A preacher must realize that crisis preaching will last only so long.
Issue oriented preaching will take the church just so far. Sooner or later,
warmhearted preaching must take over. A preacher must have his heart warm
at all times especially those times when he stands before his people
to proclaim to them the truth that God has given him for them. Perhaps
we can discuss some things that will enable the preacher to keep a warm
heart. First we will explore ways to keep a warm heart while preaching.
1. Use words that warm your heart. Each of us has a little special
vocabulary of words that are very dear to him and that move him to certain
emotions. For example, I like the word "Mama."
When I speak of my mother, it warms me if I call her Mama. When I speak
of the Bible, it warms my heart if I say, "the Book." While I am preaching,
the little statement, "Thank God!" moves me to emotion. I can simply say,
"Thank God for all He has done to me. Thank God for all He has done through
me. Thank God for all He has done for me." Just the repetition of the little
phrase, "Thank God!" warms my heart. I also love the words, "our Lord."
There is something about the possessive pronoun before the name of Jesus
or before the words, "God, Lord," etc. that moves me. I especially love
to say "our Lord." I also love the word "wonderful." It has a ring to it
that warms my heart when I use it. When I speak of my people I like to
use the words, "precious people." When I pray for a group of people I often
say, "God bless these precious people." Another statement that stirs me,
especially to excitement, is the phrase, "the army of people," or "an army
of people." The wise preacher will learn the words that are very sweet
and dear to him. He will use them often. They will help to warm his heart.
2. Use superlatives that warm your heart. When used honestly,
superlatives are a great aid to a speaker. Such statements as "the most
amazing thing I ever saw," "the greatest day of my life," and "the most
wonderful thing in the world," if spoken in truth and not through exaggeration,
can be used to warm the heart of the speaker.
3. Use experiences that warm your heart. Each of us has stored
away in his mind some wonderful memories concerning events that have transpired
in our lives. Just the thought of some of them can move us to excitement
or move us to tears. There are about a dozen things that have happened
to me, the thought of which always warms my heart and makes me a better
preacher. I have a list of those. When I find myself preaching with a heart
less than warm, I revert to one of them. Sometimes when I am preaching
I feel so ashamed, I often think while preaching, "How can my heart be
less than warm when I am preaching about such a marvelous truth? How can
I preach on Hell without tears? How can I preach on Heaven without shouting?
How can I preach on salvation without weeping for joy Yet, there are times
when I do. At such times I pull out of my bank of memories an event that
will warm my heart, and I speak of it. For example, it doesn't matter where
I am or what I am doing, if I think about how good God has been to me through
the years, my heart warms and my eyes moisten. When I think of my childhood
when poverty was mingled with the love of my mother, and add to that what
God has done for me, through me and with me through the years, I am always
moved. When I remind myself that I owned my first pair of new shoes bought
for me at the age of 14, I ate my first hamburger at the age of 14, I ate
my first egg when I was 14 years of age and remember how God has cared
for me through the years, I find it easy to weep and to shout at the same
time. If I am preaching a sermon and find my heart a little cold, I simply
begin to speak about one of these subjects. It always gets me in the mood
to preach, and then I can revert back to my sermon and go at full speed.
4. While preaching, mention names that warm your heart. I often
mention the name, "Proctor Boyd," my Sunday school teacher while I was
a teenager. He was the best Sunday school teacher I ever had! Just the
words, "Proctor Boyd," give me a warm heart. I often mention the name,
"Dr. Rutherford." He was my Sunday school teacher when I was a junior high
lad. I can see him now standing in front of the class with tears streaming
down his cheeks saying, "Boys, I'm not going to let the Devil have a one
of you" Just the thought of that dear man standing before my class warms
my heart. I often mention the name, "Jesse Cobb," the Chairman of the Board
of Deacons at the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and the man
who introduced me for the first time to soul winning. Just the mention
of his name warms my heart. I use their names often. It gives me the kind
of heart that my people deserve for their pastor to have - the kind of
heart that will help me to preach with fervor and compassion.
5. While preaching, look at places that warm your heart. Glance
at the altar and think of all the marvelous things that God has done there.
