What right do I have?

I admit it, I have preached many a sermon late at night. At work. Alone! As I read the Scriptures and meditate on the Word, I wonder how I would teach and preach that passage. I wonder if I will ever have the opportunity to teach again. Many nights, I doubt it altogether. A few nights I have a small hope. Those nights, I think about a passage I heard someone preach and wonder, How would I preach that? I have even thought about having highly supervised opportunities. I mean, my pastor would ask me to preach on a certain passage, or verse, or phrase in a verse, or a topic. How would I preach it? Of course, this is made easier and more interesting because in my imagination I am picking the passage!

One of the first times I thought about this was this past December. The pastor had preached a sermon that included Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day in the city 
of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

That night I thought, How would I preach this verse? And I preached a wonderful message! (This is no way suggests any fault with the pastor’s message!)

But I do confess, I was immediately stopped short by the word, Savior. What right would I have to preach about the Savior? I failed. I stumbled and fell. Savior speaks of being rescued and restored, of victory. How could I ever talk about Savior??

I instantly realized, I am a perfect person to speak of a Savior. If my story was about me; what a wonderful person I was, how strong I was, how good I was, then I would have no right. But, if that were the case, what need would I have of a Savior? But clearly, that is not the case. I needed someone to rescue me, to deliver me, to save me. 

As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

My story is: I stumbled, I fell down, and I could not get back up, and Jesus saved me. He rescued me, He delivered me, He restored my soul. I think that is the very definition of Savior! My wound was raw and red and He is healing me. As the Psalmist says:

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay,

and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:

Yes, I have a right to speak of the Savior. I don’t know if I will ever preach again, but I clearly have a testimony of Christ as my Savior and Lord.

(Just in case someone comes to the conclusion that I am recommending my path - No. What, you didn’t hear me? NO! You don’t understand me? NO! NO! NO! Having a Savior doesn’t mean He condones my sin, simply that He rescues me from it.)