Choosing to Preach Discussion

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Kallie Hutton on Aug. 24, 2010 at 15:37

Does the Bible encourage everyone to share the good news about Christ? Absolutely. Everyone who has experienced the saving grace of Christ should feel compelled to share that with those around them in the way they live, act and speak. This does not mean that everyone is called to preach in a formal sense in front of a congregation; that would probably do more harm than good. Public speaking is not for everyone and only certain people possess the gift of accurately communicating God’s message in this specific way. We are all called to share the good news, we are not all called to share it from the pulpit.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Sunhee SunHee Jung on Dec. 01, 2009 at 00:07

Must one be specially called to preach? I say “yes” even though I always feel tension whenever I do preach, I regard this as a kind of holy burden. In my opinion, there is a huge responsibility to carry His Word, not through my own experiences, but the truth of God’s Word which is illuminated by God as well as in a way of right interpretation in the context. In this sense a preacher is called by God as one’s mission. Public preaching is different from personal testimony and proclamation His words on the Street. Of course, in a sense of sharing God’s grace and love, its quality is same.. On the other sense, preaching is for the all believers who have a mind of Christ and want to share the Good news with others informally and joyfully. Because God calls us a “royal priesthood” (1Peter 2:9) and in that role we can be a preachers to share His light. Everyone, if there force of God’s love can be called the preachers. Thank you, Lord, for calling us as preachers at this moment of earthly life.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Joseph HyunHo on Oct. 31, 2009 at 21:24

Yes, he must be specially called to preach, and the Bible encourage everyone to go out and preach the word. “Preaching is helping people hear from God” (Kenton C. Anderson). The message of a preacher is "not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power" (1 Corinthians 2:4). The message of a preacher should be from the Holy Spirit. In this sense, for a preacher, the most important thing is to hear God’s voice or message. If someone preaches without message from God, that is not called preaching.

Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Jesus is the shepherd of all Christians who are like sheep. He commands Christians to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything" (Matthew 28:29-20).

Therefore, It can be said that a preacher must be called to preach, and the Bible encourage all Christians to go out and preach the word.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Hyung Kim on Oct. 31, 2009 at 19:53

Hyungjun Max Kim

Must one be specifically called to preach? No.

One can preach without being called, but would God use her/him? God only knows. As God used a donkey to speak to Balaam in human language, God can also use me to preach to you in English regardless of a calling to preach.

What I would like to add to this point is clarification of those two meanings: “being called to preach” and “preaching.” One might say that since we are all called to preach as believers, . This is a legitimate point. In fact, it is true that we are all called to be a Christian. However, my point is this. The fact that every believer can “preach” does not necessarily mean that every believer is “a preacher.” Looking into the Bible, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,”(Ephesians 4:11) I can apprehend that it is clear enough that there are someone called to be a teacher. Everyone can teach at some points, but not everyone is a teacher. Thus, everyone can preach without being called specifically for preaching; however, not everyone is a preacher without “the specific calling”.

Does the Bible encourage everyone to go out and preach the Word? Yes.

Preaching does not exclusively belong to a certain groups of people. Every disciple of Christ is encouraged to preach in season and out of season. There are so many accounts of encouragement of disciples’ preaching the gospel.

Caution is required at this moment, though. Although it is always preferable for a Christian to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit when he or she preaches, it is always mandatory for a Christian to be sincerely prepared for preaching. I agree Dr. Anderson’s assertion to preaching: “When a preacher preaches the gospel, something always happens.” As young Billy Graham was captivated by the Word in a sermon and become a legendary preacher, I hope this could happen during my preaching. Thus, why do we hesitate? Bite the bullet, and give it a try! Preach!

