How To Know If You Have A Good Preacher?

WHAT IS MAKES A GOOD PREACHER?

I hear this all the time, “He is a good preacher.” I often wonder what they mean by that, “he is a great preacher.” So the question is what mades a good preacher?

I read this today: (but hear it a number of times)

As the story goes, on a Sunday night a young pastor was driving home, his wife beside him. It had been a busy weekend at the church. The Sunday night sermon had lasted longer than usual since the preacher felt unusual liberty and unction in the pulpit. They drove in silence for some miles, he with his thoughts and she with hers. Finally, he broke the silence saying, “You know, Sweetheart, there are not many truly great preachers in the world today.”

“True,” answered the very weary wife, “and probably one fewer than you think!”

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR PASTOR / PREACHER IS A GOOD PREACHER?

Generally as the saying goes “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and so goes the opinions of every one.”

Here I want to express what makes a good preacher is the person and what who he does, rather than what makes a good sermon good.

Can I say to be a famous preacher is not the same as been a great preacher. So I can say that if you are a good preacher, there is likely not going to be a number of people wanting to have you speak at their church this week.

I have said that for years, some of the best preaching preachers had small churches and did not preach any revivals, because they were not ask.

I believe we are going to find out in heaven (maybe) that the masses of people have missed the reality of the greatness of good preaching and good preachers.

Austin B. Tucker gives ten points to a great preacher. While it is true not all of us have all ten, (how about three) but the desire is to have all ten working in our lives as preachers. I added a few comments.

1. Great preachers are persons of great integrity before they are great pulpiteers. Personality does not make one a great preacher.
2. Great preachers t4end to feel deeply, and they are not likely to be bashful about expressing those feelings. They are passionate souls. They have a devout love for Christ.
3. Great preachers have a passion to preach. There is this desire to preach/ teach the word of God as many times as they can. One time a week is just not going to get it done. George Whitefield preached 500 times a year.
4. Great preachers are anchored or fixed in the Bible. They love books but the Bible is found where they are. John Wycliff an example.
5. Great preacher are relevant. Preachers will teach on the issues of their time. Martin Luther tacked the issues of the church.
6. Great preacher are overcomers. Sometimes we start out as a poor preacher, our preaching is rather bad. But over time there is a discovery of the power of Christ and our preaching takes on new meaning, and we become a better preacher. Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847)
7. Great preacher are given to thinking and meditation. I understand that not all great preacher down through history thought alike, but all truly great preachers alike are thinkers. They are inclined to have minds given to reflection, to originality. John Calvin for example.
8. Great preachers have the shepherd heart. They love their people, they desire to see others saved by the power of Christ, but they also want to see them grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. George W. Truett.
9. Great preachers walk with the Lord. John Bunyan (1628-1688)
10. Great preacher work hard. They are willing not only to work in the secular world if necessary, but they work hard in their work for the Lord. Charles H Spurgeon (1834-1892) He not only preached, he established a pastor’s college. He established an orphanage. He published a monthly magazine. He read books. He had 12,000 volumes in his personal library.

We all tend to view preachers from our viewpoint. We leave a church service and say, "That was a great sermon." And maybe it was. But we liked his style, or his passion, or his voice. And that is not always bad, but what really makes a good preacher is different.

A good preacher could give a poor sermon presentation. A preacher could give a good sermon and be a poor preacher.

I have heard and known a lot of preachers who were very poor in their Christian living. They were great in their preaching (well it sounded good) but I wouldn't go hear them preach again.

I would rather hear a person who was not so good presenting a sermon but loved the Lord greatly.

Every preacher has his style of preaching, every preacher has his way of presenting what he preaches. God can use a lot of kinds of preacher, and he does. But God wants all of us to be the best we can be.

God doesn't use us all the same. But God knows what He did when He called each of us to be His under shepherd to teach and preach His Word.