I was invited recently to preach at the Winter Bible Conference hosted by Pastor Jeff Noffsinger and Dripping Spring Baptist Church. It is an annual event that has been going on for many years. I was excited to preach — but more excited to hear a good sermon from someone else.
Bro. Jeff brings in well-known speakers such as Fred Luter, Evangelist Bill Britt and others, along with local preachers and pastors.
This year I heard retired pastor Carl Nelson deliver an encouraging message from 2 Timothy 3:16-4:8. Bro. Carl pastored churches for 45 years and had a good and faithful ministry. There were several preachers and pastors in attendance and all of us were edified by his preaching.
But why do preachers need preaching? Why do men who spend time preparing and preaching sermons as a calling need to hear preaching from other preachers? Here are five reasons:
1. Because preachers get discouraged: When you ask pastors if they ever feel like quitting, you will hear many of them say, “Every Monday.” Pastors get discouraged due to a lack of positive progress, problems that families are dealing with, criticism they experience in the church and their own spiritual battles. Hearing preaching can be a great prescription for addressing the malady of discouragement.
2. Because preachers get dry: Many of our Kentucky Baptist pastors have had tenures of 10, 15, 20 years or more. After preaching in one place for a long time a pastor can begin to feel spiritually dry. I remember reading the testimony of one nationally-known pastor who seriously considered leaving his church after a long tenure because he felt that his voice was not being heard by the congregation. After an extended time with the Lord, he was able to return to a faithful and fruitful ministry in the same church that has lasted for decades. Preachers become spiritually dry and hearing sermons can help them find a season of refreshment.
3. Because preachers get off track: I remember a season as a pastor, a lengthy season when I had become so busy with the work of the church and caring for church members, that I had completely neglected doing the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). It was preaching that God used to get me back on track.
4. Because preachers get ornery: I am not sure I have ever used the word “ornery” in writing and not sure everyone knows the meaning. I was not even sure it was a word but, instead, something that I just heard people saying where I grew up. Ornery means “bad-tempered and combative.” Even men of good character, the kind of character required for a pastor, can fall into a rut of being bad-tempered and combative. Oftentimes it will be a word that someone says or a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit through preaching that sets a mirror in front of us to help us see ourselves. No one wants a bad-tempered and combative pastor and preaching may help us not become ornery.
5. Because preachers get prideful: Many of us are like the old man who said, “I’m not much but I’m all I think about.” Some of us in ministry leadership spend far too much time thinking about ourselves. We can become mentally preoccupied with our station in life, how we are treated or some other self-focused matter. One pastor has reminded us that “humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Listening to preaching can be used by God to address our pride and help us walk in humility with Jesus and His people.
Much more could be said about the power of preaching and why preachers also need to hear it, but the fact remains that all of us need to hear a good sermon. God uses preaching to help His people. May you find your soul strengthened by listening to good preaching of God’s word.
Dr. Todd Gray 