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Josh Buys on Oct. 22, 2009 at 16:19

I love this question even though I believe that it is a bit misleading. The reason I believe it is misleading is because I think that based on the biblical account all are called to preach. John 20:21 leaves no mistake about the fact that all disciples of Jesus are to go out into the world and emulate and carry on His mission which is further clarified in Matthew 28:19-20. Preaching is part of the overall calling every Christian receives when the choose Jesus. Therefore, yes you must be called to preach, but in the same breath all are called to preach. From this point it becomes stickier in terms of certainty of quantity, place and gifting. What I mean by this is that while all are called to preach not all will be called to do it often because not all are gifted with the ability to be a full-time preacher of the Gospel or to put it another way not everyone burns with the message as the prophets of old or has the butterflies of anticipation to do it as Dr. Anderson points out. Every Christian should be ready in and out of season to witness to the faithfulness of the Almighty, but not all Christians are required to make a life centered and focused upon it. Therefore, all are called to preach but not all are called to do so minute by minute and week by week. Finally, even those who are called to a lifetime of frequent preaching and given the gifts with which to do so do not carry the authority to preach there own message to whom they choose. God-fearing preaching comes form those who are called to preach an intentional message from God to a particular person or group of persons. Anything else is just self-gratification, it may produce response because as Jesus says the gospel is preached, but it will not produce humility, fruit or obedience in the life of the preacher.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Barry Neufeld on Oct. 01, 2009 at 17:57

The title of the Book “choosing to Preach” caught me off guard. I had always assumed that preaching was a special “calling.” I understood that other less spiritual professions could (and should be) considered a calling. John Calvin gave this a lot of thought. I agree that any time we share the gospel with another person, we are preaching. Indeed all Christians are called to share the gospel, so by implication: all are called to preach.

My own father had always emphasized how he was “called to preach.” This resulted in him studying at a Holiness Bible college while his younger teenage brothers struggled to hang on to the family farm owned by my widowed grandmother. They were hailed out three years in a row while Dad was in school, but he didn’t pause from his studies to help them. The younger brothers failed to make a go of it, and the bank repossessed the farm. Needless to say, the family wasn’t impressed with my dad’s “call”: they considered it Methodist hogwash. They were old Mennonites without a professional clergy, so they had no tradition of a special “calling” for preachers. They chose their minister by lot from the men in the congregation. They were even more put out when he accepted a “call” to a (heretical) Methodist congregation. The hard feelings from those days of long ago have been a blight on my extended family for decades, and continue today.

I also learned from my Eastern Orthodox friends that any layperson can preach if they get permission from the bishop. The age old tradition is that the “calling” is for those who feel called to be ordained presbyters or deacons and are trained to administer the sacraments, hear confessions and lead the worship.

So where did this idea of some special “calling” come from? There were some in the Bible called to give a special message, but they were not "run of the mill.":the professional clergy in the OT offerred sacrifices. At the time of the reformation pulpits were moved from the sidelines and placed front and center in the church. By their very architecture churches gave more importance and status to preaching the Word of God than the communion table, which had dominated churches for one and a half millenniums. There was a kind of awe associated with “the sacred desk” and only the specially called and anointed could stand behind it. Did this remove the preacher from the people? I’m not convinced.

Now the pulpits are gone again, replaced by bar stools and music stands. I know a pastor who refused to use the word “sermon”. While perched on his bar stool, he labeled his Sunday morning religious musings as “a talk.” Is it any surprise that after a while, the board showed him the door?

Bill Hybels pragmatically explains why some churches grow exponentially and other churches struggle. He says the spiritual gift of preaching is not that common. He says that many pastors in struggling, dying churches are neither gifted nor called to preach. Their best efforts are only a cure for insomnia. Hybels suggests that their gifts are better put to use on the staff of a large mega church with specialized ministries that don’t involve preaching: i.e. counseling, teaching, discipling, music or administration. The other side is also true: a person may be gifted and anointed as a preacher, but useless at administration, counseling or music.