Look down to the place where you are standing and realize that that is
the place where God has put you to proclaim His truths. Let your mind think
of the privilege of standing there to preach. Every Sunday I look to the
fourth row from the front near the center aisle where my mother used to
sit. My heart is warmed to think of her and her faithfulness to church
as she came when she felt good and when she felt bad and sat there listening
to and praying for her boy. Let places become important to you Have many
little sacred shrines where you can go to remember. While you are preaching
you cannot go physically to those places, but in your mind you can go anywhere
you want to go that will warm your heart.
6. Remember those who once were with you. The pastor who wants
to have a warm heart must remember those people with whom he once served
who are now in Heaven. A part of the pastor's schedule should be a time
to remember. As I preach, I often look back to the spot where Bill Sallade
used to sit, and I love him for awhile. I then glance to the place where
Henry Rose once sat, and I love him for awhile. During the Lord's Supper,
I always remember George Huisenga, who was the deacon in charge of serving
the Lord's Supper. During the Lord's Supper, I always look at the place
where Blanford Duff used to sit; he was a loyal, faithful deacon. Every
month I take time to love him for a few minutes. When I walk through the
choir ready room behind the choir loft, I think of Mr. Brueck, one of our
men who had cancer. He became so weak that he could not walk, stand or
even sit. He would crawl on his hands and knees into the choir ready room
and lie there so he could hear me preach just on the PA system. When I
think of those with whom I have served who are now in Heaven, it warms
my heart and helps me preach better.
7. Watch your people as you preach. Look at the widows who need
your encouragement, the elderly facing the sunset years of life who need
courage, the young people who need strength to resist temptation, the bus
kids who need love and others who need you As you watch them, realize their
need of you It will warm your heart, give you a purpose in preaching and
throw you at the mercy of the Holy Spirit that He may help you to be what
your people need you to be.
8. Develop rituals that warm your heart. Every Saturday night
before I go to bed, I take a picture of my father, who died without Christ
in 1950, put the picture on the floor; make an altar of it and kneel before
it, asking God to help me to preach with the same fervor that I wanted
my pastor to have the first and last time that my dad ever sat with me
in church.
It was a Sunday afternoon. My father announced to me that he was going
to church with Mother, my sister, Earlyne, and me that night. My little
seven-year-old heart leaped with joy, and I made a mad rush down to the
only house in the neighborhood that had a telephone. I asked the Wyatt
family if I could borrow their telephone. I called my pastor and excitedly
told him that my daddy was coming to church that night, and I asked him
please to do his best to get daddy saved. That night Daddy, Mother; Earlyne
and I walked for the only time in our lives into a church building. We
walked two miles down Fernwood Street to the Fernwood Baptist Church. We
sat on the second row from the back on the left side facing the pulpit.
My big 235 pound giant of a dad stood beside me as we sang and sat beside
me as we listened. I prayed that God would do something to my dad to transform
his life and save his soul. Following the offering, the pastor stood and
said, "Ladies and gentlemen, there will be no preaching tonight. This is
the night of our annual cantata. The choir will present it to us at this
time." My heart broke! I sat during the entire cantata and wept as my daddy
slept. I could not believe that my daddy didn't mean more to my preacher
than that! That was the only time he ever sat in church with me. I think
of this every Saturday night and ask God to help me not to disappoint the
little seven-year-old boys whose daddies are in the service.
There are other rituals that I have that warm my heart. As I walk into
the auditorium I always pray the same prayer.
Every Monday morning I leave the office to go to the airport to fly
somewhere across America to preach Monday night and Tuesday night. Before
I leave the office I go into the waiting room and look at a big picture
of Dr. John R. Rice on which he wrote, "To my buddy, Jack Hyles. Signed,
John R. Rice. Psalm 126:5,6." I look at the picture and relive the 22 years
that we traveled together and shared pulpits across America. I tell him
that I miss him. My heart is always warmed as I think of this great giant
with whom I traveled and whom I loved.
Weekly I go to the mausoleum at Memory Lane Cemetery, which is owned
by First Baptist Church of Hammond. Just inside the door on the left there
is my mother's burial place. When I go there, I have a ritual. I read her
favorite chapter in the Bible, Psalm 103:1 take out her picture and tell
her that I love her and then I sing the song that she sang as she rocked
me to sleep when I was a boy, "Brighten the Corner Where You Are." Then
I sing the last song that we sang together before she went to Heaven, "The
Unclouded Day"
The preacher who has little rituals that help him to remember to love,
to appreciate and to think will have a warmer heart.
