Servant of the Lord, I want to encourage you through this instruction so that your ministry might fulfill all that is in the heart
of our Father for you.
As you know, you are an important link between the Throne and the pews in your church. God has called you to deliver His
good Word to those who sit at your feet, which is an assignment of divine significance. What you serve your church family is the
topic of this teaching. I want to draw a comparison of your sermon with the manna that fell from heaven to feed the nation of
Israel while they were in the desert. (Exodus 16) The Bible tells us that the instructions the people received from God were quite
explicit; He told them to gather only what was needed for today and nothing more. In fact, what the people discovered who
attempted to store up more than a day’s ration was that what was good the day before now was less-than-tasty!
This is not the place to explain the ramifications of faith that are learned from the passage nor the aspects of obedience
towards God, which is also a viable lesson here, but rather to simply look at the nourishment itself and learn from it. Manna was
God’s divine food given to His covenant people. It sustained them fully. So it is with Truth that you serve from your pulpit. What
you serve does spiritually what manna did physically.
Years ago I was preparing for my Sunday morning sermon. I remember heading for one of my file cabinets (this was before
the personal computer with digitalized files) filled with my sermon files, but as I reached for the drawer there was a check in my
spirit. You know that feeling that comes when something is not quite right and you realize it is the Holy Spirit telling you not to do
something. At first it was unclear to me what was wrong, but it did not take long after praying in the Spirit and seeking God to
understand that I was about to make a mistake, and that mistake was to feed “day-old manna” to God’s covenant people. And we
know how day-old manna smelleth!
I began the practice of developing a file for each sermon and for each teaching because I had seen my pastor do this. So, all
of the research and notes that go into sermon development could be found in these files. I suggest this as a good practice
because it preserves your research for future use. However, what I do not recommend is that you attempt to preach that sermon
you preached (the one that was so very effective and fruitful) back in April of 1996. What was wonderful then is not a fresh word
from God for today. It touched the hearts of the people and it was used mightily by God to work His work in them, but that sermon
was for then and God wants to do the new thing today. There are different people sitting there now with different ways of
receiving and different levels of spiritual maturity, that is why it makes no sense to try to use yesterday’s stuff on a different
congregation. The topic may be the same and you might even entitle the sermon the same, but it is very important to receive a
fresh revelation from God so you can impart exactly what is needed in your people today.
You will develop the system that works for you, but I will relay how I do it and hopefully it will help you. First of all, once I
know the general topic or passage the Lord desires for the sermon, I immerse myself in that truth or passage, asking God to
open my spiritual eyes to see deeper into it and I purpose to receive His understanding about it. Once this spiritual work is
complete, I often find myself returning to my sermon files that deal with the subject at hand. This study of past material helps firm
up the foundation of that truth upon which I will add the present revelation. I do not rely upon what is in the file because I know
that there is more God wants to deliver this time. Not only is the depth of my understanding greater but I have grown and
spiritually matured beyond where I was back in April of 1996; therefore, I fully expect this ”feeding” will far exceed the former
one. It is only then that I actually develop sermon notes or outline. I personally have never written a sermon to be read word for
word. Some of my good friends use this method, and that is OK. The important thing is to be so fully developed in the present
truth that it literally flows from your pores. The Spirit of God will take care of the delivery.
I might add at this point that herein are we primarily dealing with pastors of local churches. For the itinerate minister
(evangelist, teacher, or prophet) it is different for you. God will more than likely give you “a word for the Church” that you will
deliver over and over again as you administer His truth in various churches and meetings. Of course, you will discover that
even with the same sermon or teaching new revelations and insights will be added to the body of knowledge you now possess
and minister. You should expect your depth of understanding to expand with each delivery, and thus greater and greater fruit to
come from as you progress.
In training young ministers for pulpit ministry I always emphasize the filling of the vessel over the delivery of the sermon. I
make the same recommendation to you. When you truly know the truth (really know the truth) you are preaching God can bring
forth the message in greater power because He is drawing from the pool of revelation that is within you, otherwise you are just
drawing from head knowledge you possess. I encourage you to spend less time in preparation of the sermon itself (concerned
over how the structure of the sermon, how it will sound, or how it will be received) and more time on you and on the truth itself.
My experience says that when I am at peak level spiritually and when the truth I am preaching is fully developed within my spirit
and mind, great and wonderful things happen! This approach to sermon preparation usually takes more time, which is one
reason why some might reject it, but I assure you that this is time well-spent.
Another reason to spend this time now is for future benefit. You will undoubtedly preach many more sermons on this topic
or passage in the years to come. The wider the foundation you build today in you, the greater will be the new revelations
through you then.
Please indulge me one more thought on this subject of sermon preparation. Avoid trying to preach another man’s sermon or
using another man’s outline. Each of these is a good source to help establish you in the present truth, but they fail for you
because God did not give them to you. What is produced will be only a religious activity, and that is not what you are about. Each
moment in the pulpit is an extremely important treasure. Deliver only what He gives you and use the time only under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Be blessed in your pulpit ministry!
Deliver A Fresh Word From The Lord
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