But I digress. I agree that everyone is called to share the gospel, but some are especially gifted to preach to larger groups of people. In today’s complex world, I certainly don’t think that an effective preacher can prepare relevant, inspiring and biblical sermons while he is involved in some tent making business. Just like engineering, farming, or music, preaching is a career, a calling. Preaching is a special spiritual gift that is only effective when done in the power of the holy Spirit. The crux is that one can CHOOSE to exercise a spiritual gift such as preaching, but it must be discerned and confirmed by other spirit filled believers.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Irene Yeung on Oct. 01, 2009 at 03:02

In answering this question, we have to understand what “preaching” and “calling” mean.
If we define “preaching” as helping people hear God’s words, then the preaching format encompasses all kinds of teachings on God’s words; such as preaching in the Sunday worship, teaching Sunday school, leading bible studies in small groups, and even sharing God’s words with others on one-to-one situations. With this definition of preaching, does anyone have to be called before one can share God’s words with others?
If we define “preaching” as helping people hear God’s words, the primary focus of preaching is sharing God’s words. The preachers are functioned as the conduct for transmitting God’s words. The preachers have to understand God’s words, and no man will have the wisdom to understand God’s words if God does not reveal Himself. Thus, the understanding of God’s words and the message to preach have to come from God Himself, but not others. God chooses His people to disseminate His words, as He hand-picked the prophets in the Old Testament time to pass His judgments onto the Israelites. Thus, I would argue that one has to be called by God before one can share God’s words; otherwise, one will be using one’s flesh to shape the preaching which will then be contemplated with man’s thoughts and ideas. But what is meant by calling? Has God called us to preach?
The perfect example of calling is found in the life of Isaiah. (Isaiah 6:8) Calling is the commissioning of a person by God to accomplish His will. The question is whether God has commissioned His people to preach; or in other words, to share His words with others. In Matthew 28, Jesus has given his disciples the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them I the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20) All believers are Jesus’ disciples; and Jesus has commissioned each of his disciples to teach others to obey his commands. The teaching is preaching God’s words. Hence, I would say all believers are called to preach to others with God’s words. If we submit to God’s will in sharing His words with others, God will guide us to understand His words, and give us His words to do the preaching.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Koenraad Beugelink on Sep. 30, 2009 at 01:02

Yes to both. The Bible is clear that all are called to make disciples of all nations. Preaching and teaching is one tool (among many) in our arsenal to bring the good news to the world. I am saddened when denominations put the barriers of education and ordination between people and their opportunity to share the message of Christ in official capacities. Certainly moves like this stem from an assumption that not everyone is "called" to preach. Having said that I feel that God also calls people specifically to the task of preaching the good news of scripture to his people. I myself have felt such a call. Technically speaking I have preached before I heard "the call". However in the last two years I have felt God specifically call me to preach the truth of his word to the next generation and to work at engaging men in our congregation through the message. It has been a journey of discovery and wonder in stepping into this new call. My comfort has been that I have all along been preaching and teaching the good news of Christ.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Sydney Bergsma on Mar. 09, 2009 at 21:43

"Here am I send me!" Isaiah’s "call" to represent God came after he saw himself in light of a Holy God. God had led him to the point where he realized he had nothing to give, yet he offered. The preachers I have been around all came to be through a journey God had led them on that eventually landed them with the role "preacher". Yet all of these have come understanding God has placed them there and they are but instruments of God. And that is a humbling experience. On the other side God has called us to "shine our light before all men". Is that preaching of being a witness? If we are all called to preach we should all be scholars, theologians and students of the Word. The Body of Christ functions with many roles all working together to create His church. Let those gifted to teach teach, preachers preach, servants serve, helpers help, givers give so the body can function as one, working together.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by John Moerman on Feb. 22, 2009 at 17:35

Preaching means helping people hear from God – this definition is paramount. In my last change in vocation, I have been "asked" to preach on a semi-regular basis. I admit that preaching in a church setting has been a shock to the system. I cannot, and will not, stand before people preaching without soul searching preparation, prayer and fear of God. How can I not? Preaching means helping people hear from God. From God! (I am emphasizing the latter part of the book’s definition.) I personally own the sermon but the message is from God! Being called to preach is for all persons. God lives in us. We are called to show it. Preaching before a congregation raises the stakes.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Ryan Bajema on Oct. 31, 2008 at 16:07

