My Aims as a Gospel Preacher

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            It is always helpful to have a roadmap when traveling, whether on literal roadways or on the journey of life. With this in mind, I present the following as the “map” I aim to follow in my life and work as a Gospel preacher:

1. I aim to be true to God’s Word, regardless of the consequences: “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you” (Mat. 5:11–12).
2. I aim to seek the approval of God and His Son above that of all others: “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
3. I aim to gain as much knowledge and understanding of God’s Word as my abilities will allow: “…Give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching…  Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all” (1 Tim. 4:13–15).
4. I aim to impart to as many as I can, by every honorable means, my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word: “And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).
5. I aim to say something worth listening to when I stand up to preach: “Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2).
6. I aim to remember that I have a family and that I have responsibilities as a husband and a father as well as a Gospel preacher: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;… And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 5:25; 6:4).
7. I aim to provide a worthy example for all ages, especially the young to follow: “…Be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).
8. I aim to deal fairly and equally with every person: “I charge thee in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality” (1 Tim. 5:21).
9. I aim to refrain from being vengeful toward those who disagree with me or treat me wrongfully: “Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:19).
10. I aim to learn the difference between the more important and the less important and do the most important things first: “But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat. 6:33).

[Note: I wrote this article when I was a young preacher. I wish I could say that I have followed faithfully my “roadmap” of aims. Alas, better than any others, I recognize that my actions have not always kept pace with my aims. Even so, I have found that rereading these aims through the years has helped me remember what I set out to do with my life. I hope that others who preach the Gospel, especially those still in the early years of their work, will likewise find them beneficial. I wrote these ten aims originally (minus the Scripture quotations) for and they were published in the June 1967 issue of The Minister’s Monthly, edited by Frank L. Cox and published by the Gospel Advocate Co.]

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