Life Lessons For You From Pastor Lutzer’s Own Journey

Growing up on a farm in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, I could never identify with peers who didn’t know what they intended to do when they grew up. As for me, I wanted to preach. When we’d get home from church, I’d sometimes climb the stairs in the old farmhouse and pretend I was standing in front of a congregation, leading the singing and preaching the sermon. And when Billy Graham rose to fame in the early 1950s, he became my hero. I listened to The Hour of Decision and read everything I could about him and his family.

What I didn’t know was that someday I would have the privilege of preaching at The Moody Church for 36 years and continue to preach even after my so-called “retirement.” As an added bonus, I would eventually get to meet Billy Graham and become acquainted with his children!

The story of how I got from that farm to the city of Chicago and then to The Moody Church is a story of God’s undeserved grace and providence. Only in retrospect do I see how God’s unseen hand was directing me even when I was unaware of it. For example, a high school friend persuaded me to attend Winnipeg Bible College rather than a nearby Bible school in Saskatchewan that all of my brothers and sisters attended. There in Winnipeg, I would meet the school’s new president, Elmer Towns, who would encourage me to enroll in Dallas Seminary (he even wrote a letter recommending me, since I initially lacked some of the academic requirements for entry). It would be in Dallas where I would learn to preach and, more importantly, meet and marry my lovely wife, Rebecca.

After a three-year teaching stint in a Bible school in Canada, I was accepted to study philosophy at Drew University, but en route, stopped in Chicago for summer school, where I met a seminary friend who encouraged me to stay in the area. And so I enrolled at Loyola University to study philosophy. I ended up doing pulpit supply at Edgewater Baptist Church, after which I became their pastor.

But the most obvious example of God’s leading was when I resigned from Edgewater so I could teach full time at Moody Bible Institute. The Sunday after our farewell, Rebecca suggested that we attend The Moody Church because I had come to know the paster, Dr. Warren Wiersbe. When we arrived, I let her and our children off on the LaSalle Street entrance, agreeing to meet in the lobby after I found a parking spot. The streets were filled with cars as far as the eye could see, but right in front of me, a man walked across the street and backed out of his parking spot about 100 feet from the church door. A stroke of divine providence.

I met Rebecca in the lobby and a moment later, Pastor Wiersbe walked by with his coat on. I put my hand on his shoulder and asked, “What are you doing out here ten minutes before the service?” He replied, “Erwin Lutzer, I’m sick. I’m on my way home, I want you to preach for me this morning!”

So, the first time we ever attended a service at The Moody Church, I preached at The Moody Church. This was just one more link in a chain of providence whereby I would eventually become the Senior Pastor. (By the way, Pastor Wiersbe had initially asked a Sunday School teacher to take his place in the pulpit that Sunday, but the man was very relieved when I was asked to do the honor!)

I experienced similar providences in my writing and radio ministry. My life story illustrates the truth of one of my favorite hymns, “God Leads His Dear Children Along.” In reading my story, I hope you can also see the providence of God at work in your own life. No matter what we face, everything comes to us from the hand of our Heavenly Father, who is always working for the good of His beloved children. This truth should drive us to reflect on God’s providence in our lives with a sense of worship.

The Secret Behind God’s Hand on Pastor Lutzer’s Life

Key Clue. . .His Mother’s Handwritten Prayer List

Q: Okay, you have set us up for the first question: Why do you think you experienced such clear examples of God’s providential leading?

A: I think it was because of the prayers of my parents. They lived simply, worked hard, and prayed for us children. At their 70th wedding anniversary (they both lived seven years beyond that but wanted no more anniversaries!), I asked my mother if she knew all the names of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. With a wave of her hand she answered, “Yes, I mention them to my Heavenly Father every day!” After she died, we found her prayer list in her own handwriting, listing the names of all of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and some missionaries.

Q: Did your parents ever encourage you to become a pastor?

A: No, they didn’t. But they always prayed that we would flee from sin and follow God. I have two sisters, both of whom were missionaries (one served in Africa, the other in Mexico), and I have two brothers who have been involved in Christian work. Only when I became older did my mother tell me that when I was a baby, the pastor’s wife said to her in German, “He will be the preacher.”

Q: Since you’ve always wanted to preach, can you give us a highlight of your preaching career?

A: There are many, but I think preaching at The Moody Church on Easter Sunday was always a highlight. A packed church, glorious, worshipful music, and the joy of the moment was overwhelming. I could hardly wait until it was my time to preach.

Q: Thirty-six years is a long time. Did you ever run out of ideas of what to preach next?

A: No. In fact, to this day, there are sermons I’d like to preach someday!

Q: What do you say to younger pastors as they seek God’s will in their preaching and pastoring?

A: I’d have to write another book to answer that question properly, but here it goes:

Ask yourself if you are “called” to the ministry. God leads or calls His servants in different ways, but a pastor should be able to say with Paul, “Woe to me, if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). I believe that the pastorate is not just another vocation; it is a special calling from God, which should be confirmed by one’s biblical qualifications and by the church.

Be content with faithfulness. Do not seek greatness and don’t compare yourself with others.

Make sure that your character is worthy of your calling. We’ve had too many examples of pastors whose character did not match their calling. Pride, money, and sensuality will always pose temptations you must resist.

Always remember that it is not your church; it belongs to King Jesus. Be accountable to your board and serve with a humble spirit. And, by the way, keep in mind that God can get His work done without you.

Always give God praise for what He might choose to do through you.

Begin each day as I try to do—giving praise to God. Let your requests come later. It’s all about God, not us! One of my favorite verses, Psalm 115:1, reflects this perfectly: “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”