I would argue that whiile all are called to be ‘carriers’ and proclaimers of the gospel, not all are called to preach the gospel. Proclamation is general, preaching is specific. I argue alongside the text, that God has always been in the business of choosing preachers, and picking them out of a crowd..sometimes picking the most unlikely candidates to be his mouthpiece.
I think what is important is that Christians today have an ear turned heavenward listening for the calling. Perhaps too many preachers today are doing it because they saw it as simply a job they’d enjoy without ever feeling a leading from the Lord to enter this profession. And maybe, that’s one of the problems with preachers today, they feel like hirelings, under contract to fulfill a job instead of recognizing themselves as the chosen, the called, and the one whom God has handpicked to speak His words to a world that desperately needs to hear them.
But back to my original statement: all are called to proclaim the gospel, and we all proclaim the message of Jesus best through the Spiritual Gifts God has given us. Some of us best proclaim Christ through our hospitality, others through their service, others share Jesus through their mercy, and for those chosen..they best proclaim Christ through exercising their gift of preaching and teaching!

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Andrew Eby on Oct. 01, 2008 at 00:34

If we stick to the definition that preaching is helping people hear from God, then every Christian is a preacher when he/she shares the gospel with a friend. We have attached a higher elevation of a preacher as one who stands on the pulpit and delivers a message every Sunday. Yes, these people are gifted and God is using them to deliver a word to people. But is preaching reserved to "preachers"? I believe every follower of Jesus Christ is a preacher when they share their faith or help other believers hear from God. However some Christians never choose to preach and therefore "preaching" has been assigned to pastors or speakers and only happens once a week! Imagine a world full of Christian preachers who helped people hear from God 7 days a week instead of just once a week sitting in a pew!

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by John Jeong on Sep. 30, 2008 at 02:14

Must one be specially called to preach??
Whether this “preach” indicates telling gospel of Jesus Christ to the world or bible teaching in the church the answer for the question is “no”. Everybody, disciples of Jesus Christ are qualified to preach in the church and somewhere else. Jesus commanded his disciples to go out to the world and to teach (preach) the gospel, and in book of Acts, Jesus ordered his disciples to go out to the end of the world to spread the gospel. In the bible, especially in N.T. few references support this idea. Then now we have a question whether we are disciples of Jesus Christ or not. Fortunately, it is very easy to find out whether we are disciples of Jesus or not. Once we have faith in Jesus Christ and accept Him as our personal savior, yes, we are disciples of Jesus Christ. Therefore, if there is certain qualification we need in order to preach, faith is only qualification that we need in order to preach. However, I believe God calls someone specifically in some occasions for the preaching for sure.
Now I said someone who has faith in Christ is qualified to give preaching to the people in the church and the world. However, there are some more aspects that these preachers must have.
In order to preach and teach in the church and some other places someone who preach must prepare for the lesson, but it does not necessarily mean that the preacher has to be a professional speaker.
Preacher needs good understanding of the bible, and he must spend decent amount of time in prayer and reading the Bible. These lists sound so basic, however, these lists are the core reasons why not everybody is preaching in the church even though they can preach. It seems majority of Christians do not prepare for preaching. What they need is not special calling of God for the preaching or special revelation, however, they need their own effort for the studying the bible, praying, and teaching the message of God.
Every believers of Jesus Christ can preach, however they have to prepare for this preaching by steadily walking with God in their daily life instead of waiting God’s miraculous calling for the preaching.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Yong Wang on Sep. 29, 2008 at 20:11

Every believer is called to teach (Matthew 28:10-20) and proclaim (1 Peter 3:9). From this perspective, the Bible encourages everyone to go out and share God’s words with people. Here, preaching is not limited to the typical Sunday morning but to a broader sense of teaching and sharing God’s words.

Meanwhile, for the Sunday morning preaching, it is good that preacher is eligible and prepared. Most often, proper education and training are necessary. However, this is not to say that a person without relevant education and training cannot preach on Sunday mornings. Let’s say those churches with little resources and people with great power and gifts from God.
Some people do have special call from God to be full time servants as pastors or missionaries. This call is different from the call of people to preach. Some pastors do not have this call but they still preach because God has called us all (Matthew 28:18-20).

