't preach yourself - there is nothing quite so ridiculous as the affected tone and adopted of the preacher who wishes he was someone else. He further states, self-forgetfulness is of vital importance. We cannot make much of ourselves and much of the Lord Jesus Christ simiultaneously. A good teacher clears the way, declares the way, and then gets out of the way.
May we take these practical pointers to heart in our preparation, time spent with Him, and as we deliver that which He has given! What an honor it is! What a responsibility! My prayer is that He is glorified throughout our preapration and delivery!
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