One pastor never prepared during the week, and on Sunday morning he'd sit on the platform while the church was singing the hymns desperately praying, "Lord, give your message, Lord give me your message." One Sunday, while desperately praying for God's message, he heard the Lord say, "Ralph, here's my message. You're lazy!"
Some brag about how the Holy Spirit carries them on Sunday even though they do not spend time in prayer preparation from Monday through Saturday. It is more than about making a sermon, it is about the Holy Spirit making the man who is the vessel to deliver the sermon which the Holy Spirit gives! Study does not negate the Holy Spirit's work.
No! In fact, study helps galvanize the Holy Spirit's message in the speaker, thus having the sermon that's meant for the congregation transform the one preaching to that congregation.
Second Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." We are to be students of the Word who know how the wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God! Why? When you look at Ephesians 6 and the armor of God, what is the only offensive piece of armor we are given? That's right — the sword of the Spirit! We have to know how to use our sword against the enemy and anything that sets itself up against the Kingdom of God.
I tell myself this first and foremost: don't be lazy in your study of the Word of God during the week. You will find a church transformed because they are hungry not for methods and gimmicks, but for the Word of God and the Living Bread and Water whom the Word presents — the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.
May God bless you as you wield your sword!
