A new way to assess (final… for now)

On with part three (final installment) of this exquisite mini-series:

3 Key Factors in Church Planting:

3. The Y.B.C.Y.P.? factor
I had a conversation today over lunch that confirmed the validity of this factor in my gut.
The Yeah, But Can You Preach? factor states this:

I don’t care how cool your logo is.
I don’t care how incarnationally missionally relevantly authentic (insert your favorite Rob Bell, Andy Stanley, or Ed Young Jr. buzzword here) you are.
I don’t care how precise your business acumen is, or how much money you made selling stocks or real estate before you felt called to start a church.
I don’t care how much your worship leader looks like Matt Kearny.

If you can’t bring it-or have someone up in front of your congregation who can (ie. Video Campus-a good thing), it’s over before it ever starts. You will fail.

By the way, the 3 guys I just mentioned above are used mightily by God not because they coin cool buzzwords, but because there is an anointing on their lives to speak the Word of God and the essentials of the Gospel in a clear, compelling way. They study. They pray. Then they deliver the goods.

That means that you won’t be mightily used by God simply by ripping them off and fronting like you’ve got a message from God.

Now, with that said, I rip off these guys (and lots of others, many of whom are reading this blog!) all the time. But I always internalize their ideas/applications/illustrations/insights, and cook it up fresh according to the way I think God wants Elevation Church to receive it.
This is called “owning it”, or “contextualizing”. It’s totally different than being a spiritual hitchhiker, depending on someone else’s relationship with Jesus to take you where you need to go as a preacher.

So I beg you (us), preachers:

Either speak for God, with the power of God (1 Peter 4:11), or get out of the way.

Allow the Holy Spirit of God to light your personality on fire.
Preach in such a way that people discern you’ve been with God.

Say what Scripture says. Lift Jesus high.

Either that, or shut up.

Be yourself. Greg Surratt and T.D. Jakes couldn’t be more different. But they’re both phenomenal and consistent vision casters who show up with a fresh Word from the Lord weekly.

And people can’t get enough of it.

Preaching isn’t the only component of a healthy church. But it must be central.

1 Corinthians 1:21 makes it clear that God has chosen this seemingly foolish method of communication to save people and build His Church. We don’t get to jack with that. No matter how hip we think we are.

I preach the Bible at Elevation. Sometimes over an hour at a time. And God is building His Church.

2 quotes to put a cherry on top:

Mark Driscoll says that all the guys who are saying preaching doesn’t work any more in today’s culture are the guys who can’t preach.
I think he’s right.

And Voddie Baucham says that speakers are something you buy at Radio Shack. He’s a preacher.

I’m down with that Voddie.

I don’t care what you call it. Just do it.

Say what God says and watch what God does.

Preach the Gospel!