This is the final segment of leadership expert John Maxwell's conversation with Preaching.
Preaching: You've been at this for a long time—you have been preaching since you were a young man and you continue to preach. What are some things you've learned about preaching, things you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
Maxwell: Well, something interesting has happened. I resigned Skyline in San Diego, Calif.—this just shocks me—15 years ago. When I left the local church after pastoring it for 25 years and loving it so dearly, I felt pretty satisfied, successful. I felt that my churches grew, that a lot of people came to faith in Christ. I felt I had the respect of the Christian community as far as being a "successful pastor."
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Now that I've gotten away from it 15 years, I get more disillusioned with my work every year. I told Margaret, "I'm not sure I can live long enough here in this process. I just feel like I didn't do a good job." I wish now that I had done this differently.
Just like I was talking about—I would talk to my people about how to share their faith. I didn't teach them how to get respect in their business world. I didn't know to do that. I didn't do nearly enough social stuff that really would get into their world—help people with hunger, clothing needs or whatever. I didn't do that enough. Now I look back and think, "I could've done so much better in my teaching and communicating." I just came from my perspective all the time. I never would do that again.
If I was developing messages on a weekly basis, I would find un-churched people—hopefully uninterested people—and I would ask them to meet with me on a monthly basis. I'd bounce ideas off of them and see if I ever sparked their interest, see if I ever connected with them in any way. I would put a lot more of that teaching into my messages. One of the things I love now is that I don't have to develop a message weekly, so I have more time to let them work in me.
When I was younger, I wanted to do a great work for God; I over-emphasized that and under-emphasized God doing a great work in me. I see it now, my shallowness. I get disappointed. I thought, "Wow, if I had been more interested in God doing a great work in me, my messages would've been more transforming. They maybe would not have been applauded as greatly, because they maybe wouldn't have been as well-honed, but they sure would have been from the heart. They would've been out of brokenness and out of a journey I was taking." I wish I had known that when I had that opportunity.
Again, I look back and am very surprised at how disappointed I am in where I was. The only comfort I get out of it is that I know I did my best. I didn't lack integrity in trying to give my best effort; I just lacked direction and wisdom about things that I could've done a lot better.
Preaching: What word of encouragement would you offer to young pastors and preachers?