9. Think of the effort spent by the people who come to hear you. Often on Sunday morning, about 8:00, I stop to realize all the time and
effort expended by the people of my congregation, the hundreds of thousands
of hours spent in preparation. This warms my heart as I prepare to preach.
10. Think of the labor that went into the offering that is dropped
in the collection plate on the Lord's Day. Think of the greasy mechanic,
the tired and weary steel worker; the lady that cleans houses, and of all
the others who earned their money by hard laborious toil, and your heart
will be warmed.
11. Think Whom you represent. II Corinthians 5:20, "Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we
pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Pause to realize
that you are there in the place of Jesus, representing Him. I John 4:17,
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day
of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world."
12. Be publicly expressive of your love and appreciation. Say,
"I love you," to your people. Be grateful to them. Express that gratitude
openly It will warm your heart and bring tears to your eyes as you publicly
express your love to the people whom God has given to you and to whom you
are a gift from God.
13. Think where you are. You are where you dreamed someday you
would be. You are where you will wish someday that you could be again.
This is it! This is the culmination of all your study and preparation.
This is the fulfillment of all your dreams and plans. You are now there
- God's man, God's representative. Always think of it! It will warm your
heart!
14. Think of what "the Book" is. Realize as you preach that you
are preaching the very Word of God, the Word that is eternal, which always
was and always will be. It is the Book written by your Creator; given by
divine revelation, word-by-word. It is God's eternal, never dying Word,
revealing Himself and His plan to man. Think of it! Think of it! Think
of it!
15. Think of those watching from Heaven. This will warm your
heart as you preach. I never preach on a Sunday morning or Sunday night
in my own church or somewhere else around the country on a weeknight without
realizing that my mother's eyes are fixed on me. The eyes of my two little
sisters join my mother's, there are many other precious saints of God who
are in Heaven who watch me in that great cloud of witnesses. There is my
pastor; J. C. Sizemore. There is my friend, fellow worker and buddy, Dr.
John R. Rice. There are my deacons who preceded me to Heaven and others
of my people. They watch me. I must never forget it! It will warm my heart
as I preach.
16. Think of those pleading in Hell. In Luke 16 we have the story
of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man is in Hell, first crying for
water; then crying for someone to go and tell his brothers not to come
to that place of torment.
A few years after my father died without Christ, my sister knocked on
my study door one Sunday after midnight and asked me if I would lead her
to Christ. This I did. After I led her to Christ, I asked her why she came
that night. She said to me that shortly after Daddy died she had a dream.
She dreamed that she was taken to the second floor of a big building. She
dreamed that she saw that entire building lined with caskets. In every
casket there was a body She was taken by this creature to every casket,
and she looked in the face of every corpse. On every face there was a smile
of peace until she came to the last one. The creature tried to keep her
from the last corpse. She could only see two hands rising above the casket.
She said, "Jack, I could tell in my dream that those were Daddy's hands.
I rushed to look into his face, and there was no look of peace. There was
no smile, but a look of anguish and pain. His hands were raised toward
me, and he was crying, 'Sister, sister,' and then he would make some kind
of noises that I could not understand. I tried to understand him and begged
him to speak more plainly. He just kept crying, 'Sister, sister,' and making
those strange noises. Finally, the creature took me away from the casket."
My sister told me that night after I won her to Christ that she had
wondered for all those years what Daddy was trying to say to her. Then
she told me that that night I had preached on the rich man in Hell and
told how he asked Abraham to send the Gospel to his brothers on earth.
Earlyne told me then that she realized that Daddy was trying to tell her
not to come where he was. The dream of several years before had been explained
in my sermon that Sunday night. Following the sermon she came to my study
and was saved. For many years now she has been in full time service for
the Lord.
I have been aware for all these many years that my father died without
Christ, and I must tell people that story so that they will avoid and evade
the torments of Hell.
The preacher with a warm heart must make himself aware that he stands
between Heaven and Hell; yes, even between the living and the dead!
17. in order to have a warm heart, the preacher must remember that
someday it will end. Someday he will walk in his pulpit for the last
time. Someday he will stand before his people for the last time. Someday
he will present the truth of God for the last time. It will end someday
It may be tomorrow; it may be today May my heart be warm while I have this
opportunity, for it too will pass away
18. Think of the investment that others have made in you. Many
a dear Sunday school teacher's rewards will be increased according to your
fruitfulness. Others have invested in you; you must use their investment
wisely. Think of it while you preach. It will warm your heart.
