“To see people come to Christ…”
“To see people grow spiritually…”
“Honestly, I haven’t given it a lot of thought…”
 
The above are the three most common answers I receive from pastor-teachers when I ask them what they are aiming at in their weekly messages. I am inclined to believe the third response is the accurate, heartfelt one by the vast majority of pastors unfortunately. The truth remains, “If you have no clear goal in mind, you are sure to hit it.”
 
After I completed my ministry training, I began to do actual ministry with real live people – not crash test dummies. I soon realized I had only been trained – not equipped – the operative word in scripture for those who are ready to extend the kingdom of God on Earth. There is a huge difference between those two words. The first implies theory. Equipping leads to effectiveness.
 
Why did Jesus spend three years, 24/7 in continual presence with the Twelve? To “train” them? I don’t think so. The kingdom is not primarily about information (though that is an element of the kingdom). If it were an information based kingdom Jesus would have turned over the Twelve with a new group every quarter. Face it, the gospel is not that complicated, not matter what your professors have told you. C.S. Lewis was spot on when he said, “This message is profound enough it boggles the greatest minds ever, yet a washer woman can fully grasp it…” Jesus’ kingdom is mostly about living the way Jesus lived. He lived in close quarters all that time in order to impart to them what they could never learn with their minds – what they had to catch like sponges with their hearts and souls.
 
When we stand before people for that amazing 30 minutes each week we have an amazing opportunity by the presence of the Holy Spirit upon us, as we apply God’s everlasting word, to people’s lives that are broken, struggling, painful, in many cases in my churches, even leaving a virtual trail of blood behind them they are so wounded.
 
What are we to do to make the most of our opportunity?
 
I have had the opportunity to give a lot more messages than most pastors for a number of reasons – I’m at about the 15,000 mark now. That’s a whole lot of talks. The one goal I suggest we shoot for with each talk is that we make our talks memorable. That what we share on Sunday be remembered on Thursday.
How is that done?

1. Stop with the multiple points already.  Forget what Professor Plumbob told you – this is not 1957.  Accordion teachers are no longer going door to door offering lessons! Ike is dead. We have color TVs.  It’s great to point out insights along the way to your point. Write this on your heart:  The greatest change you can make is to boil your message down to just one point that you lead up to at the end.  I tell people at the beginning each message, “If you are new, I’m only going to give one point – at the end. I will give you a signal when that point is given. You don’t want to miss it.” Just last week someone told me they remembered one of my single points from the late 80s!  I think I had an Afro back then!  That is something only God can bring to mind.  With a cluttered message, it is difficult to remember any points after Sunday lunch - seriously!
2. Tell lots of stories. The shortest distance between two lives is a great story. Work continually on your story tell skill. Haddon Robinson is one of the great story tellers alive today, bar none. Listen to him anytime you get the chance.
3. Tell on yourself in a wise, prudent way. Don’t tell 20 year old “safe” stories either. Whether they are funny or profound failures, make sure your people get an accurate picture of you as a fellow struggler along with them or you will do them a horrible disservice.  You are a nerd.  You know it.  Jesus knows it.  Your people suspect it.  Let the cat out of the bag and have a good laugh.  If you are expected to keep up a facade by the local Board, you need to start looking for a new place to serve - I’m dead serious.  That is the sign of a deeply toxic environment that is unlikely to change in your lifetime.
4. Craft your one point until it is so simple, poignant, (please, it doesn’t have to rhyme! Anyone under 40 years old is going to likely roll their eyes if you rhyme – guaranteed) – but highly memorable.  Ask Jesus to give you his word smithing skills… and you will grow stronger by the week. 

The goal of all of this? Not to maintain the saints – but to see lives change week after week.