Being Too Smart

I Timothy 1:5-7

Preachers have a tendency to lack confidence or to be over confident in themselves. I know it seems as though that pretty much describes everyone but for preachers there are grave consequences. What we say not only effects our walk with the Lord, but also the walk of others. For this reason, we must make sure that we constantly realign our confidence and motivation for what we do and say.

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Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

I Timothy 1:5-7

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Part of lacking confidence is feeling that we have to come across as fresh or relevant. We fear that if we preach the same old message we will lose people's attention and they will leave the church. The problem is not the message but the relationship with God. I'm not saying that preachers can get lazy and recycle the same messages year after year. However, we also should not become overly academic in our attempt to find relevance.

Paul tells Timothy that his motivation should be love. He should first be motivated by his love for God. Then he should be motivated by his love for God's word. Also, he should be motivated by his love for people. That is it. We love God, His word, His people, and lost people. We then preach our message from that place of love.

When we lose sight of that love, we enter into dangerous territory. Paul says that preachers have "swerved" and "turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm". They are teaching what they neither know or understand. It is completely academic and not relational.

In so doing, they hurt people. False doctrines are taught either because of not understanding God's word, or because an unbiblical focus is placed on minor issues. For instance, most pastors hate it when people walk in late. Many church members have a habitual problem with this. There is the temptation to preach messages or make constant comments about the importance of being on time, making church (and therefore God) a priority, and all kinds of other "jangling". This often does not have the desired effect.

A preacher can say something that is absolutely true but not say it in love and it cause great harm in the church. We must constantly check ourselves. We must look at our motives for what we are saying.

One other danger of losing focus on love is that we become overly academic in our preaching. We want to discover something new that the people may not have heard. We should always be studying and learning, but we should not be looking for new things. If we discover something new that has never been preached before we are wrong. We can only preach what is in God's word. As Paul said, we must preach in love.

Father, help me to keep my focus on love. May I always love you, your word, and your people. Help me to always give my best to the preaching of your word, but to do so not in pride, but out of love.