Understanding the Dual Calling of Preaching

 

Summary

In this sermon, I explore the dual aspect of a calling to preach, emphasizing both the individual's internal conviction and the church's external affirmation. I recount a story about Charles Spurgeon, illustrating how the Spirit works in an orderly manner, confirming a call through both personal conviction and the church's recognition. This dual confirmation is crucial because personal ambition or desire can sometimes be mistaken for divine calling. The church, therefore, looks for exceptional qualities in a person claiming to be called to preach, such as an unusual degree of spirituality, assurance, godly character, wisdom, patience, and an understanding of human nature.

I stress that ability, while important, should not be the first consideration. A preacher must have the mental capacity to rightly divide the word of truth and the gift of speech to communicate effectively. I share anecdotes of individuals who mistakenly believed they were called to preach, highlighting the importance of both personal and communal discernment in recognizing a true calling.

Training and preparation are essential for a preacher. A preacher needs general knowledge and life experience to avoid being overly theoretical and to connect with the congregation's real-life issues. A disciplined mind is crucial for logical and coherent preaching. Special training should include a deep knowledge of the Bible, systematic theology, and church history, which provides invaluable lessons on heresy and revival. Church history serves as a tonic for discouragement and a reminder of the great works of God in the past.

Finally, I emphasize that preaching cannot be taught in a conventional sense. Preachers are born, not made. While certain skills can be honed, the essence of preaching lies in the love of God, love for souls, knowledge of the truth, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These are the core elements that make a preacher effective, with other skills serving as helpful but secondary tools.

Key Takeaways:

- Dual Confirmation of Calling: A true calling to preach involves both personal conviction and the church's affirmation. The Spirit works in an orderly manner, confirming a call through both the individual and the church, ensuring that personal ambition is not mistaken for divine calling. [26:01]

- Essential Qualities of a Preacher: Beyond being a Christian, a preacher must exhibit exceptional spirituality, assurance, godly character, wisdom, patience, and an understanding of human nature. These qualities are foundational for effectively ministering to others. [27:26]

- The Role of Ability and Speech: While ability is important, it should not be prioritized over spiritual qualities. A preacher must have the mental capacity to rightly divide the word of truth and the gift of speech to communicate effectively. [32:41]

- Importance of Training and Experience: A preacher needs general knowledge and life experience to connect with the congregation's real-life issues. Special training should include a deep knowledge of the Bible, systematic theology, and church history, which provides invaluable lessons on heresy and revival. [41:03]

- The Essence of Preaching: Preaching cannot be taught in a conventional sense. The essence of preaching lies in the love of God, love for souls, knowledge of the truth, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These are the core elements that make a preacher effective. [56:17]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:01] - The Spirit's Orderly Confirmation
- [26:31] - Personal Ambition vs. Divine Calling
- [27:26] - Qualities of a Called Preacher
- [28:44] - Assurance and Spiritual Maturity
- [30:21] - Character and Patience
- [31:27] - The Role of Ability
- [32:41] - The Gift of Speech
- [34:05] - Misguided Callings
- [39:08] - The Church's Role in Discernment
- [40:33] - Training and Preparation
- [44:00] - Knowledge of the Bible
- [47:51] - Learning from Church History
- [51:15] - The Tonic of Revival History
- [56:17] - The Essence of Preaching

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Acts 6:3 - "Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty."
2. 2 Timothy 2:24 - "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil."

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Observation Questions:

1. What story about Charles Spurgeon was shared in the sermon to illustrate the orderly work of the Spirit in confirming a call to preach? [26:01]

2. According to the sermon, what are some exceptional qualities the church looks for in a person claiming to be called to preach? [27:26]

3. How does the sermon describe the role of ability and speech in the calling to preach? [32:41]

4. What examples were given in the sermon of individuals who mistakenly believed they were called to preach? [35:26]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the dual confirmation of calling, involving both personal conviction and the church's affirmation, help prevent personal ambition from being mistaken for divine calling? [39:26]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that a preacher's training and preparation should go beyond academic knowledge to include life experience and general knowledge? [41:03]

3. How does the sermon define the essence of preaching, and why is it said that preachers are "born, not made"? [56:17]

4. What role does church history play in a preacher's training, according to the sermon, and how can it serve as a tonic for discouragement? [49:51]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt a strong personal conviction about a decision. How did you seek external affirmation or confirmation from others, and what was the outcome? [26:01]

2. Consider the qualities mentioned in the sermon that are essential for a preacher. Which of these qualities do you see in yourself, and which do you feel you need to develop further? [27:26]

3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of life experience in preaching. How can you seek opportunities to gain diverse experiences that might enrich your understanding and empathy for others? [41:03]

4. Think about a time when you were certain about a calling or decision, but later realized it was not the right path. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it shape your future decisions? [35:26]

5. How can you cultivate a love for God, love for souls, and a deeper knowledge of the truth in your daily life, as described as the essence of preaching? [56:17]

6. Church history is highlighted as a source of encouragement and learning. Is there a particular period or event in church history that inspires you, and how can you incorporate its lessons into your life? [49:51]

7. The sermon suggests that preaching cannot be taught in a conventional sense. How can you identify and nurture your unique gifts and calling, even if they don't fit traditional molds? [56:17]

Devotional

Day 1: The Spirit's Orderly Confirmation
A true calling to preach involves both personal conviction and the church's affirmation. This dual confirmation ensures that personal ambition is not mistaken for divine calling. The Spirit works in an orderly manner, confirming a call through both the individual and the church. This process helps to safeguard against the dangers of self-deception and ensures that those who step into the role of preaching are genuinely called by God. The church plays a crucial role in this discernment, looking for signs of exceptional spirituality and godly character in those who claim to be called. [26:01]

"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33, ESV).