19. Think of the judgment seat and the fact that someday you will
face Jesus. Think of the day when you will face Him concerning the
sermon you are preaching. It will warm your heart and stir your soul.
20. Realize all of the work that has gone into the service by those
who labor with you. Think of the nursery workers caring for the babies.
Think of all the time spent by the choir, the choir director and the accompanists
in preparing for the services. Think of the PA men, the ushers, those who
work in the baptismal dressing rooms, the Sunday school teachers and the
countless others that have spent many, many hours preparing for the service
that you are now enjoying which culminates in the sermon which you are
now preaching. You will find your heart strangely warmed.
In spite of all the advice given above concerning the obtaining and
sustaining of a warm heart in the pulpit, the pastor will not all of a
sudden get a warm heart when he enters the pulpit. He will eventually become
in the pulpit what he is all the rest of the time, so he must constantly
be striving to keep a warm heart 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whatever
spiritual temperature the preacher possesses during six days, he will possess
the seventh day There is also the fact that it will be somewhat hypocritical
to obtain a warm heart for the preaching of a sermon and then lose it the
rest of one's week. There are some things the busy pastor can do that will
help him obtain and retain a warm heart all the time.
1. Schedule time to praise. Have a set time in the schedule for
the praising of God. This time should be started by the making of a list.
Think of the good things that God has done for you. Make a list of them.
Then go back through them one at a time. Think on them and realize the
goodness of God. If your mind is fixed upon His goodness and His blessings
to you, sincere praise will come. Praise should not necessarily be the
result of a spontaneous stimulus; it should be the result of a heart that
is aware of God's goodness. This awareness should be scheduled. I have
a set time in my schedule when I do nothing but praise God. I make my list
of all the things that God has done for me recently; then I go through
the list to thank Him and praise Him for His goodness. It isn't long until
I'm having a "real spell." This sincere praise to God is caused by a planned
awareness of God's goodness and blessings on my life.
2. Schedule a time to worship. Praise is thanking God for what
He has done. Worship is thanking God for what He is. There should be a
scheduled time in the life of every child of God when he comes before his
God to be still and know that He is God, to hear the still small voice
and to look up to our great Creator and exalt Him and love Him for who
He is and what He is. I am not talking here about a formal worship service
with chanting and liturgy I am talking about a Christian being alone with
his God to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
3. Schedule a time to meditate. It is interesting in the Bible
to find how many times meditation is a prerequisite to God's blessings.
Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law
doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Notice that
one of the five prerequisites to prosperity is to meditate in the law of
the Lord day and night. When God came to Joshua when he succeeded Moses
as the leader of God's people, God listed meditation as one of His prerequisites
for success. In order to keep a warm heart, the Christian, especially the
pastor, should have a scheduled time of meditation.
4. Schedule a time to confess your sins. Several years ago I
was sharing the platform with Dr. John Rice. We were in Atlanta, Georgia,
for a Sword of the Lord Conference. It was time for our driver to pick
us up for the evening service. I went down to Dr. Rice's room to wait with
him for our driver. The door to his room was open and the door to his bathroom
was open, and Dr. Rice was on his knees at the commode. I asked him what
he was doing. He said, "I'm confessing my sins." Then he tore some paper
up in little bitty pieces and flushed it down the commode. I asked him
what that paper was. He said it was the list of his sins. I said, "What
do you mean, Dr. Rice?"
He said, "Well, I have a set time every day to confess my sins. What
I do is write my sins on a piece of paper. Then I go through them one at
a time asking God to forgive me for them. Then I tear the paper on which
it was written into many pieces and flush it down the commode." I asked
him why he did this. He grinned and said, "Do you think I want folks to
find out what my sins are?"
I learned something that day I learned that one of the great secrets
to the great John R. Rice was the fact that he confessed his sins daily,
by schedule, and he listed them before confessing them. The preacher who
comes to God asking forgiveness for his sins will obtain that forgiveness,
and this is one of the great ways to keep a warm heart.
5. Sing and whistle throughout the week. Every morning I choose
a song for the day I sing it and whistle it throughout the day My song
for today is, "Jesus, Saviour; pilot me over life's tempestuous sea." I
hum it. I whistle it. I sing it. I choose songs that warm my heart. One
day I will choose for my song of the day, "God Will Take Care of You."
