Encouragement After A Bad Sermon
Do you feel like your sermon this past Sunday was terrible? It is safe to say every pastor feels this ache, particularly on Monday morning.
This past Sunday the moment I finished my ending prayer and began to walk off the stage, I had that pit in my stomach. That feeling of: “After all my prep, prayer, and study, that’s what I was able to do? Am I even called to this?”
After some rest and time of prayer, here are a few reflections that I hope are as helpful to you as they were to me:
Lord willing, there will be another Sunday.
God will build his church, not you, your gift, or your effort. (Matt 16:18)
You are often your own worst critic.
We often confuse our experience of preaching a message with how we assume it landed on people. Just because what you experienced (it felt clunky, or assumed no one was interested) does not mean that was how it was to others.
Maybe it was terrible. Is the world over?
If you cannot move on after a bit of time, perhaps too much of your value and identity is wrapped up in how well you preach. Rather than in God calling you a beloved child.
While preaching is important in the life of the church, there are more important things in your life to be good at. (Being a good dad, husband, friend. Being loving. Caring for people.) Preaching is not your whole life. (Or shouldn’t be)
Maybe you didn’t hit a home run. Maybe you hit a single. That’s ok.
God values faithfulness.
We have a story of a child bringing, in faith, a few loaves of bread and fish to Jesus who multiplied the meager offering to feed thousands. Could Jesus do that for your “terrible” message?
Why do you have to be great or amazing? Could you be happy being average? Obviously we always want to grow and learn. There is a godly ambition to hone our craft. But don’t confuse a desire to be helpful with a desire to be seen as great at your craft.
God is mysterious in his ways. Trust Him more than your perceptions.
Analyze your sermon afterward. What is one thing you can do next time to cover a deficiency with where you went wrong?
Remember, it is a privilege to get paid to read the bible, pray, and feed God’s people with His Word. Take it seriously, but have some fun too.
Take a walk outside.
Blessings,
Josh.