Unfortunately, our struggle with sin doesn’t go on hiatus when we open God’s Word to preach. Even in the pulpit, we are susceptible to failings like anger, doubt, exaggeration, and vanity. When we realize we’ve stumbled into unholiness while preaching the holy Word of a holy God, it’s a heart-sinking moment. So what should we do when it happens?
Pray during the pauses
One thing we can do if we sin during a sermon is offer a confession during the pauses. A simple “I’m sorry” in our hearts will suffice to bring us to a place of openness before God, especially in circumstances where the offense is real but not public.
One Sunday my eyes landed on someone, and my mind intentionally dragged up evil thoughts about that person. The Spirit convicted me instantly. It wouldn’t have been appropriate to draw attention to my sin, yet I knew I needed to deal with it. I wrapped up my current thought as best I could and paused before going on. During those few seconds, I confessed my sin to God in the quiet of my heart. As small as it seems now, it was critical to enabling me to continue preaching with a sense of confidence and of being in the presence of God.
Ask for prayer in the moment
One of our pastors once stopped mid-sermon and asked the congregation to pray with him for faith. He later told me he had sensed a strong word from the Lord and feared bringing it to the congregation. The short prayer didn’t distract from the message; but it kept him from the sin of omission and built anticipation and openness in the congregation.
Asking for prayer mid-sermon can help a preacher flee temptation in the pulpit. Saying too much in these circumstances can easily focus people on your sin and distract them from the message. But with proper restraint, pausing for public prayer in the face of sin can turn the spiritual tide in the preacher’s heart.
Ask for forgiveness
Just as asking for prayer mid-sermon can be risky, so can a public plea for forgiveness. But if the sin is public, it’s often true that the confession should be, too.
In early 2008, I found myself frustrated by the lack of openness I’d seen in the congregation. As I concluded my sermon with an invitation to married couples for prayer, I gave in to my anger and took a cheap shot at the couples who didn’t respond: “What—do you think you have a perfect marriage, and you don’t need prayer?” I paused for a moment as James 1:20 flashed through my mind: “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” I realized that not only had I sinned, but by doing so I was inhibiting the godly response I actually wanted from the congregation. I swallowed my pride and said, “That comment was sarcastic and unhelpful. Would you forgive me for that?” I then continued with the invitation: “Let’s try that again. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have your marriage prayed over?” It ended up being a particularly good Sunday for prayer at the altar.
But such a confession doesn’t have to be immediate. When the Spirit convicts us of sin and we don’t know how to handle it, wrestling with it afterwards is always appropriate. A trusted friend is invaluable in working through these situations. Ask him or her if whatever occurred warrants a public apology, and act accordingly.
Paul writes that “we speak in Christ in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 2:17; NASB). In other words, when we sin in the pulpit, our primary audience knows it full well! The last thing I want is to risk being disconnected from what I need to preach effectively: his presence and power.
Bill White is outreach pastor at Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, California, and an editorial advisor to PreachingToday.com.
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