Another day it will be, "Blessed Assurance." Another day it will be "Standing
Somewhere in the Shadows You'll Find Jesus." When I sing and whistle some
great song of the faith, it helps to keep my heart warm.
6. Do not be around negative people. Make it a habit to avoid
fellowship with those who are critical and negative. There is no way my
heart can stay warm if I am around those who talk about negatives, who
criticize people, who spread bad things even if those things are true.
No preacher will walk with critics during the week and preach with a warm
heart on the Lord's Day
7. Dwell on the effort spent on nice things done for you. When
somebody brings me a batch of cookies, I pause to think for awhile as to
all the work that entered into their preparation. If someone prepares a
meal for me, I try for a time to think of the effort expended in its preparation
as well as in its planning. The pastor has many nice things done for him.
It is so easy for him to lapse into a professionalism concerning his gratitude.
The warmhearted pastor will pause to think of the effort expended by people
who love him and are thoughtful of him.
8. Think for a little while before eating every meal. I never
sit down to a meal without pausing to think of those little Egyptian children
who begged me for a penny while I was touring Egypt. I see their little
swollen stomachs. I see the expression on their faces as they beg for something
to eat or a bit of money with which to buy food. I think of the starving
people in Ethiopia, and yes, I also think of the poverty that I once knew
as a child. No one should ever eat a meal without his heart being filled
with praise and warmed before his God because of the goodness of God as
manifested in His provisions for us.
9. Think of the blessing of being able to get up in the morning. When the alarm sounds and you rise for a new day of activity, pause
for just a moment to think of those who will never get up again. Think
of those in rest homes, in hospitals and in bedrooms in America and around
the world who would give all that they own just to get out of bed one more
time. When you arise in the morning, lift your heart in holy hosanna and
praise to God and say, "Hallelujah, I'm able to get up!"
10. Praise God as you walk out the door every morning. Think
of those whose world is four walls, whose sun is a 60 watt light bulb,
whose sky is a ceiling and whose horizon is a window. Think of those who
will never walk neath the stars again. Think of those who will never see
another sunrise or sunset. Think of those who will never hear another bird
sing or watch the blooming of a rose. Think of those who will never again
breathe the freshness of outdoor air. Then lift your heart in holy praises
to God with the warmth of gratitude bubbling in your soul.
11. Praise God as you begin the day's work. Think of the millions
of unemployed who would love to have your job. Think of those whose poor
health will never give them the privilege of another day's work. Think
of those who would give all that they possess for the privilege of being
strong enough to work just one day Thank God for work to do, and thank
God for strength with which to do it.
12. Think as your leaders stand before you. When those to whom
God has given spiritual leadership stand before you, think of the load
they carry, of the responsibilities they have and of the price they have
paid. Love them. Spend a few moments thanking God for them and whisper
a prayer for God to bless them and to encourage their hearts. This will
aid in the developing of a warm heart.
13. Think of those who follow you. Think of what they mean to
you. Think of how hard they worked. Think of times that they pray for you,
encourage you and lift up your hands in the battle. Realize that as a pastor
you are God's gift to them, and they are God's gift to you. Realize the
sweetness and closeness of the tie that binds you as spiritual leader and
spiritual followers. Let this awareness of what they mean to you create
a stronger tie which will in turn aid you in having a warm heart.
14. Every day spend some time thinking of the fact that soon you
will see Jesus face to face. There was a day when Dr. John Rice and
I traveled together. Now I continue to travel. He is beholding the face
of the Jesus Whom he preached. There was a day when my mother and I sat
together in the same room and shared a mutual love. I continue to do the
work that God has called me to do while Mother is beholding the face of
the Christ she loved. There was a day when Brother Lester Roloff and I
fellowshipped together and preached together and prayed together. I continue
to preach and fellowship and praise and pray He now beholds the face of
his blessed Saviour. There was a day when my heart would thrill as I prayed
with Dr. Ford Porter. How sweet was his fervency! How close to Christ was
his fellowship! How wonderful was his companionship! Now I continue to
pray and to serve. Dr. Porter beholds the face of the One with Whom he
loved to talk and fellowship. Those who once walked with me now walk with
God. Those who once beheld me now behold Him. Those who once fellowshipped
with me on earth now fellowship with Him in Heaven. Soon I shall join their
number. It is just a matter of a few days. That blessed thought warms my
heart and propels me to preach through tears of joy and ecstasy, for soon
I shall see Him face to face. I shall see Him as He is and behold Him Who
made all good things possible.
