BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

The Timothy Factor
The first in a two part series

In 2 Timothy 4:1-3, the apostle Paul tells his young protégé Timothy to “Preach the Word . . . convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires . . .”

These words are never truer than today.

This is a first of a two-part series on “The Timothy Factor” of preaching. During the past three weeks, I discussed preaching from Jeremiah’s perspective—that preaching is a calling, not a choice. In this week’s column, I want to share with you some of life lessons learned from my journey as a preacher of the gospel of Christ.

Preaching is a priority in life. Preaching is more than method, preparation and delivery. Preaching is God speaking through my personality, intelligence and training with a purpose of persuading someone to change their lives or perfect their lives under the transparent spotlight of Jesus Christ.

Using this framework, preaching is not communication but commission; not organization but ordinance; not delivery but divine utterance, not precision but passion. Preaching is not a vocation, it is an anointing.

Preaching is not a job but a joy. My call to preach is not to dissect the economy, lecture on politics, straighten out city hall or strut my own intellect. It is to deliver with passion the remedy of life and death to the desperate needs of man. Telling and modeling the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Preaching must be compassionate enough to care but courageous enough to confront. Sharing the message releases the power to confront the cosmic conflict of good and evil.

Let’s discuss elements of preaching from the standpoints of change, tension, conduct content and credibility.

Change is in the DNA of creation. It is a constant of life. We must live by custom and calendar. Preachers must not become old men on modern streets or in current pulpits. Accelerated change is a problem that can only be handled in the reality of faith. While some may desire for a simpler world where change is not so rapid, it will never return. But in all honesty, the idealized past was not as good as we want to remember.

Our technological society has not created tension, temper and trouble but it certainly has exacerbated them. The preacher is subject to all three maladies that place abnormal strains on those who live and work in stress environment.

To combat tension, determine what is supremely vital and has relative importance. Combat chronic irritability of temper by the discipline of putting yourself in “Time Out!” You never want to get rid of the emotion, but you must learn to manage it. Never try to spiritualize management problems and don’t try to manage spiritual problems. Everyone has a date with trouble. Take time for its meaning and purpose to surface.

The conduct of a preacher must be above reproach when he is by himself or with someone. We must be ourselves in the context of Christ. There is so much to say here but that’s another subject. To be concise about conduct: Keep your mind open and your emotions under control.

The preacher must constantly guard against an insipid slippage in content. Passion for content will arise in direct proportion to the intensity and involvement we have with our subject. This will be a constant battle for every conscience preacher. You must fight for adequate sermon preparation time. Fight for it!

Credibility is an essential quality for the preacher. Time is spent in building an image of credibility and integrity. No one can take your integrity—you choose to give it up. However, when we do not stand for truth, credibility will be negated.

Some issues are so vital that taking a stand—putting it all on the line—is an absolute essential for the preacher. When taking a stand you should: Know what you’re talking about; organize your thoughts and presentation; and stand with enthusiasm.

May God bless you on your own journey.

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at
1-800-226-8584, ext. 3015, or by e-mail.