Don’t feel too sorry for the preacher of the Word. He may be battled, burdened, and a little bothered; but he is equally blessed.  He is like the disciples who distributed the bread to the masses in the desert. Those men were responsible to feed the thousands, but they were privileged to see the miracle first hand.

What happens when your preacher preaches? I know…that’s a loaded question. I guess I should state it this way: Are you aware of what takes places when the pastor gets up to expound Scripture?  More than likely, you are cognizant of certain elements surrounding the preaching hour.  The pastor takes the congregation to a particular passage. He probably gives some sort of title or subject matter. He typically delivers his message in a familiar outline or framework.  He usually preaches a certain length of time. He does this and he does that. You know the nuance of his voice, the cadence of his call, the articulation of his message, but what else is happening? Most of us, if we have been around preaching for any length of time, have certain ideas of what takes place when the preacher begins and when he ends. But do we really know all that is going on during the preaching hour?  Probably not…including the preacher himself.

Preaching is one of the strangest events known to man; so much so, that it is considered foolishness to those who do not believe; while at the same time, it is the power of God to us who are saved. It is a paradox of the grandest kind. It is the straining of worlds together. It is the calling of lowly men to the highest of errands. The pressure is great, the stakes are high, the tension is real, but the joy is overwhelming, the grace is sufficient and the reward is heavenly. I love preaching, both in hearing it and in doing it.

In that hour, however, more is going on than exposition, application, illustrations, and invitations.  There are some things happening behind that pulpit (or away from it, depending on the style of your preacher) that you don’t realize. Here are five things you probably don’t know about your pastor when he preaches:

He is Battled

Whether you mount a pulpit weekly or preach on the street corner daily, there is great opposition in the proclamation of the gospel.  On every side, the man of God is enamored, hit hard, with a variety of oppressive forces.  The dark dominion of the devil sets its course against those on the frontlines of battle. There is nothing the enemy hates more than a truth-toting soldier equipped to tell others what the Word of God declares. And thus, oftentimes, the preacher is the biggest target.

The congregation may see a suit and tie. They may hear the alliterated points. They may write down a title on the back of a bulletin. But beyond the natural framework of the worship service is a supernatural foe doing all he can to discourage, distract, and divert the preacher.  If preaching is war, it is certain your pastor is feeling the heat during the preaching hour.

He is Burdened and Bothered

I do not mean he is annoyed. Now, he may very well be annoyed at times; but what I mean by the word “bothered” is that he has a weight upon him.

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