Obstacles to Effectiveness
Even though the benefits are numerous, some dangerous obstacles can reduce the effectiveness of a sermon preparation group. One obstacle is pride. Egos must be checked at the door. Every person has strengths and weaknesses. The goal of the group is to complement the former and supplement the latter. The members must remember that we are all God's servants and a member of a ministry team. Like a team of horses, we are stronger when working together than when operating on our own.
A second obstacle is the busyness of ministry. No effective pastor or church leader has huge blocks of time that can easily be set aside for anything, even for sermon or lesson preparation. Since time is such a precious commodity, the meetings should be set well in advance and should be missed only in the case of an emergency. Our experience has been that people normally understand the critical nature of the preparation time and are encouraged by the pastor's dedication and discipline.
Advertisement
The third obstacle is misplaced priorities. A pastor's role is not limited to the pulpit ministry, but the preaching moment must take priority over other matters. A balance must exist so that ministry occurs in and out of the pulpit, but the period on Sunday morning used for the exposition of God's Word provides the best opportunity for reaching the most people with the Gospel during the week. We are called "to preach the Word" and to "be prepared in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2, NIV).
After reviewing the biblical precedent, methods, and benefits of participating in a sermon preparation group, perhaps you will begin praying for the Holy Spirit to lead you to the persons who will best complement and be complemented by your own spiritual gifts. No book, article, or human guidance can take the place of the One who first placed the fire of His message into your heart. Whatever methods you use, some of these ideas may help you to be even more effective as you fan into flame the gift of God which is within you (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
