I am a bi-vocational pastor of a small church and I'd like to thank you so much for this encouraging word. I currently work 50-60 hours a week as a field mechanic on construction equipment plus a new baby boy on top of ministry. I have felt guilty about a lack of time spent working on my sermon prep, which I took a break from to watch this as it's been on my heart. I feel much better about my situation thanks to Dr. York's words.
Hey Joshua, dude I fully understand. I'm a farmer doing 60 plus hours a week and had felt exactly the same. I have 6 kids and lots of chores, I either locked myself away to study at every moment or I would fail in both family and study. this was an encouraging word. bless you brother, hopefully you can find someone faithful to share the load. go well
I literally feel the same way. Work full-time, and I'm in Seminary. I'm preparing right now, and I saw this pop on my RU-vid. Felt like God was telling me not to be so hard on myself. I'll be full-time in a few years. But for now, it's drastically hard.
I'm a member of our local church, and I love to serve the Lord and His church as a deacon. It seems to me both the real (and imagined) expectations on sermon QUALITY are WAY beyond what they ought to be. And drive significantly more prep than necessary. I love your challenge for pastors to know the flock, and to bring clarity in the area of application of the Scripture they are teaching. And what profound counsel to those who might be over-preparing ... if devoting that much time to it ... well then "what else are you doing?"
This video has blessed me indeed! I’m a senior pastor and perfectionism has almost crippled me on Sunday mornings after preaching. I thought I was alone because I’ve never heard another pastor mention a struggle with perfectionism before until I heard you say it. Thank you Pastor York for your transparency. It has blessed me!
This is so helpful, specially being a bivocal pastor and also encouraging without much time,to put the best in every preaching, I mean being faithful to the text.
I'd love to dialogue with you on your early statements intimating that it takes less time at 62 than 22........the depth of scripture is never going to be mined out. At 22, you're getting the 1st ideas, without depth, at 62, you are "ornamenting", or giving in depth details that bring a fuller picture and understanding. Might I even say at some points a corrected understanding. The areas of study, the frames of reference available, the structures, the backgrounding and nuances, the patterns and flows of themes are myriad.........and countless topics all demand much study. We will always have something new to learn from its books. I have the opposite problem..........it takes more time for me than when I first started teaching. I like to take the things we've been taught all our lives and expand and mine the depth so as to bring a fuller meaning. As well as find things we haven't seen before. I do appreciate you and your insights. Thanks for what you do for the body of Christ. Gods word absolutley ROCKS.
Good sound advice: teach them to learn the Bible for themselves, to see that there is a deeper meaning in the Word. Great podcast, great channel. Thank you.
NEVER underestimate the POWER of the Holy Spirit to help you get the Lord's work done well!!! You give Him all you comfortably can and trust HE will multiply it and feed the flock. Lastly, I'm thankful you pointed out the need for balance between studying for the sermon and spending time with/shepherding the flock. I'm hearing in my heart the saying, "They are so heavenly minded, they are of no earthly good."
Here's a concept. What if a man were so well-versed in the Scriptures that you could give him a chapter in the NT and with 5-10 minutes preparation he could produce a quality sermon that built up and edified the Body with power and efficacy? I recall this great sermon by a guy named Stephen (Acts 7 or 8, forget which). He was king of forced into it according to the best of my recollection. I'm pretty sure he didn't prep like we do today. It was pretty powerful. Now it wasn't to a congregation on Sunday morning, but it did get captured in Holy Scripture and did end up going out to all future church generations. One of the big things you'll notice in Stephen's sermon: he was super well versed in Scripture. Amazing how that works!!!!! Other amazing things about Stephen's sermon: a) Illustrated the fellowship of Christ's sufferings (Phil 3) b) Illustrated Christ in Stephen, the Hope of Glory (Col 1) c) Illustrated "loved not their lives to the death." (Rev 11) d) Illustrated "to you it has been granted, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake" (Phil 1) e) Illustrated "in no way terrified by your adversaries" (Phil 1) f) Illustrated "we shall rule with him, if we suffer with him" (Rom 8) g) Illustrated "for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed in us" (Rom 8) h) Illustrated the mediation of Christ (1 Tim. 2) i) Illustrated "everyone who desires to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim 3) j) Illustrated "if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Cor 5) k) Illustrated "to Him be Glory in the church, by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever." (Eph 3) l) Illustrated "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ ..." (Col 1) Man, I'm getting tired here. I better take a break. I think Paul wrote all of the above except Revelation. Let me check, was Paul present at Stephen's stoning? My memory seems to be failing me.
It takes me 20-30 hours to prepare to preach well. Obviously, that would not be sustainable if I preached weekly. However, if I know when I'll be preaching a month or so in advance, it is perfectly reasonable.
Spirit with spirit. You approach the Bible the way you would approach teaching mathematics. It’s not a teacher preparing to teach a class. It’s God giving you His revealed word to give to his children and he’s using you as the voice. I study to know my God and see and know him in every situation of life. Then convey to his children by the power and teaching of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is not teaching spirit with spirit, I don’t want it. It’s not an intellectual approach as much as it is a spiritual approach.
