(…continued from the previous post.)
What then is the secret to the kind of preaching that is Christ-like and therefore amazes listeners because of its authority and ability and weight and power? (I suppose other descriptive words could be added such as “relevant” and “inspiring.”)
I’m thinking about the few preachers I’ve heard who in my mind manifest this unique Christ-like skill. I don’t believe the key is their intellect or their ability as a communicator. They are all smart individuals while at the same time often being what I would call “profoundly simple” in what they say. Then they are anything but boring. But again, I don’t sense that these are the special qualities that make them uniquely like Jesus.
The closest I can come to what I am looking for is an intensity of conviction. These special men and women believe they truly have been given a timely word from the Lord himself, and it is imperative that what they have to say is heard.
Theoretically speaking, I suppose most ministers believe what they are preaching in some way equals “God’s Word”. But they are not driven by a passion that says “You must listen closely because I speak on God’s behalf!”
There is no question but what Jesus believed that his words were literally those of his heavenly Father’s. To a slightly lesser degree, so did the Biblical prophets. I suspect that the contemporary ministers on my current short list sense this same sort of sacred responsibility. They aren’t just preparing and preaching “another sermon” because it’s the weekend once again. They are agonizing over how to live close enough to the Lord to be convinced that they have clearly heard his voice and they will then faithfully communicate precisely what it is he has told them to say with an intensity of conviction.
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