Fill ‘er Up!

Some of the brothers at East Point Church and I are reading a good book on preaching entitled Doctrine That Dances by Robert Smith Jr.  In the book, Dr. Smith reminds us over and over that faithful preaching seeks to engage the mind and the heart, the intellect and the emotions. Yet, before the desired effect can be had on the people, it must be had on the preacher. The word preached to the pew must first be preached and digested by the preacher. This is always the blessed challenge of those who would be faithful in the discharge of the call to preach. To this end, Dr. Smith helpfully illustrates the importance and relevance of keeping the preacher fueled so his words can be used of God to fuel others:    

The challenge for preachers is to have a word from God for themselves! Wouldn’t it be unimaginable and unthinkable for a gas truck to be stranded on the side of the road? A gas truck has two tanks, one for the station it is delivering gas to and the other for the fueling of its own engine. The gas truck might be full of gas for its regular deliveries, but it is not going anywhere because it won personal gas tank is empty. Preachers of the Word cannot afford to run out of gas because their own spiritual vitality is at stake. They cannot entertain the possibility of even running on fumes. The result is personal dryness and emptiness.  

Amen!  And may the Lord be pleased to keep our tanks on full.