Reflection: In what ways can you seek both personal conviction and communal affirmation in discerning your own calling or purpose?


Day 2: Qualities of a Called Preacher
Beyond being a Christian, a preacher must exhibit exceptional spirituality, assurance, godly character, wisdom, patience, and an understanding of human nature. These qualities are foundational for effectively ministering to others. The church looks for these traits as evidence of a true calling, recognizing that they are essential for someone who will be entrusted with the responsibility of preaching. These qualities help a preacher connect with their congregation and provide guidance that is both spiritually sound and practically relevant. [27:26]

"Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2, ESV).

Reflection: Which of these qualities do you feel you need to develop further, and what steps can you take to grow in this area?


Day 3: The Role of Ability and Speech
While ability is important, it should not be prioritized over spiritual qualities. A preacher must have the mental capacity to rightly divide the word of truth and the gift of speech to communicate effectively. However, these abilities are secondary to the spiritual qualities that underpin a preacher's effectiveness. The ability to communicate well is a tool that enhances the delivery of the message, but it is the spiritual depth and authenticity of the preacher that truly resonates with the congregation. [32:41]

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance" (Proverbs 1:5, ESV).

Reflection: How can you balance the development of your abilities with the cultivation of your spiritual life?


Day 4: Importance of Training and Experience
A preacher needs general knowledge and life experience to connect with the congregation's real-life issues. Special training should include a deep knowledge of the Bible, systematic theology, and church history, which provides invaluable lessons on heresy and revival. This training helps preachers avoid being overly theoretical and equips them to address the practical concerns of their congregation. Church history, in particular, serves as a tonic for discouragement and a reminder of the great works of God in the past. [41:03]

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7, ESV).

Reflection: What steps can you take to deepen your understanding of church history and its relevance to your faith journey?


Day 5: The Essence of Preaching
Preaching cannot be taught in a conventional sense. The essence of preaching lies in the love of God, love for souls, knowledge of the truth, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These are the core elements that make a preacher effective, with other skills serving as helpful but secondary tools. The heart of preaching is a deep, personal relationship with God and a genuine desire to share His love and truth with others. [56:17]

"For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20, ESV).

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper love for God and others in your daily life, and how might this impact your ability to share your faith?

Quotes


The spirit does things always in an orderly manner. Well now, but applying this more generally, as I say, one's own nature and one's ambition or one's liking for particular offices or particular tasks may work in one a desire to be a preacher, and we persuade ourselves that this is the spirit of God leading us. [00:26:25]

What does the church look for in a man who says that he's called to be a preacher? And the answer is she looks, and rightly so, for something exceptional in him. A Christian, yes, but there must be something more. There must be something exceptional. What do you look for? Well, you remember in Act six, even in the matter of the deacons. [00:27:17]

You are entitled to look for an unusual degree of spirituality, and this is the thing that you must put first owing to the nature of the task. Then in addition to that, you certainly look for a man who has assurance. What I mean by that is if he's a man who is always coming to you with problems and difficulties and perplexities. [00:28:01]

A man who's got great problems himself is not a man clearly who is fitted to be a preacher because he's preaching to people with problems, and he is called to help them and to deal with them. How can the blind lead the blind is our Lord's own question at such a point. [00:28:44]

A man may be a good Christian, and he may be many other things, but if he's lacking these qualities, he's not going to make a preacher. And he must be, furthermore, a man who has an understanding of people and of human nature. These are general qualities and characteristics that you look for. [00:30:51]

It seems to me to be one of the tragedies of the modern church that we tend to put ability first. It doesn't come first. It only comes about this stage, but it does come in very rightly. I can think of a young man who came to me many years ago telling me he was quite sure that he was called to the ministry. [00:31:27]

If a man is to rightly divide the word of Truth, he must have ability. You notice he must be apt to teach. You see, as preaching is something which we have defined as delivering this message of God and the way in which you describe it and the relationship between the Systematic Theology and the particular meaning of your particular text. [00:32:41]

A preacher needs a certain amount of general knowledge and experience of life. He is a Christian. He has an experience of conversion. That alone doesn't fit him to be a preacher. Many people of there to, as I say, are not called. This man needs a certain amount of general knowledge and experience of life. [00:40:33]

A good General course in any art or science or anything like that is good in and of itself to teach a man how to think and to reason statically and logically. I stress this, that in the sermon there must be this element of reason and progression of thought. Well, you need a certain amount of training for that. [00:42:03]

First and foremost, a knowledge of the Bible and its message. If a man hasn't got this, he can't be a true preacher. I've emphasized the whole Council of God. I've emphasized this whole scheme of Salvation, this Systematic Theology. Well, you can't have that without having a knowledge of the Bible and a knowledge of the whole Bible and its message. [00:44:00]

Church history is not The Preserve, you know, of academics. I would say that church history is one of the most vital studies for any preacher, where it merely to show him this terrible danger of slipping into heresy or into error without realizing that anything has happened to him. [00:49:31]

The chief thing is the love of God, the love of souls, a knowledge of the truth, and the Holy Spirit within you. These are the things that make the preacher. If he's got the love of God in him and if he has a love for God, if he's a love for souls and a concern about them, if he knows the truth of the scriptures. [00:56:17]

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Transcript
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