I've been preaching and teaching for so long that you'd think I'd have it down by now. 'Fraid not. Even tonight, after the message, I went home thinking, "Man, you made a powerful, simple truth way too complicated. You preached far too long. Just make it simple next time, okay?" Okay, I'll try. But no promises. Because preaching is like sanctification. A couple steps forward, then one or two (and sometimes many more) backward. But we learn from those backward steps, don't we? They profit us in some providentially kind, though ironic, way. The fact is that, just like my preaching effectiveness and skill seem to go backwards at times, I will never "have it down" with regard to following Jesus. I will never be the master. Always the disciple. Always learning. And I pray that I will learn from every backstep is just how dependent upon God's grace I was, am and forever will be. Now that is a lesson worth learning... even if it is learned the hard way.

Still want to listen? The message is here.  

I am looking forward to preaching this Sunday for Christ Community Church in Acworth/Kennesaw, GA, during their missions emphasis month. I'll be teaching from Psalm 40:1-3, a message entitled The Propulsion of Grace. Can't wait to see my CCC friends- we deeply appreciate your prayer and financial support of Creekstone Church in Dahlonega!  

 And yes, I'll be back in the evening for Creekstone's fourth preview service. We're gathering at 5:30 to pray- everyone is welcome. The service begins at 6:00 p.m. 

I stand duly convicted by these words of Jim Cymbala in his book, Fresh Power (p. 46).  But my heart echos his. I do not need more of my (in)ability in my sermons, I need more of the Spirit. O Lord, let me pray and preach like the helpless man that I am.

"Isn't it tragic that many pastors often spend hours polishing every nuance of their sermons while hardly investing any time at all in prayer and waiting upon God to be freshly filled with the One who can supernaturally assist them? What we need today is not cleverness or oratory—we need messages from God's Word set on fire by the Holy Spirit!"

I recently read a book by Timothy J. Koegel (thought it was going to be Timothy J. Keller, didn't you!) entitled, The Excellent Presenter. Although not specifically written for preachers, I found the material to be extremely helpful for preparing sermons–and I need all the help I can get! However, I think that it would benefit anyone who ever speaks publicly, from speech class to a sales call. If you read it, let me know what you think. 

This is a well-known quote to many from the late Martyn-Lloyd Jones. If more of us would preach like this, I think we'd see more controversy in our churches. But I think we'd also see more conversions and a much greater sense of vitaltiy and renewal among genuine believers. Here goes:

"There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel... I would say to all preachers: If your preaching of salvation has not been misunderstood in that way, then you had better examine your sermons again, and you had better make sure that you are really preaching the salvation that is offered in the New Testament to the ungodly, the sinner, to those who are dead in trespasses and sins, to those who are enemies of God. There is this kind of dangerous element about the true presentation of the doctrine of salvation." (from Lloyd-Jones commentary on Romans 6, pp 8-9)

Oh how I long to be a dangerous, radical-grace preacher, and long for others to join me in this pursuit, for the glory of Jesus and the joy of his people.

Even though I have been preaching for 15 years, I have a LOT to learn. Reflecting on this morning's sermon at Christ PCA in Clarkesville, GA, I realize a couple of lessons that I still need to learn. If you are a preacher or teacher, maybe this will help.

1. When preaching on a long narrative passage (today, 52 verses!), provide road-markers, headings or hooks to help people follow the flow of the passage. This probably would help those who listen, and definitely would help me as I teach and preach, giving me natural and regular places to make use of illustration and application (without waiting until the end of the sermon).
2. When preaching on a long narrative passage, I do not need to cover every verse. It is possible to describe the story, and focus on those key verses that support the road-markers, headings or hooks. There is only so much explanation of a text that can be done in thirty minutes.  So I need to be more sensitive to the need for making room for more illustration and application. 

If you were there this morning. Thanks for sitting through my experiment of preaching through a very long narrative.

Here are a few nuggets of gold from one of my living heros, C.J. Mahaney (from an interview from a previous post- see below on the main page of mckaycaston.com).  Enjoy.

• When dealing with folks on the ministry team, especially in the context of worship leadership, encourage with evidences of grace before a critique or suggestion for improvement. Dr. Bryan Chapell did this with us in our preaching classes at Covenant Seminary. He always began a student's post-sermon evaluation with encouragement before suggesting areas of improvement.

• CJ quoted someone who once said, "What we win people with is what we win people to." Since Covenant Life Church is known for its emotive, celebratory worship style, he was warning people not to win people with music and modern creativity, but with the content of the gospel, focusing on Jesus and the cross. He wants people leaving the service saying, "What a great Savior!" rather than "Wasn't that great music." Or sermon for that matter. This leads into the next nugget.

• Music/singing, the sermon, and all the elements of worship are not the end, but a means to understanding, embracing and experiencing the power of the gospel. This does not mean that we downplay the significance of any element—I love to sing and I love to preach! This simply means that we should make sure that everything about worship (music, sermon, prayers, etc.) is a crowbar moving us to sense the wonder of the gospel in a deeper and more personal way.

• C.J. quoted Martyn Lloyd-Jones' statement in his book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cures, saying, "Most unhappiness is because I listen to myself rather than speak to myself." He means that when I listen to my "flesh" and the lies of the enemy more than I preach the gospel and the fullness of God's truth to myself, I am bound for disappointment and unhappiness. But when I speak truth and grace to my heart, I discover a joy that is often unexpected and full of hope and worship.

• And of course, C.J.'s genuine humility and gospel affectedness is sheer beauty. He always takes the lowest place and lifts us those around him. Kind of reminds me of Phil. 2. Such a rare quality among us pastor types, and is only cultivated by long gazes at the cross of Jesus.

So, I'll make a deal with you. I'll preach the gospel to myself today if you will preach the gospel to yourself today, too. Deal? Great! Yes, we are more sinful than we could ever imagine (law), but in Jesus, we are more forgiven, loved and accepted than we could ever dare to dream (gospel)!