Purpose of Preaching?

I'm not sure how many of you know this or not, but i wanna become a pastor when i grow up. I enjoy public speaking, i love the scriptures, the study of them and pulling life application from them, and i love caring for God's people. Haha, as i read that short list, i'm not sure if i've convinced myself that i wanna be a pastor for good enough reasons, so i won't be mad if you yourself are also skeptical out there. I have gifts and talents that i believe have led me to the desire to work as a pastor. So "preaching", "speaking", and doing "talks", whatever you wanna call it, i suppose is part of the job description. I came to my realization of career path several years ago, and from then on decided i would kick start my learning and preparation on giving sermons by paying close attention to those done by the pastors or my church.

So for the past couple of years, i've browsed books on how to write sermons, how to format them, their structure, and most important of all, what a "good" sermon sounds like. So whenever i sat in a service and a sermon was given, i would sit and specifically breakdown the goods and bads of each speaker i heard. Then i came across one book, that reminded me of the purpose of preaching altogether, which is "to encourage people towards life change based on the Word of God". Life change, that is the real purpose of preaching, wouldn't you agree?

So often, i'd sit through a sermon, and instead of trying to find and act out the suggestions towards life change for Christ the speaker was trying to bring me to, i would simply critique them and leave thinking "yo, he used a three point sermon, who does those anymore?!?!" or, "his stories were tight, he kept my attention the entire time". That's messed up, i've come into a service, been challenged from the scriptures to action for my Lord that i say i love, but i hear the challenge and basically ignore it. Leaving no different than when i came in

Looking at it from the perspective of the listener, it's important for us to really bring our attention and brains to the time where one of our own shares God's Word. I believe it as our job to do whatever we can to understand the application being given by our speaker (good speakers make this part easy ;) ) then, acting upon it. Regardless of how good or bad the speaker is, it's our job to do something with whatever we hear. I've found that just because the style the speaker choses to convey their message is bad, doesn't neccesarily mean the message itself is bad also. We shouldn't be so selective maybe, only choosing to internalize and carry out the messages of good preachers, right? maybe?

And from the perspective of the preacher, if we aren't getting up there with the purpose of preaching for Christocentric life change, then maybe we should re-consider preaching at all. There are exceptions though, i believe it isn't blasphemous of me to say (PLEASE correct me if i'm wrong) that not every single verse of the Bible lends itself to life changing or challenging application.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says:
"All scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the people of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
So different scriptures lend themselves to different things, some are more useful for plain teaching (which make me think more of making you think or revelation), some are for training (which makes me think more towards life change possibly)

I spoke @ Eighteen22, and right now we're in a Psalms series. Trying to stick to the range i was given, i read through Psalms 15-35 vigourously and panic filled. In my mind and understanding, not a single one of them were capable of drawing any life change or application, they all just were for "teaching", as i would put it. So i was having a mini-meltdown, i was freaking out saying "oh my gosh! should i even speak this week? ughhh, there's not point!". Yes, there was a point, that week and with those scriptures, i was supposed to simply teach the Bible, and that's ok sometimes.

But if we're getting up there every week, and just entertaining our congregations, or just teaching them the Bible, is that the best way to lead God's people into outward good deeds and inward change? We are saved by faith and the love of God, but that faith and love should stir up in us the desire to do the good that God dreams for us to do. For us to be a part of his mission in the world, bringing it back to Him and spreading His love. Loving God like crazy, loving others just as much, and making more disciples who will do likewise.

I struggle with all of this soooo much, as an aspiring speaker myself, as a weekly listener, as a full time Christ follower. I myself and trying to let the words of my pastors and friends who sharing their insights from God's word with me, to honestly begin to change me inward and outwardly. That's how it's supposed to be, right? Cause let me know if i'm wrong, haha.
~Jamal