Preaching is the leading way that the Lord has chosen for the Gospel of Jesus to be spread. Even though to the world preaching such things, as the cross, are foolish, the people of God know otherwise. It is through faithful preaching of the Gospel message that individuals are saved. The necessity of preaching has always been important and will always be important till the end of time. As John Stott writes “Preaching is indispensable to Christianity” (Stott, 1982). It is not the whole duty of the minister to preach but it certainly is bulk of it.
“So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17
The need of sound Biblical preaching is becoming very evident in today societies. D.A. Carson writes “Biblical theology directly addresses massive illiteracy now prevalent in many of our listeners” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION DAC08 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Carson, 2008)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. John MacArthur also has to say that, “Generations of preachers facing all the spiritual opportunities and satanic obstacles of this new millennium must rediscover and reaffirm expository preaching” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Mac05 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(MacArthur, 2005)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. He then goes on to quote Walter Kaiser’s appraisal that the need of the church to be more effective is preaching of the scriptures with purpose, passion and power.
It is easy to understand and see in today’s churches that people are illiterate when it comes to the scriptures. Even those that know a bulk of its stories and chronological orders still have a hard time in applying the scriptures to their lives. A large part of the need for preaching is not only helping readers to understand what was taking place in the historical context of scriptures but also in applying the timeless principles learned from those scriptures in their day to day life.
This is why true Biblical preaching is important to us today. For minister’s to stand behind the pulpit and speak on philosophies and psychologies is part of the modern churches decline. It is a powerless Gospel and preaching has become simple religious speeches. Peter Adam states that “the basis for any true human speaking for God is that God is speaking God” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Pet04 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Adam, 2004)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. Preachers are not to be just speaking about what they dreamed about last night, what happened in the childhood, or their vacation to Holy Land Last year. Preachers are to speak the Word of God because God gave it to us. Craddock is quoted writing “To assume that the sheer weight of the authority of the sacred text, the faithful commitment of a regular audience, and the inspiration of a worship setting will sustain the pulpit without the preacher’s own wrestling with the question of what it is we are doing is serious error” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Fre85 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Craddock, 1985)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>
“For prophecy came not in Old Time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” 2 Peter 1:21.
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” Revelation 1:10-11
The scriptures that a minister preaches from is not the work of mankind trying to gain an understanding of who God is, but God’s revealing work of Himself to man. When man speaks the Holy Scriptures he is speaking what God has spoken and when God speaks things happen. “God speaks, and his words are powerful, effective and creative of reality. The God who speaks is the God who acts through his words” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Pet04 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Adam, 2004)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. The communication of scriptures is a serious calling and commission of God that should not be taken lightly.
First off the Bible is the Word of God. Haddon Robinson writes, “When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the conviction that if I can really understand a passage in it context, then what I know is what God wants to say” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Had01 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Robinson, 2001)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. A preacher of the Word of God must be a minister of the whole Word of God. There is not a period, a crossing of a “T,” or the jotting of an “i” that is not the Word of God. It makes the scriptures powerful to the minister and to the hearer when they know that the Bible is God’s Word.
Secondly, that since the Bible is God’s word is that preaching comes from the approach, “Thus saith the Lord.” The authority of preaching does not rest on the preacher but solely on the Bible. It is God’s disclosure to humankind about Himself. It’s God’s revelation throughout history to man. It is not the preacher’s job then to make the Bible relevant and catchy to the ears of the audience, but to put the Word of God in the ears of people in ways they can understand. “Truth is as relevant as water to thirst or food to hunger” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Zon05 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Zondervan, 2005)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>.
The Bible gives mandates to preaching the Word of God. It is evident in the scripture concerning the seriousness of preaching. The New Testament provides many examples and exhortations to preach.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20
“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:13
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2
That third scripture, given is from the elderly Paul to the youthful Timothy, is probably one of the strongest mandates to preaching. It tells not only what to do but how to do it. Preaching must be from the Word of God. It is not about preaching the Daily Times, the TV Guide, the latest trend but to preach the Word. The word of God that reproves sin, rebukes waywardness of believers and comfort by the faithfulness of God and teachings of His Word.
Very important is that preaching is not just during assigned worship times but can happen at any moment as demonstrated in the book of Acts. Being able to preach at the “drop of a hat” is not just something that happens but is the result of some disciplines a minister will go through if they are serious about preaching. These are prayer, lifestyle and study.
“Contemporary preachers who desire God to display His power in their ministries will bathe their preaching in prayer” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Mac05 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(MacArthur, 2005)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. A praying preacher is a passionate preacher who pursues God in his preaching. It shows that the man is inadequate in his own power and mind to carry the weight of the Gospel and that his success in doing so in found only in God’s provision. The man who represents God in the pulpit should continually seek God’s face and provision in his faithful preaching of God’s Word.
Passionate praying leads a preacher into a godly lifestyle. The preacher will guard his heart and mind so that he is not distracted from the Word of God. In the preachers lifestyle it will be seen that he leans on the Lord for his strength and that his heart is turned fully toward God. The prayers and godly lifestyle help to make the preacher passionate in their study of God’s word. Stott writes “Since the Christian pastor is primarily called to the ministry of the Word, the study of Scripture is one of his foremost responsibilities, to which he commits himself at his ordination.” To be ready at anytime to preach is the result of a minister’s life study. It is the result of a minister being fully in tune with God’s spirit through prayer, conduct and attitude and his faithfulness to studying God’s Holy Word.
“Time spent in study is never getting away from daily work but getting into daily work” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Fre85 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Craddock, 1985)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. Hours in study show immediately on the minister of God’s Word. “Ministers are required to read” <!–[if supportFields]> CITATION Zon05 \l 1033 <![endif]–>(Zondervan, 2005)<!–[if supportFields]><![endif]–>. It is not a luxury or a choice, but it is a mandate to study the Word of God. It’s not to impress people but to do God justice and represent Him.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
The ministry of the Word of God is not solely preaching. Yet it is through preaching that God has chosen to save this world. It is through faithful preaching that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is taken to every corner of the earth and is put in the ears of Gods creation. It is through that God picked avenue that people begin to grow in faith and are drawn to God. By prayer and study, preaching is made powerful by God’s anointing and His approval on the minister.
<!–[if supportFields]> BIBLIOGRAPHY <![endif]–>Adam, P. (2004). Speaking God’s Words. Vancouver: Regent College.
Carson, D. (2008, 10 6). D.A. Carson on Biblical Theology and Preaching. Retrieved 4 1, 2011, from Via Emmau: http://viaemmaus.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/da-carson-on-biblical-theology-and-preaching/
Craddock, F. B. (1985). Preaching. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
MacArthur, J. (2005). Preaching: How to Preach Biblically. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Robinson, H. W. (2001). Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Stott, J. (1982). Between Two Worlds. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Zondervan. (2005). The Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Jeremy Kamer Ministries 