Do you practice what you preach?

I had an interesting conversation with a good friend that frequents the forums, Everstosama. We began to discuss something that I thought would be a fruitful discussion.

Before you ever preach something do you faithfully practice it and if so what areas can you preach with a clear conscious about to a group or congregation knowing you practice exactly what you are talking about?

We found that we as brother in Christ we had to completely different topics we felt we could preach on and then started to discuss the different measures of things God gives us as individuals to balance the whole out.

I was suprised to find really thinking on it that I had one solid topic I could truly preach on and that was On God's Grace.

I have been the benefactor of it for so long it seems God has blessed me greatly while I still don't deserve any of it. I am still blown away and amazed by God in His Grace, that if I turn to Him, He will love and accept me. Quite Amazing :)

Brother, I have been wanting to comment on this thread since you posted it, but I have had a nueron-frying busy couple weeks and have not had much time, I think this is an excellent topic.

No worries! I have been busy too so I understand that whole rigamaroll :) I appreciate you wanting to put your whole focus on the topic, from what I have discussed with others on this it was actually reall good conversation.

It has made me look at my strengths and my weaknesses to improve and grow in both, and areas I find I am weak at I find brothers and sisters in Christ that are strong in to help lift me up. Its really quite awesome. :)

I understand that answering this question is also a probing one that might take time to answer, so please by all means take your time :)

God Bless,
Matthew

"Should we even preach like that?"

This is a good question, I believe everytime we preach it can speak against sin but in light of Grace and it abounding all the more. I suppose my question could be worded better as to say...

Do you beliefs line up with your testimony? Meaning do you LIVE what you believe or when writing a sermon does it line up with your testimony. This doesn't have to be in the area of Sin, Take Grace I can preach about Grace because I believe and know that Christ has offered me Grace abounding not only because the bible tells me so but because I have experienced this Grace and know it personally.

This might turn into a heated but greatly beneficial discussion. There is a sermon by Zac Poonen about the Real Jesus where He makes the point that Jesus Christ preached what He practiced. I remember hearing that and thinking that was very good and ought to be objective of every Christian. However, when I read through this thread, I realized that that principle does not go to the true root. The thing that came to mind was 1 Corinthians 7, the chapter where the apostle Paul gives instructions about married and single life in the context of pursuing God wholeheartedly. In this passage Paul could speak from his experience about living single minded as a single but he did not have experience in married life. Paul wrote with a different authority, that of speaking the Word he had received from God. Jesus Christ did the same. He testifies about Himself that He only does and says the things He sees the Father saying and doing.

So we need to address how one knows where the inspiration for a message or taking a conversation in a certain direction comes from. Please make sure you pray before responding, this is a very holy responsibility.

Matthew,

I don't really know if this is what you are asking for or not but here goes... :)

We all have topics that we like to share on but I think it goes deeper than even "our" topics. I believe that each one of us can walk so close with the Holy Spirit that when He says to change the topic of the message (at the last minute), that we can hear and obey; even change the whole service if necessary.

And I do praise God that I have an example to share with you; at the church I used to attend (years ago), a man walked in at 10:00 am and when it was time for the singer to get up (which she did), the preacher immediately went to the pulpit without a word to anyone. No singing, no worshiping, nothing!

Later the preacher said privately, “As soon as the man walked in, the Lord said, ‘Preach now.'” The preacher prayed afterwards and the Lord explained that this fellow would have left during the singing and God wanted him to hear.

This man was not special and I submit that is how much the Lord loves each one of us. "Be instant in season and out of season..." 2 Tim 4.2 He would do that for so many more of us if people listened to the Holy Spirit instantly. (which includes me as well).

God bless,
Lisa

I had to stop telling others how to live.

Is this not what Jesus did? and later the apostles? Tell others how to live?

I found out that when I tried to do good in preaching against sin, evil was present with me

Good. If a preacher is not being convicted of his own sin while preaching under the power of the Holy Spirit, his message is useless.

To assume that you can only preach after yo are 'perfect in your own eyes' will lead one to serious delusion. It will either silence the speaker or it will induce him to water down the Gospel.

I have heard many preachers say their sermons convict them mightily. Now if you are not willing to repent after preaching your sermon, I would guess there is a sin problem residing within that needs to be dealt with, just like the person in the pew.

I love to teach Sunday School, ages do not matter. However, after teaching adults, I have spiritual struggles after wards. They usually come in the form of attacking my delivery, my expounding, not the content. I know this is one of the spiritual hazards of publicly teaching the WORD. It is not pleasant. I am also told this is common to preachers ....The enemy works hard to silence the purveyor of the WORD. Let us not allow him to stop us.

God bless....

ginnyrose

Later the preacher said privately, “As soon as the man walked in, the Lord said, ‘Preach now.

As I was reading that, my body was shivering.. Shouldn’t that be the source of all sound preaching, the leading of the Holy Spirit. The only way to convict sinners.

But those whom God leads are the same who spend time with Him and empty themselves from any personal agenda, ambition. They are those who can say to others: ‘ I have conducted myself in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, I have lived with pure conscience before God and man, I have caused no offence to the Gospel, I have not robbed any one, cheated any one, I have not shunned to give you the whole counsel of God therefore I am innocent from the blood of all… Follow me therefore even as I follow Christ. “

If a preacher is not being convicted of his own sin while preaching under the power of the Holy Spirit, his message is useless.

And yes, they are also those who when convicted of the Holy Spirit about any hidden sins in their own lives are willing to listen and submit to His voice and not think themselves above reproof.

God is so good, thank you all for your insight because I find I agree with you all. I definitely see the pitfall of trying to be perfect before pearching a message. Perhaps an example may help focus this topic.

I am blessed with the ability of public speaking, not because I am anything special but because God has graciously blessed me with His wonderful Grace. My main reason for this question is looking at Christ He was preparing and training for 30 years before ever preaching a message, or at least one that we have record.

What I have seen in me and others is the temptation to preach with zero authority or credibility to the topic, meaning there are some who like the Pharisees, who put great weight on the people but they themselves don't lift a single finger to lift the load, such as Prayer, to me it would be quite foolish for a man to stand in the pulpit and proclaim his concregation should be on their faces before the Lord 8 hours a day and then Him only spend 5 minutes a day with the Lord in prayer.

I guess the question is one of Authenticity rather than anything, when I preach on certain topics I am completely and utterly humbled by it because I know my own folly and I let it be known that I struggle with the topic but this doesn't exclude us from doing it or preaching it.

I believe a quality a good preacher has is a great deal of humility and gentleness.