PREACHING AND PREACHERS PREACHING is the public exposition of scripture by the man sent from God, in which God Himself is present in judgment and grace. Every time the Gospel is preached it is as if God Himself came in person, solemnly to summon men. If I am convinced that I am God’s man, preaching a Gospel that glorifies God alone, I should make no apologies for my preaching. Paul says to one and all whom God has called to preach His Gospel, “Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” The Word of God is not a mere book to be put on a coffee table or a shelf to collect dust. It is to be read and studied, to be believed, to be obeyed, to be enjoyed; a counselor in perplexity and a comfort in trial. Neither is it a book to be read as a task. The job of the preacher is to expound this living book in a clear and sound note. The preacher must be a man who believes what he says; and knows that everything he preaches is of the deepest truth. He must believe the doctrine that he proclaims is alive; he must make it breathe and come to life to his congregation. What he preaches is not just for the moment, but to control their lives every moment of every day. Their religion is not to be shelved Monday through Saturday and displayed only on Sunday. The most important thing is to preach that repentance is not reformation, but of ever turning from the practice of sin. He needs to be master of the great gift God has called him to. The other day I heard the remark made, “I think a man must be called of God, he can go to school after being called, but he must be called first.” To this I most heartily agree. He must preach plain and simple with the hope that everyone who hears should understand, whether they do or not. So often if someone compliments my message I quickly ask, “Was it clear and understandable?” He must not delve into apologetics or current theological debates and etc., but speak to the souls of men, women, boys and girls. Would to God he could go to the pulpit looking into the heart of each person as if they were the only one there and preach “as a dying man to dying people.” A good friend, who has preached well over a half century said, “No part of the Gospel is to be sacrificed for peace. No part of the revealed Word of God is to be denied to keep others happy. This would certainly not be for anyone’s good. But in the matter of personality, temperament, things indifferent, food and drink, days and customs, we should be willing to sacrifice our rights and convictions to make others comfortable and happy, while seeking to instruct them in the Word. Our Lord was patient with the VERY HUMAN disciples while they were “growing up.” When it comes to the Word of Truth, it must be preached without apology. “To preach a risen Christ means to preach a Gospel which claims to come with the demonstration of the Spirit and with power. It means to assume that this world is dead in trespasses and sins; and that no word of persuasion, no force of example, no release from the body, in fact nothing short of a new creation can give it life. This is where the old apostolic gospel of Paul and the modern moralizing interpretations of Christianity part ways.”
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