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Kevin O'Coin on Sep. 21, 2008 at 18:55

There are two aspects to this question:

1) What do we mean by the word "preach"? If we speak of someone ascending the pulpit to deliver a 45-minute exposition of a biblical passage, then I would have to say that not everyone is called to preach — this is not to say that anyone may (though certain faith traditions would argue this), but simply that for some, this would not be for them to operate out of their gifting. But preaching really can take on many different forms, and it should, in order to be appropriate to a specific culture or environment. At its heart, preaching is the "persuasive communications of God’s Word," and there is always a time and a place for that.

2) We need look no further than the Apostle Paul to explode our ideas about preaching. Only three days after he was blinded on the road to Damascus, and as soon as the scales fell from his eyes, "he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (Acts 9:20). Though he was a learned Jew, he didn’t understand much high theology about Jesus, and most people would not look too kindly upon the leaders of a church who allowed a week-old Christian to give the message on a Sunday morning. And while that venue may not be the best fit for a Paul of today, such a person can certainly testify to the impact of God’s truth in their own lives, which is surely more likely to stir the heart in comparison to a 40-minute exegesis of Psalm 139.

In that sense, then, one does not need a calling to preach.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Michael Holcomb on Mar. 26, 2008 at 18:39

I have just finished reading through the Epistles that Paul wrote to the church in various cities. I myself am as one of those in a lost world, saved by the Good News of Jesus Christ. I find myself believing and being compelled that to preach the Good News is like the breath that we take to sustain our physical life. If we have a choice, would we, should we take the next breath. When we accept the gift of life through Jesus Christ, we soon are indwelled with the Holy Spirit.
Our choice to breath in and to exhale is to live. Is not the Holy Spirit the same and even greater essence of life to those of us bought by such a great price?

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Johnny Lo on Jan. 25, 2007 at 00:06

The Bible most definitely encourages everyone to go out and preach the Word. But preaching also has many different forms.

Now, are we all called to go out and preach to thousands of people at once like Billy Graham? Most likely not, but that shouldn’t stop us from telling our neighbours or friends about Christ.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Michelle Young on Jan. 22, 2007 at 17:32

If following the definition of "preaching" as helping others to connect and hear from God, the answer would be "YES", all Christians are encouraged to preach the Word. Indeed, it is the great commission from our Lord Jesus commanding us to go and teach the nations (Matt.28:19-20) all that the Lord had taught us. However, if "preaching" is defined as the Sunday morning pulpit preaching, I believe not everyone is gifted or called to this area of ministry.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by zachariah rippee on Jan. 20, 2007 at 13:20

One can be called to preach. God does have chosen speakers who He has blessed to do his preaching. However, you don’t have to be called to preach, if you still have a desire to do it.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by dave ellis on Jan. 18, 2007 at 01:41

1 Thessalonians 1:5
because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
I like this verse because its describes the componets of preaching so well. Preaching is not just words, its a life lived among people, its not for us, its for those, you have been called to serve. The Holy Spirit is involed, not only in you, as you preach, but in those who you are preaching too. And then, the message is said to come in power, the very Gospel is anointed. Wow! Do I think we are called to preach? Yes, we are called out of the darkness and into the light. Living in the light, being led by the Spirit, its safe to say, that in some form your life will include preaching.

re: #3 - Must One Be Called to Preach?

Posted by Steve Driediger on Jan. 16, 2007 at 21:02

In "Choosing to Preach" Dr. Anderson uses 2 Timothy 4:2 (Be prepared to preach in season and out of season ….) to show that "if we are in Christ, we are called to preach in some capacity" (p. 28). My question about this proposition rises in light of the fact that Paul wrote this to Timothy, not to the church that Timothy lead. Does this passage mean that all Christians are called to preach, or that those who are the spiritual leaders of our churches are called to preach? I am not opposed to some understanding of the call to all Christians to tell the gospel, but I struggle to see that in 2 Timothy 4.