Preachers and Congregation: Don't Be a Know-It-All
Summary of a Sermon by David Pao
Preachers, you teach others about God through your words and actions. Let others see God’s beauty, grace, and power in the way you live. Let others see the reality of your weakness, and His grace being sufficient in it.
Anyone willing to listen to you preach is an incredible gift. The best you can expect is that they aren’t wasting time but are paying attention to what you say.
So, don’t focus on whether others have followed your message. Focus on whether you have followed your own words, and whether you have explained clearly. Let God water the seed you have planted. His way is beyond us.
If your mission is to teach others about God’s words, don’t feel threatened by laypeople going to seminary. Don’t see yourself as an expert of the Bible. Don’t use the Bible to challenge others. We need knowledge, but knowledge without love can lead to arrogance (1 Corinthians 8:1).
Let others see how you follow God in your life. Walk the path with others. Let others see your weaknesses and struggle in serving God. Let others see God’s sovereignty; He is the Lord and you are His servant. Your goal is to take others to God and let God—not you—work on them.
To the congregation: You expect that teachers of the Word have seriously prepared to show you a different reality and bring you closer to God. Be satisfied if they have done so and be forgiving of mistakes. We all make them.
Christianity is a revelation religion. We need God to reveal Himself to us because God is totally beyond us. Ask God to reveal to us His power and our weakness, His sovereignty and our impotence. This can be through the Bible or other materials.
Ask God to remove our blindness and misconceptions, and to subvert our thinking and logic. Ask God to help us see His presence in the real reality, not the one we are exposed to every day. Then we can better participate in His work.
Never forget that you’re inadequate. When you feel you have arrived, it’s time to be broken by God.
Summary of a discussion with David Pao:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCKsANGQjf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKItTSjt5w
Anyone willing to listen to you preach is an incredible gift. The best you can expect is that they aren’t wasting time but are paying attention to what you say.
So, don’t focus on whether others have followed your message. Focus on whether you have followed your own words, and whether you have explained clearly. Let God water the seed you have planted. His way is beyond us.
If your mission is to teach others about God’s words, don’t feel threatened by laypeople going to seminary. Don’t see yourself as an expert of the Bible. Don’t use the Bible to challenge others. We need knowledge, but knowledge without love can lead to arrogance (1 Corinthians 8:1).
Let others see how you follow God in your life. Walk the path with others. Let others see your weaknesses and struggle in serving God. Let others see God’s sovereignty; He is the Lord and you are His servant. Your goal is to take others to God and let God—not you—work on them.
To the congregation: You expect that teachers of the Word have seriously prepared to show you a different reality and bring you closer to God. Be satisfied if they have done so and be forgiving of mistakes. We all make them.
Christianity is a revelation religion. We need God to reveal Himself to us because God is totally beyond us. Ask God to reveal to us His power and our weakness, His sovereignty and our impotence. This can be through the Bible or other materials.
Ask God to remove our blindness and misconceptions, and to subvert our thinking and logic. Ask God to help us see His presence in the real reality, not the one we are exposed to every day. Then we can better participate in His work.
Never forget that you’re inadequate. When you feel you have arrived, it’s time to be broken by God.
Summary of a discussion with David Pao:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCKsANGQjf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBKItTSjt5w