Is Preaching Dead

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Is Preaching Dead?

By David Block

Preaching is dead! Once upon a time it might have had its place, its time in the sun, but these days preaching is unnecessary, and in fact, its harmful to our modern congregations. This is the sentiment that is being expressed from many church attenders and pulpits today, but is this true? Is preaching an outmoded form of communication. Has technology replaced the mother of studies? Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better.” Spurgeon spent his entire pastoral ministry railing against the so-called preachers and their new ideas. What Spurgeon knew and what the foolish of his and our time didn't know is what God had to say about preaching. Preaching has always had a place amongst the faithful of God and its purposes still carry on in the local church today.

We can see the importance of preaching in the local church by tracing the history of preaching amongst the people of God in the Old Testament. Noah proclaimed the impending doom of the world and of God's provision of salvation. Peter tells us that Noah was a “preacher of righteousness,” (2 Peter 2:5). Concerning King Solomon it was said, “Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth,” (Eccles. 12:9-10). Jonah was told by God to preach his judgment against Nineveh because of their wickedness, (Jonah 1:2). Ezekiel was told by God to, “go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them,” (Ezekiel 3:4). In fact, all of the prophets were told by God to go to the people and preach to them what God had said. It is obvious through these examples that preaching was something that occurred on many different occasions by many different people.

However, the historical examples of preaching do not stop in the Old Testament but carry over into the New. First, we find John the Baptist. “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,'" (Matthew 3:1-2). John's preaching actually fulfilled the prophecy of another preacher, Isaiah. Following John came the ultimate preacher, Jesus Christ. “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,” (Matthew 4:23). “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,” (Matthew 9:35). Jesus also stated that he had to preach because, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives...to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor," (Luke 4:18-19). Being sent by God, Jesus preached and in turn, he sent his twelve apostles to preach as well (Luke 9:6). Throughout the book of Acts we find examples of the Apostles continuing to preach after the death of Christ, (Acts 2:14; 8:12, 25; 14:7 i.e.). We then find Paul, who claimed that he was appointed as a preacher (1 Timothy 2:7). The role of the preacher that was established in the Old Testament continued on in the New Testament and continues on to this day.

If preaching has such an important role, then what exactly does that role look like? First, we see that the one that preaches is sent. “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:14-15). Those that call on God are those that believe in him and those that believe in him hear about him by someone that has preached. Those that preach are those that are sent by God. God sends out people of his own choosing to go and preach the gospel to those that have not heard and believed. Preaching plays an important role in the local ministry because God has sent people to do this work. To deny the preacher would then make us guilty of the same sin that the people of Israel committed. Israel denied, persecuted and executed those whom God had sent to herald his word. The church dare not do the same.

God has sent godly people into the world to speak his word and in his Word, they are commanded to do so. The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 was Jesus' command to go and teach the people all that he had commanded. Paul also commanded preaching as we find in 1 Tim. 4:13 which says, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching,” In 2 Tim. 2:2 Paul says, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also”. In Titus 2:1 he commands, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” Finally, the verse which is the most clear that preaching should occur is in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” Why does Paul command preaching? He tells us in Titus 1:3 that the word was made known to him through preaching, he was told to go preach. It only makes sense that more people need to see the word, and since Paul was not going to live forever he had to pass the torch on to the next generation and they likewise. These commands are just a sampling, and make it very clear that Christ and the apostles supported preaching, so much so, that they instructed others to do it and pass it on.

So we see that men have been sent and commanded to preach, but what exactly does preaching look like in the ministry of a local church? The Bible uses a multitude of verbs to describe the office and manner of preaching. By examining a selection of them, it is easy to see what preaching looks like. κηρύσσω means I preach or I proclaim, and could be used interchangeably with the word eύαγγελίζω which means to preach the good message. These two words are used in reference to Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul, Barnabas and in the command to Timothy Διδάσκω means I teach and is always closely associated with the previous two verbs of preaching. Μαρτυρέω means I testify, as in a witness before a judge. In Acts 8:13 we see Philip δηγέω or guide the eunuch through Isaiah 53. In Acts 28:23 Paul κτίθημι, (laid out) the kingdom of God. Timothy is told by Paul to παρατίθημι (entrust) what he had learned to others that they might do the same. Jesus talking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus διερμηνεύω (interpreted) the Old Testament passages about himself to them. These in addition to the Greek verbs that mean to open, announce, read, exhort, declare, speak, argue, utter, and so on all describe what the role of the preacher is. Though there are a multitude of verbs they all are connected by the purpose of the verbs and that is the conveance of the things and ways of God and the Scriptures from on person to another. This is the role of the preacher.

As can easily be seen, preaching is a rich and complex means of transmitting a message. The next logical question ought to be: What is the message? John the Baptist and Jesus both preached repentance because the kingdom of God was near, (Matthew 3:1-3; 4:17). The apostles preached the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, (Acts 4:2; 1 Corinthians 1:23). Jesus and his followers preached the gospel of peace, (Ephesians 2:17; Romans 10:15). Is there any room for our feel good motivational speeches that many preachers are trying to pawn off as preaching today? The answer is clear: unless preaching contains in some aspect the work of God in Christ and how that affects our lives the preaching has not occurred. If the message is not based on the word of God, then it is not preaching. These two components are what make preaching valid. Without them, “preaching” is done in vain.

We have a preacher sent by God, he has accepted the commands, he is aware of his manifold duty, he has a well prepared biblical and Christ-centered message but what is the goal, the expected outcome of all of this? Romans 10:13-14 says, “For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” The God-ordained means for an unbeliever to call on God and be saved is through the preacher. The preacher has been sent by God to proclaim the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). This, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, opens the ears of the people to hear and they believe. They then cry out to God for mercy. That is the “plan of salvation”. Preaching is an integral part of the salvation process. Though it may seem foolish to people that preaching is important, Paul says, “It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe,” (1 Corinthians 1:21). So, basically it doesn't matter if the world thinks that preaching is outdated, stupid, or boring God uses it to bring people to himself. It is not the world's wisdom but God's. Preaching of the word of God brings about knowledge of the truth (John 17:17). This knowledge brings about sanctification (Ephesians 5:26) or as in Paul's words, God, “is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ...to bring about the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:25-26). The final goal of preaching the gospel is that believers will find their souls strengthened, that they will be encouraged in their faith, as they endure many trials looking toward entrance into the kingdom of God. These goals are the reason why believers must embrace preaching in their local church. They are at the very heart of the Christian faith.

The role of preaching in the local church has come under great assault during the last century from within the walls of the church itself. If we are to be effective, to see true conversions, to see the land that we live in change then preaching must reclaim its rightful position in the church. Preaching must become, once again, the center of all worship services. We must embrace the commands of Christ and the apostles to “Preach the word!” We must recognize the complexity of preaching. We must have Christ-centered preaching coming from our pulpits. Finally, we absolutely must recognize the connection between the salvation of the lost and preaching, the connection between our sanctification and preaching, and our hope in trials and preaching. Is preaching dead? God forbid! It is more alive and more needed now than ever as we come ever nearer to the return of the source of our preaching, our great and blessed Savior, Jesus Christ.