Take Heart: Preaching to Encourage

Young pastor, as you step into your role as shepherd, consider these three important exhortations concerning how to preach sermons that encourage the flock God has entrusted to you.

1. Preach the Word, Not Your Wisdom

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus . . . Preach the word.” (2 Tim. 4:1–2)

Pastors have a primary and simple task: preach the Word! This means that preaching should normally consist of reading, explaining, and applying the Word of God to our church and its members. This kind of preaching is often referred to as “expositional” because it exposes God’s Word to God’s people. The Scriptures alone, under the illumination of the Spirit, bring new life. The Word is not a mere collection of ancient texts from which we simply gain moral instruction or self-help tips. Rather, the Word of God is living and active (Heb. 4:12). God’s Word is powerful enough to bring dry bones to life (Ezek. 37:1–14).

Our goal in preaching, therefore, is to help our people deepen their trust in God and his Word, not to garner admiration or allegiance for ourselves. Remember that you are the messenger, not the message! Preach the Bible (and the Bible alone) so that you might lead the church to trust the one who is trustworthy. As you focus on preaching the Word of God, the church will be encouraged and grounded in the truth.

2. Trust the Spirit, Not Your Eloquence

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

Young pastor, your success in pastoral ministry does not rest in your natural ability to convince and change people. Instead, you succeed and people are changed when you trust the Holy Spirit’s power to use the preached Word for his purposes. The pastor’s duty is to preach, not perform. We should want our preaching to persuade (2 Cor. 5:11), but only while acknowledging that the convincing power belongs to the Holy Spirit. Convicting hearts is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 16:8), and he works according to God’s mysterious and sovereign will (John 3:8).

When we stop relying on our eloquence, creativity, or charisma, we acknowledge our role as instruments through which the Holy Spirit works. This frees us from the pressure of results-oriented preaching and allows us to trust the Spirit’s transformative power. As the apostle Paul stated, “My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:4–5).

3. Show Them Christ, Not You!

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake.” (2 Cor. 4:5)

Finally, the heart of a sermon should always be Christ and his gospel. The pastor is not the church’s savior, Jesus is! What people need is to meet the living God in the person of Christ. He is the one they should fully trust. Therefore, your commitment should mirror Paul’s: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Show them the Son and his finished work, and it will be enough.

In every sermon, we should point the church to Jesus, our Savior and our Lord. Our identity as Christ’s servants is not to draw attention to ourselves but to lead people to the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 4:5). Young pastor, be happy to be left out of the picture when your members reflect on last Sunday’s sermon. To preach encouraging sermons, Christ must increase and you must decrease.

Conclusion

As you step into your new church, you are called not only to lead but also to encourage. Proper encouragement, as understood through the Scripture, is found in pointing people to Christ. As you have been entrusted to care for the sheep in your church, strive to center your ministry on preaching the Word, trusting the Holy Spirit, and showing them Christ and his gospel.