This is part 2 of our "Ministry Distinctives" series at Christ Community Church:
The Divine Perspective on Preaching
I endeavor to reveal four aspects of the preaching ministry
The preaching of the word of God is:
- Powerful
It is our conviction that when the Word of God is preached it comes forth with power—divine power (1 Thess 2:13). In other words, when the Bible speaks, God speaks (Ex 17:14; Jer 30:2). For this reason it is powerful and never returns void (Isa 55:11). It is our position that the Word of God faithfully taught (2 Tim 2:15) is the only means by which a person can powerfully and irresistibly be convicted of sin (Acts 2:37) and brought to repentance in Jesus Christ. This power, of course, comes through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 1 Thess 1:5).
- Persuasive
It is our conviction that when the Word of God is preached it must have an element of persuasiveness inherent in the delivery (Acts 17:4; 19:26). The preacher is to devote himself to his sermon preparation so that he speaks with persuasion (Acts 28:24). This results from the fact that the message with which the preacher has been entrusted with is an eternal life and eternal death issue (John 6:68). He must preach with persuasion and implement arguments as to why the listeners should act (Acts 2:38) and repent of known sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12).
- Practical
It is our conviction that when the Word of God is preached it must be practical so that it takes the meaning of the text and specifically applies it to the life-situation of the hearer so as to produce change (Neh 8:8; Ezra 7:10). This is to enact obedience to James’s command when he says to be a “doer of the Word and not merely a hearer” of the Word (James 1:22). This means that he must give not only specific application but also specific implementation helps. Part of the preacher’s responsibility is to teach and explain the meaning of the text (2 Tim 2:15), apply the text to the current, modern-day situation, and to help the listener understand how this text applies to his/her life and what specific changes need to be made (Acts 2:37-41; Acts 16:31).
- Passionate
It is our conviction that when the Word of God is preached it must be proclaimed with passion and pathos (Jonah 3:4). A boring sermon does not exist. Furthermore, a boring preacher is incomprehensible. An unpassionate preacher is surely not to be entrusted with the divine oracles of God. Rather, the preacher heralding the life-altering message that Jesus Christ is the Savior of sin and that an individual can stand before the Holy and Righteous Judge one day perfectly spotless because of the sacrificial and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ must flow through a man who passionately believes what he is preaching (1 Thess 1:5; Acts 7:51-55). If, the preacher is lacking in passion, then one has reason to wonder if he is void of this salvation (Phil 4:4). The preaching of the Word of God is to be captivating, passionate and full of pathos (1 Tim 4:11-12, 15-16).
