What Qualifies You to Preach?

The PursueGOD Training Podcast

Today we’re starting a 3-week series called Preacher Training – with a focus on preaching sermons based on the pursueGOD discipleship resources.

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The PursueGOD Training podcast helps pastors, small group leaders, and everyday Christians to make disciples through healthy biblical churches.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/training.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

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In this episode we introduce five questions for self-reflection to determine if you’re qualified to preach in a local church.

Before we get to those questions, let’s talk for a minute about the PG resources.

• PG uses podcasts on a variety of topics to offer biblical answers to everyday questions. Then we organize these podcasts into series so you can use them to make disciples at church, home, or in the world.
• Local churches can freely preach sermons based on our series and then point small groups, families, and mentors to the series page for sermon-based curriculum. You’re welcome to adapt your sermon as needed.
• Ultimately, PG curriculum is designed to help people pursue God – and this means getting more Christians to be disciple-makers. We’ll explain this philosophy of ministry in detail in lesson 2 of this series.

Five Questions before you preach:

• Are you connected to Jesus? Preaching in the early church was a function of spending time with Jesus, not of seminary training. Acts 4:13
• 13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
• Are you honoring God in everyday life? Preachers are qualified by solid character and sound doctrine. Titus 1:5-9
• 5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. 6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife,* and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7 A church leader* is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker,* violent, or dishonest with money.
• 8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
• Do you care about people? Godly preachers are not motivated by ego or financial gain, but rather by a desire to help people pursue God. 1 Timothy 6:3-4
• 3 Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. 4 Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.
• Are you personally making disciples? You can’t lead someone to a place you’ve never been. Matthew 28:19-20
• 19 Therefore, go and ma ke disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
• Do you have a teaching gift? 1 Corinthians 12:29-30
• 29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!