Articles
Preaching Isn't Boring
I read an article last week about Brooks Brothers, an upscale clothing store, filing for bankruptcy. The business has been having trouble for quite a while due to the fact that society is becoming increasingly casual in dress (and in many other things as well!). As is the case with other struggling businesses, the stay-at-home effect of COVID-19 has pushed them over the edge.
One commenter opined that office attire has been moving away from Brooks Brothers’ apparel for a while. Going forward, “It'll be a good niche brand for lawyers, preachers, and other boring occupations.”
An old expression says “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Evidently, boring is that way too. Some may well find the fruits of my labor boring, but I can assure you the work itself is not.
It is a joy to study God’s word. That is where the preacher’s work begins (2 Timothy 2:15). One cannot preach the word (2 Timothy 4:2) until he learns it. Digging more deeply, discovering more connections, increasing in understanding—these are the kind of things the Psalmist had in mind when he said, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (1:2; cf. 111:2; 119:174).
It is a joy to prepare lessons. Knowing God’s word and effectively teaching God’s word do not always go hand-in-hand. The Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes “taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged . . .” (12:9), seeking “to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly” (v. 10). I, too, enjoy the challenge of finding ways to simply convey the truth of a passage. After 45 years of preaching, I haven’t quit getting up new sermons.
It is a joy to preach; in the songwriter’s words, “To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.” It is a joy because the preacher knows people need to hear what God has to say. It is a joy to encourage. It is a joy to help people see better ways to live. Part of preaching is rebuking (2 Timothy 4:2); that part is not fun, either to say or to hear. Yet even that necessary component later brings joy when it produces its desired effect (2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
It is a joy to watch people grow. Barnabas rejoiced when he saw people who had become Christians (Acts 11:2-23). John preached “so that our joy may be made complete” (1 John 1:4). He had no greater joy than seeing brethren walking in truth” (3 John 4). There is nothing more satisfying to a preacher than working with people who are growing in Christ.
I never have owned a Brooks Brothers suit, and I likely never will. If it is for people with boring occupations, it wouldn’t fit anyway.
