The hard work of preaching by David O. Cofield

The jokes abound that preachers only work one day a week and I laugh (most of the time) with the person joking about it.  I enjoy a good laugh, even at my expense.

But for a true man of God, that is further from the truth.  Paul used some strong typology to describe a man of God in II Timothy 2.  Look at a few:

1.  A soldier (verses 3-4).  It is spiritual warfare everyday of his life.  A soldier does not have off time when he is on the battlefield.  A soldier needs a good weapon or he will be killed.  A soldier does not give himself to "normal" activities lest he become entangled in the cares of this world.  His only desire is to please his commander.

2.  An athlete (verse 5).  The concept here is of the Olympic games where the rules extended not only to the race itself but also to the prescribed training.  Dr. Stephen Olford said, "Every athlete had three objectives:  energy, honesty, and victory."

3.  A farmer (verse 6).  Note Paul calls him a "hard-working farmer."  The emphasis in on the toil of working under the hot sun and digging deep into the earth. Also there is the concept of trust..a farmer can do all he can do but unless God gives the increase, it ultimately will fail.

So what about this hard work of a preacher.

1.  It is spiritually hard work.  Like a soldier, there is never any off time.  It is his life day-and-night.  It is not a job, it is his life.  Morning, night, holidays, ....he must ever "be alert and sober."  Prayer is hard work.

Martin Luther explained the warfare of preaching:  "How difficult an occupation preaching is.  Indeed, to preach the Word of God is nothing less than to bring upon oneself all the furies of hell and of Satan, and therefore also of every power of the world.  It is the most dangerous kind of life to throw oneself in the way of Satan's many teeth."

2.  It is mentally hard work.  A great danger in ministry is to become stale in one's mental life.  Philippians 4: 8 "whatsoever things are...think of these things."  A minister must devour good books, interact with people who challenges him and his craft of preaching.  Mainly, he must never depend on his past work for the present task; and if he does, it must be for a short period of time less he become lazy.

This work requires time...time to pray, to read, to think.  These must be the priority of the man of God (Acts 6:4).  A preacher that does not "make time" for this will never "find the time" for it.

Steven Lawson writes "Shrinking time in the study results in shrinking power in the pulpit."

Luther further said, "Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good.  They rely on...books to get a sermon out of them.  They do not pray; they do not study; they do not read; they do not search the Scripture..They are nothing but parrots and jackdaws, which learn to repeat without understanding."

3.  It is physically hard work.  Walter Wilson, a medical doctor and pastor/teacher in Kansas City, delivered a series of lectures in Chicago years ago, he astonished the group by stating that one hour of abandoned preaching was equal to eight hours at the executive desk and twelve to fourteen hours of manual labor.  His text was when Jesus said, "I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." (Luke 8:46).

My friend, Bob Stone, use to say that when your pastor leaves on Sunday night like he's been on crack, now you understand why.

Then add to the pastor...visiting, meetings, administration, counseling, promotion, etc.

But as John Calvin said at the close of his life, "Preaching was job number one."