15. Visit cemeteries and the gravesides of those whom you loved. I regularly go to a cemetery where many of our people are buried. I
go from grave to grave and remember sweet experiences that we shared together.
Soon the tears come - tears of joy because of victories we have known,
tears of loneliness because I miss them, tears of praise because "there
is a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar; for
the Father waits over the way to prepare us a dwelling place there." The
pastor who wants a heart that is warm should often visit the graves of
those whom he loved and with whom he served.
16. Savor the "now." How often do I hear people say, "I didn't
appreciate her until I lost her!" or "I didn't appreciate him until he
was gone!" I vowed years ago I would never have to say that. I did not
wait until my mother was gone to appreciate her properly I did not wait
until the years during which I traveled with Dr. John R. Rice were gone
before I appreciated him. Through these years I have savored the present
and realized what I have, not just what I used to have! Be aware. Stop
while you are having fun and realize how much fun you are having. Stop
while history is being made and realize that history is being made. Stop
while God is blessing in mighty power and realize that God is blessing
in mighty power. Do not wait until the history of this generation is written
to know what happened! Know it now. It will warm your heart.
17. Read the Psalms. There are three books from which I read
every day I read some of the Psalms every day, some of the Proverbs every
day, and some of the book of Acts every day The Psalms give me love; the
Proverbs give me wisdom; the Acts give me power. These three things top
my prayer list - love, wisdom and power. If your heart is a bit cold, hear
the Psalmist say, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." If the tears do not come
easily, read, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Live in the
Psalms, and they will help you to have a warm heart when you come before
your people to deliver the truth which God has given you for them.
18. Pray for your enemies. There is a unique warmth that comes
only to the child of God who loves those that hate him, blesses those that
curse him and prays for those who despitefully use him. There is a certain
taste about forbearance, patience and love for enemies that nothing else
can give!
19. Think of good things to do for your enemies. Realize that
people may not be all bad because they dislike you. Look upon them as being
broken rather than being bad. I have a watch on my wrist. Sometimes the
battery gets weak and it begins to lose time, or perhaps it will stop running
altogether. I do not get mad at the watch; I realize that it is broken.
I do what I can to fix it. When somebody does not like me, it may be that
the battery is weak. I should not give him my hatred, vengeance, revenge
or vindication. I should rather look upon him as being broken and not bad
so that I may love and not hate him, do good to him and not ill! There
is nothing that quite warms the heart like this, and once you have tasted
the heavenly manna of forgiveness, you'll never again enjoy the bitter
taste of revenge.
20. Look for people to help. "Look all around you, find someone
in need. Help somebody today Though it be little, a neighborly deed. Help
somebody today Help somebody today Somebody along life's way Let sorrows
be ended, the friendless befriended. Oh, help somebody today!"
Seven times a day I bow to my knees and lift my heart to God asking
Him to let me cross the path of those who need my help and the path of
those whom Jesus would help if He walked in my shoes. It is an amazing
thing how the Holy Spirit can cause those to cross your path if you make
yourself available to live for others.
When I get in my car in the morning, I always pray and ask God to help
me to know what route to take to church. I rarely ever take the same route.
It is amazing how He directs me to those who have need of help. Recently
I prayed that prayer before I left in the morning, asking the Holy Spirit
to direct me as I chose the route to church. I took a new route. A few
blocks down the road there was a lady trying to fix her car. She was alone
and frightened. It was my privilege to push her car several miles to the
place where she had purchased it. On another occasion, on a morning when
it was -12°, I found a lady whose car was stalled. We found the problem,
and a few minutes got her on her way There are many people in need, and
God wants to help them if He could only find somebody to be His hands,
to be His feet, to be His tongue and to do the work that He would do if
He were here on earth.
Every person who sits in a pew on the Lord's Day has a God given right
to have a man of God appear before him with God's message and with a heart
that is warm and spiritual. If the pastor enters the pulpit with a warm
heart and retains that warm heart while he preaches, it will be on purpose.
It will not be spontaneous. He will not stumble into a warm heart. He will
so live, so think and so love all week so that when he enters the pulpit,
his heart is overflowing with the goodness of God and with a desire to
speak of that goodness to his people and to impart that goodness to their
lives!
