Good Preaching, 1of3

~ What Makes a Great Preacher? ~              

How do you define a great preacher? Does the Word of God define what makes a great preacher? If you had a great preacher would it satisfy you? Preaching is something not often discussed except within seminaries. 

A pastor friend of mine once told me, “Preaching is like cutting the grass—don’t admire it too much—you’ve got to get back out on the lawnmower next week.” As all pastors know preaching is an arduous demanding task. A pastor needs “to be on his game” continually—this is not easy! How often do you pray for your pastor and his preaching?

One of my favorite stories is the one about the pastor who at the end of a sermon announced that he was leaving the congregation for another assignment. At the door elderly Mrs. Smith told him, “Pastor, we will never be able to replace you.” Feeling satisfied he replied, “God will provide!” Mrs. Smith continued, “But pastor, our next pastor will not be as good as you have been. Now feeling somewhat proud the pastor replied, “God will surely supply the needs of this congregation.”  The conversation continued in this manner back and forth with the pastor becoming increasingly inflated. Finally, Mrs. Smith blurted out, “But pastor you don’t understand. I’ve been here through five pastors and each one has been worse than the one before! 

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). There is a reportedly true story about C.H. Spurgeon who following a service was told by one of his flock, “Charles Haddon Spurgeon, I want you to know that you just preached your greatest sermon.” To which Spurgeon immediately quipped, “Thank you—but the devil already told me that.”

What makes a great preacher? Someone has remarked, “a great preacher comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.” I like that! Part of a preacher's job is to challenge, convict, and cause change. 

There is a huge difference between preaching and communicating!  

Is a great preacher a great public speaker?  ~  A truly great preacher one time told me, “I am not a good public speaker, but God has given me the gift of preaching.” This provides a very meaningful clue—good speakers have developed their natural abilities (natural gifts from God) whereas good preachers have developed their spiritual gifts. 

Preaching is a calling, an anointing, and a spiritual gift.

Preaching is a special kind of communication—it is spiritual communication. This is because preachers have a different audience that public speakers. Blind people can’t see—spiritually blind people can’t see spiritual things (unless the Spirit of God works in them). Dead people can’t respond—spiritually dead people can’t respond spiritually (unless the Spirit of God works in them). 

The bottom line is that the greatest measure a preacher can use is the number of times individuals sincerely remark to him, “God spoke to me today!”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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