Why You Need To Become A Better Preacher

It’s natural for us to spend a lot of time looking outside the church, seeing what is wrong with the world around us, and preparing Christians to be faithful in the midst of such chaos. Furthermore, I wholeheartedly agree with such ethical pursuits. Throw away your COEXIST bumper stickers and fight the good fight! However, it is also essential that preachers of the Word, tasked with perhaps the greatest responsibility among men, spend ample time “sharpening our axes.” We must ensure that the inward life of the church is strong, as well as its public witness. Regardless of how long you have been at the pulpit, I want to make the case for putting the work in to become a better expositor.

One of the dangers we face is fighting cultural decline by merely propping up cultural Christianity. It has growing appeal in our day, and though it may seem like a pragmatic solution to our societal issues, it merely offers platitudes in the place of solid biblical truth. Instagram and TikTok are filled with preachers and teachers of the Word “moralizing the text” without any connection to the original meaning; essentially discipling the next generation in droves to misunderstand God’s word. Modern expositional preaching is in a dire condition, and something that needs taught again in our day. And not just once in preparation for ministry, but perhaps more importantly, I believe pastors need check-ups throughout their vocational life.

Perhaps you are familiar with the phrase, “As goes the pulpit, so goes the Church.” My own family has long held to this mantra. My grandfather, a Methodist pastor (at a time the UMC believed in the infallibility of Scripture), would often tell me when I was a wee lad, “Adam, a lot of people out there will follow just about anything. Pastors have the responsibility to make sure what they are following is the truth!” Then he would hold up his Bible. 

I have grown in that same conviction, and similarly sought to grow in my ability to carry it out. With that in mind, I recently attended my first ever expository workshop (this one was held in Peidmont, OK in association with G3 Ministries). I’d highly recommend something like this for pastors.

The workshop lasted two full days and was broken up into corporate instruction and small group biblical analysis. The book of choice for this particular workshop was Colossians. The four clear objectives of this workshop were as follows: 1) Deepen relationships between pastors who share a common passion for God’s Word. 2) Sharpen us as expositors. 3) Remind us of the importance of working hard at our craft. 4) Encouragement. How often can we forget, among the financial crises, hospital visitations, traveling members and fluctuating attendance, that God the Father is powerfully at work through the power of His Word? 

The whole time was extremely instructive, and I believe highly necessary. Here’s why:

I have several friends in the military, the police force, and the fire department. In order to maintain their positions, they must pass endurance tests throughout their career designed to determine whether or not they can still do their jobs.  If those in our armed forces and first responders find value in sharpening their skills, if doctors and lawyers commit to continual training, desiring to be the best at what they do, why do so many preachers  avoid the idea of an annual workshop? Is it pride? Do we not want our work criticized by our peers? Perhaps for many, it will expose habitual procrastination or an inability to study since a degree was earned at seminary. 

Too many pastors rely on the crutches of commentaries instead of reading and rereading the passage within its immediate, historical and biblical context. Rather than using them as follow-up tests to prayerful, labor, they go there first to get their ideas, and often ignore the source material of Scripture. Among other things, this lack of time directly in the word decreases our passion for it.

Speaking of which, I fell more in love with the depth of the Word this week because I intentionally took the time to study it.

In a world where many messages arise from an isolated pastor running to the commentaries Monday – Thursday, we can often forget preachers of the Word have a responsibility to personally labor in our study over the word, to pray over what we have studied, to avoid the temptation of arriving at the text with our own emphasis and to instead, trusting in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explore the structure of the text, dig up the author’s meaning at the time, and believe that the “Living Word” will work out an application that will leave your people with eternally treasured truths in a world telling them to “follow their hearts” and “live their best lives now.”

(Sidenote: I was refreshed to see Sunday School teachers and Deacons in attendance. I believe it is for anyone who wants a firm grasp on the text from the standpoint of a teacher. As a big believer in family worship and discipleship in the homes, I think parents should highly consider something like this from time to time.)

I returned from this workshop with a rejuvenation that only the study of the Word can bring. You can read a passage a thousand times and still walk away with something you didn’t catch before. Expositing Scripture is truly supernatural, and serves to remind you of the importance of your calling, the responsibility to accurately articulate the text to the best of your ability, and to encourage your Church to not just read their Bibles, but to study them. You not only get prepared for a great sermon series on the book in question, but you grow in your ability to use the tools of Scriptural study in every part of church life.

You will not regret the time you have spent searching the hidden treasures of the text for the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

Finally, there is enormous joy in doing this together. Yes, YouTube exists and everyone has discounted LOGOS software in their arsenal. But the most beneficial part of this workshop for me was doing this with other pastors.

Why not find something like this near you. Dig in and be floored at what God will bring to life through His Word.