I'm taking a few moments to post this blog as I try to quiet my heart before the Lord in these last hours before I have to "preach" tonight. I hate feeling like this: nervous and inadequate. But if I didn't feel like this, I would be worried.
Delivering a message, whether by preaching at a revival, ministering in song, teaching Sunday School class/Bible Study or just sharing your faith with a friend, coworker or neighbour is an awesome task that should NEVER be taken lightly. When you do it often, however, and when people tell you how well you do, it can be easy to start trusting in your own strength and ability. You know...the more you do something, the easier it becomes.
But when it comes to the message of the Gospel and how we handle it, we should never let it get to be commonplace. It is always a daunting task. ALWAYS. Because whatever we do as Christians is not about pleasing our earthly audience. It is only ever about pleasing our heavenly Audience.
We ought not to value the praise of men above the approval of God Almighty (see John 12:42-3). Everything we do should be done unto God, seeking to please Him first. And if that means that we go about it in fear and trembling in order to ensure that we do not take any of His glory for ourselves and to ensure that we don't set out to do His work without His Spirit, then so be it.
So I'm trying to quiet my heart before Him as I continue to prepare for tonight. I know I cannot do this in and of my own strength and there is a part of me that is still crying out, "Father! Let this cup pass from me." But I go in obedience to do His will....down this inconvenient path.
Delivering a message, whether by preaching at a revival, ministering in song, teaching Sunday School class/Bible Study or just sharing your faith with a friend, coworker or neighbour is an awesome task that should NEVER be taken lightly. When you do it often, however, and when people tell you how well you do, it can be easy to start trusting in your own strength and ability. You know...the more you do something, the easier it becomes.
But when it comes to the message of the Gospel and how we handle it, we should never let it get to be commonplace. It is always a daunting task. ALWAYS. Because whatever we do as Christians is not about pleasing our earthly audience. It is only ever about pleasing our heavenly Audience.
We ought not to value the praise of men above the approval of God Almighty (see John 12:42-3). Everything we do should be done unto God, seeking to please Him first. And if that means that we go about it in fear and trembling in order to ensure that we do not take any of His glory for ourselves and to ensure that we don't set out to do His work without His Spirit, then so be it.
So I'm trying to quiet my heart before Him as I continue to prepare for tonight. I know I cannot do this in and of my own strength and there is a part of me that is still crying out, "Father! Let this cup pass from me." But I go in obedience to do His will....down this inconvenient path.
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