The Primacy of Preaching
Among the myriad of responsibilities that come with pastoral ministry, preaching stands head and shoulders above the rest in importance. Paul emphasized repeatedly throughout his writings the continual necessity of not just preaching, but preaching from God’s Word. The early church emphasized it, church history has displayed it, and the Scriptures themselves verify the critical nature of biblical preaching.
Preaching is God’s ordained means to save the lost, and then to strengthen and sanctify His people. The proclamation of the Gospel is what elicits saving faith (Rom. 10), allowing for the knowledge of the truth that results in godliness (Jn.17:17; Rom.16:25; Eph. 5:26). Therefore, proclaiming God’s infallible, inerrant Word is the most important element given to any minister and the climax to every worship service because it is the clearest exposition of the Scriptures, though other elements of the service are to be Word-saturated as well.
The Role of Preaching in History
Preaching the Scriptures was central to the ministry of the early church. One cannot read through Acts without noticing how preaching begot conversion, as on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41). Preaching was continually carried out by the early Christians; Peter as stated, Philip (8:5, 12, 35, 40), Paul (9:20; 13:5, 16-41; 14:7, 15, 21; 15:35; 16:10; 17:13; 20:25; 28:31), the apostles themselves (4:2; 5:42), and even others in the church (8:4; 1:20).
Throughout history during times of revival, reformation, and resurgence the church has relied heavily and benefited from emphasizing text-driven, expositional preaching. Preaching was prominent in the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the Puritan revival of seventeenth-century England, and the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. The nineteenth century church tried to counter the increasing influence of modernity with the Gospel-centered preaching of such men as Charles Spurgeon, Joseph Parker, Alexander Maclaren, Alexander Whyte, and Thomas DeWitt Talmage. Even John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion notes that the right preaching of the Word is one of the two marks of a true church. It was during these times of revival that the Word of God gained prominence among the lives and corporate worship of Christians.
The Basis of Authority
The Bible has the innate ability to mediate God’s very presence among and within us. Twenty-first century preachers must understand the following: If they will study the Scriptures diligently in order to proclaim them clearly to their congregants, they will simultaneously find that God’s Word will answer the deep questions of life. This is a significant difference than just offering shallow self-help that is pervasive in the preaching culture today.
The authority by which the Word is preached rests not in the preacher, nor his wisdom, experience, education, or communication skills. Rather it rests in the very authority of God Himself who has breathed the Word that is proclaimed. The loss of a biblically-based foundation in preaching is the primary reason for the decline of preaching altogether in the contemporary church [1].
Whenever preachers depart from drawing from the text alone, they lose their authority. The authority of preaching is rooted in God’s Word. There will be many preachers who come and go, but God’s Word endures forever. Therefore, even preaching opinions and feelings should be subject to the Word. The Scriptures alone is the fountain from which the living waters essential to salvation, holiness, and godliness flow. Preaching the content and intent of God’s Word is what unleashes the power of God on His people, because God’s power for building His people is in His Word [2]. God’s Word is His supernatural power for accomplishing His supernatural work.
However, the preacher should not boast nor become absorbed in pride regarding the authority by which his responsibilities now lie. Karl Barth wrote about the trepidation that should ordinarily accompany pastors as they climb the steps to the pulpit:
This does not mean that when pastors speak officially, with their words they enjoy a sense of papal infallibility. On the contrary, they know fear and trembling whenever they mount the pulpit. They are crushed by the feeling of being poor human beings who are probably more unworthy than all those who sit before them. Nevertheless, precisely then it is still a matter of God’s Word. The Word of God that they have to proclaim is what judges them, but this does not alter the fact – indeed, it means- that they have to proclaim it [3].
The Relevance of Preaching
It is crucial to realize that preaching is successful not because of the minister, the friendly people, upbeat music, staging and lighting, the ‘atmosphere’ of worship we try to create, or any other means considered more effective. It is by the foolishness of preaching that God is pleased to work in people’s hearts (1 Cor. 1:21). It is successful because it is the story of redemption and salvation offered to all through faith in Jesus Christ. When the Scriptures are proclaimed, and the Gospel is made clear, as Michael Horton states in A Better Way, “[I]t is good news, not good advice, not good production value, and not just a good idea” [4].
It is increasingly apparent that fads in communication styles and trends become more alluring to people, and even the preacher, than the message. Yet multimedia presentations, blinking lights, videos, stylish graphics, sharing sessions, and relevant music may be symptoms of disease rather than spiritual health within the local congregation. As Haddon Robinson claims, “Undoubtedly, modern techniques may enhance communication, but on the other hand, they can also substitute for the message” [5].
Our programs, plans, methods, oratorical eloquence, communication styles, and innovations are so much less important than we think. That is why we must give ourselves to preaching and its centrality to all one does as ministers. It is not a part of the worship service on Sunday morning. It is the core for all of our worship insomuch that it sets forth the Word clearly. It is not subordinate to the singing, praying, or gifts of offering. It is what makes all we do meaningful and therefore complete. There should be no gauge of options regarding what is more critical to the success of the church or even the best way to manage the “worship” time. The church is founded, built, maintained, and strengthened through the Scriptures and its ability with the Spirit to transform people through the message of Christ’s redemption for all mankind communicated through preaching.
Conclusion
Those who enter the pulpit each week face the ongoing temptation to deliver a message on politics, old clichés or slogans, psychological rhetoric, or economics – anything except the Scriptures. It seems to many Christian congregations that the pastor can proclaim anything he wants in the 30 minutes following the singing on Sunday mornings and call it preaching. Yet when we fail to adequately preach God’s holy word, we abandon our authority as ministers. Robinson states, “This is why most modern preaching evokes little more than a wide yawn. God is not in it” [6]. May our preaching be centered on God’s authority through His Word that we have the wonderful opportunity and humble responsibility to proclaim. We should be able to proclaim, as did Martin Luther, regarding preaching; “I did nothing; the Word did everything.”
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[1] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), 13.
[2] Mark Dever, The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005), 35.
[3] Karl Barth, The Gottingen Dogmatics: Instruction in the Christian Religion, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 35.
[4] Michael Horton, A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of Christ-Centered Worship. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), 64.
[5] Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2001), 18.
[6] Ibid, 20.
April 15, 2011
Good essay. In a consumeristic church climate many have diminished the awesome power of God’s Word as our sole authority and source of our message. Churches cannot be fruitful, healthy bodies without the Word being proclaimed, taught, and expounded on regularly in the pulpit. As you pointed out, our preaching should not be dictated by the whims of politics, economics, or the latest southern gospel song, but what is so amazing about God’s revelation is that it does speak to that stuff, we don’t have to make it up, we don’t have to contort the text, or isolate it contextually. Praise God for the eternal relevance of His Word.
I do think (and I am not saying that you said this) we need to be careful not set the use of media and technology and solid biblical exposition in opposition to one another. While there are certainly many cases of pastors substituting this for disciplined practice of preaching the meat of the Word, it is not something to be disposed of because it has been abused. The technology we have can be a tremendous asset in preaching, teaching, and in general helping drive home the message of Scripture. While it can detract, it does not necessarily do so and largely depends on what it is used for and how it is used. As in all things, this should be used prayerfully and only as an supplement to the preached word. Our world today is so visual, whether we like it or not, they are stimulated by technology-my job to do what I can to reach and teach people with the gospel of Christ. Many thanks for your hard work and insight into this topic. [originally submitted on 28 September 2010]