09/11/07
Invitation to preach:
There are many ways to speak before an audience; there are many purposes we can have and many styles we can use to stand before a group or people with the challenge of communicate something. In every occasion we may face a mixture of fear, anticipation, excitement and even passion; or we can also fall into the deceiving trap of pride; self concern; excessive criticism; doubt or over confidence. Let’s say that speaking in public can bring pain or satisfaction; can become an amazing opportunity to influence and build up others and ourselves, or an opportunity to build both of us down. Speaking in public can become a great blessing or a great tragedy for us and for the people who is listening.
As creatures created to have communion with God and between each other we long to communicate in many ways; many levels; many circumstances; but preaching is unique.
Invitation to preach:
There are many ways to speak before an audience; there are many purposes we can have and many styles we can use to stand before a group or people with the challenge of communicate something. In every occasion we may face a mixture of fear, anticipation, excitement and even passion; or we can also fall into the deceiving trap of pride; self concern; excessive criticism; doubt or over confidence. Let’s say that speaking in public can bring pain or satisfaction; can become an amazing opportunity to influence and build up others and ourselves, or an opportunity to build both of us down. Speaking in public can become a great blessing or a great tragedy for us and for the people who is listening.
As creatures created to have communion with God and between each other we long to communicate in many ways; many levels; many circumstances; but preaching is unique.
In my life I have had the opportunity to speak in business matters; to facilitate trainings and couple toasts in weddings; to give reports in different circumstances; to help as emcee in different meetings and lastly I have been able to teach the Bible in Sunday school… but preaching is definitely unique!
I was invited to preach last Sunday in “Comunidad Cristiana de Riobamba” Pastor Rene asked me to share in the main service and he even gave me a hint about the message telling me September is the month of Hope in the congregation. I accepted the invitation trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me and teach me, but from the beginning I knew this time would be different since I was not really given a context to share about; there were not a passage or something specific to start with… just the Lord and me asking Him for the message He wanted to share.
Freedom does not mean doing what we want (this is a good principle); freedom means being completely able to do what God wants us to do. I was free to preach about any subject but it did not mean I had to preach about something I knew well about or something I liked or even though it was relevant for the occasion… it did mean I was able to preach what the Lord wanted to preach. Sounds easy but I ended being a little more complicated for me.
I was praying in the afternoon on Saturday and by 7 PM I was exhausted, some ideas about hope where written down but somehow I knew it was not right; that was not the message and I was frustrated and tired. I was also feeling a little bit guilty of not being able to have the message ready. I left to visit some relatives planning to come back early to finish the sermon but I came back later than I though and after some time I found myself still frustrated unable to produce a sermon. I prayed begging the Lord to forgive me for trying to do it by myself and for my anxiety; and I went to bed with nothing ready. My night was not the best since my subconscious was still fighting and calling out my irresponsibility.
Around 5:30 AM the Lord showed up and waked me up to work… after praying I just could be amazed to see how God started to develop a message that was blessing me as I was writing it down. Around 8:30 AM it was done and at 9:30 AM was delivered at the main service of the Church. God is faithful. Preaching is really stepping up to say what the Lord wants to say, not us. I see how the Lord backs up His Word before men… it’s His Word, not ours what is powerful to change the heart; and His Word comes in His time.
During the preaching I experienced the blessing of being a vessel; a real one. I know we are always in God’s hands and He uses us in ways we can’t always realize; but the feeling of being filled with a message of God that is inside us before preaching and the sense and certainty of knowing we did not produced that message is amazing. A vessel that has been filled inside and is just waiting for the right time to spread out its content directly into the hearts of people… that humbles me and make me realize how great is the honor God gives his servants to speak His word… “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdom, to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant”.
I was invited to preach last Sunday in “Comunidad Cristiana de Riobamba” Pastor Rene asked me to share in the main service and he even gave me a hint about the message telling me September is the month of Hope in the congregation. I accepted the invitation trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me and teach me, but from the beginning I knew this time would be different since I was not really given a context to share about; there were not a passage or something specific to start with… just the Lord and me asking Him for the message He wanted to share.
Freedom does not mean doing what we want (this is a good principle); freedom means being completely able to do what God wants us to do. I was free to preach about any subject but it did not mean I had to preach about something I knew well about or something I liked or even though it was relevant for the occasion… it did mean I was able to preach what the Lord wanted to preach. Sounds easy but I ended being a little more complicated for me.
I was praying in the afternoon on Saturday and by 7 PM I was exhausted, some ideas about hope where written down but somehow I knew it was not right; that was not the message and I was frustrated and tired. I was also feeling a little bit guilty of not being able to have the message ready. I left to visit some relatives planning to come back early to finish the sermon but I came back later than I though and after some time I found myself still frustrated unable to produce a sermon. I prayed begging the Lord to forgive me for trying to do it by myself and for my anxiety; and I went to bed with nothing ready. My night was not the best since my subconscious was still fighting and calling out my irresponsibility.
Around 5:30 AM the Lord showed up and waked me up to work… after praying I just could be amazed to see how God started to develop a message that was blessing me as I was writing it down. Around 8:30 AM it was done and at 9:30 AM was delivered at the main service of the Church. God is faithful. Preaching is really stepping up to say what the Lord wants to say, not us. I see how the Lord backs up His Word before men… it’s His Word, not ours what is powerful to change the heart; and His Word comes in His time.
During the preaching I experienced the blessing of being a vessel; a real one. I know we are always in God’s hands and He uses us in ways we can’t always realize; but the feeling of being filled with a message of God that is inside us before preaching and the sense and certainty of knowing we did not produced that message is amazing. A vessel that has been filled inside and is just waiting for the right time to spread out its content directly into the hearts of people… that humbles me and make me realize how great is the honor God gives his servants to speak His word… “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdom, to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant”.
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1 comment:
Congratulations!!!! The lord is always there for us,its' sometimes our inability to trust HIM that causes us to struggle. I see the LORD is talking to you in a more profound manner, guiding you and taking you into places that you thought were reserved for others. I am so proud of you and even at the distance I am able to share with belivers here in Chicago how you have allowed GOD-JESUS-SPIRIT to hold you. My blessing to you Marquitos.
Juan Fernando Leon.
P.S. Knowing that we haven't arrived yet, allows me to persue HIM more.
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