Dropping the Mask
When I blow it, I let my church know it. And they respect me for it.
By Dave Stone
July 1, 2004
When Stephen Brown came to be the pastor of a new church, the first few months he would routinely say in his sermons, "Now I am not perfect—I sin regularly." One of the members thanked him for his honesty and Brown replied, "Haven't the previous pastors made that admission?"
"Yes," the member said, "but you're the first one we've ever believed!"
A preacher may have an incredible reputation as a spiritual leader, but if there isn't a humble admission of weakness with it, that preacher will never connect with the audience. The apostle Paul knew this. Remember his transparency when he wrote that he was "the worst of sinners," or in Romans 7 when he chronicled his struggle between the good he wanted to do and that which he did. That may be why he added the disclaimer in 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (emphasis mine). Paul's honesty concerning his vulnerability over his weaknesses isn't a turn off to me; rather it causes me to pay more attention because we have a lot in common. He's an example because he's striving to improve.
I believe it's possible to maintain your integrity and still honestly address your areas of weakness. If one of the inspired New Testament writers did, maybe I can, too.
But how does the preacher know when personal confessions are appropriate or when they cross the line and become detrimental?
Make 'em laugh
A couple of years ago I was preaching on making New Year's resolutions. In the introduction I shared about our preaching intern who is multi-talented. I said, "Cameron is an excellent communicator, great athlete, and a role model for kids. But I have to tell you I was embarrassed to learn that last Saturday he spent the afternoon at the Government Center in ...
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