1. The preacher is to preach for God to God’s people.
Preacher and congregation alike often overlook this reality. Since, in many churches, the congregation calls a man to serve as their pastor, the relationship formed can be confused. Is he serving them? Is he preaching for them? In one sense the answer is yes; yet, in an ultimate sense he does not. He is called and gifted by God. God entrusts him with the charge to preach. The preacher serves God. The preacher preaches for God. This responsibility obviously takes place within the context of human oriented ministry. As the shepherd serves the owner of the sheep by taking care of and feeding the sheep, the pastor serves God by taking care of and feeding God’s people.
Properly understanding this relationship sheds light upon the nature of the preacher’s accountability. God will hold him responsible for his service.
Consider the following:
1 Corinthians 4:1, 4
‘Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy . . . but the one who examines me is the Lord.’
Galatians 1:10
‘For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.’
1 Thessalonians 2:4
‘but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.’
2 Timothy 1:14
‘Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure (deposit) which has been entrusted to you.’
2 Timothy 4:1, 2
‘I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.’
Titus 1:7
‘For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward . . .’
1 Peter 5:1-4
‘Therefore, I exhort the elders among you . . . shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight . . . according to the will of God . . . those allotted to your charge . . . And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.’
2. The preacher is to proclaim God’s Word.
From Moses to the prophets to the apostles it is evident that those who function as God’s representatives must declare God’s message. They are not free to communicate anything other. Their opinions, their insights, their wisdom, their jokes and stories play a secondary role. God dealt severely with those prophets who spoke according to their own dreams and wisdom. Paul made it clear that he was not free to speak with, or according to, the wisdom of men. He refused to speak with persuasive words of wisdom. Why? He was under obligation to speak the simple and plain message of Christ.
While this is the case, it is also clear that there are those who will not endure such preaching. Rather, they will do what they can to attract and call preachers who will give them what they want (2 Tim. 4:3). In this case, these individuals struggle to assert themselves and take God’s place of authority over God’s representative. They will work until they have someone who will give them what is pleasing and comfortable according to their standards.
The preacher must never forget whom he ultimately serves and represents. This will significantly impact the message he proclaims.
Consider the following:
Preach ‘the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:60; Acts 28:31)
Preach ‘Christ’ (Acts 5:42; 8:5; 8:35; 9:20; 17:18; 1 Cor. 1:32)
Preach ‘the gospel’ (Romans 1:15; 15:20; Gal. 1:6-11; Eph. 6:19)
Preach ‘the word’ (Gal. 6:6; Col. 1:25; 4:3; 2 Tim. 4:2)
Preach ‘God’s wisdom’ (1 Cor. 2:7)
3. The preacher must preach with focused confidence.
Upon what does the impact of preaching depend? Is it clever communication? Is it properly developed persuasive skills? Is it the preacher’s amazing wisdom and insight? Is it heart-wrenching stories? Is it humor and energy? None of these, or anything else that takes the place of simple trust in the sufficiency of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit, are appropriate or even adequate for rendering preaching effective. The preacher preaches for changed lives not for leaving people engaged, entertained, or excited. Lives are changed only by the Holy Spirit’s application of God’s truth. If the preacher depends upon the environment, music, humor, stories, or the art of persuasion he is adrift in the sea of human effort.
The preacher must never allow anything to take the place of his trust in God’s word to accomplish God’s plan. Though he may use a number of the things mentioned above, they are not necessary ingredients for faithful and effective preaching. The word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit must be the focus of the preacher’s confidence. If he trusts in anything else, he risks voiding the message.
Consider the following:
1 Corinthians 1:17,18
‘For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
‘And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.’
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
‘But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.’
4. The preacher must preach for changed lives.
As the preacher fulfills his God given responsibilities, what is his aim? The Bible teaches that God expects us to be more than hearers. James 1:22 states, ‘But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.’ Obviously, the preacher is a tool God uses to change lives. One must be clear on this point however. The preacher is looking for more than mere obedience; he is looking for a change in heart, constitution, or nature that comes as a result of regeneration. Paul speaks of his fellow Jews who were zealous for God but not in accordance with knowledge. They believed that they could carry out the demands of God’s law. They did not look to Christ as their source of righteousness, nor did they view their obedience as evidence of a changed life. Rather, they saw their obedience as ‘earning’ their acceptance before God (see Romans 10:1-4).
So you see, the preacher is not looking for man-centered, self-reforming obedience to the teachings of Scripture. He is preaching the truth of Scripture to change the very heart of his hearers, which will in turn produce the fruit of obedience.
Consider the following:
Romans 1:16, 17
‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”’
Romans 12:1, 2
‘Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.’
2 Corinthians 5:20, 21
‘Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’
2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14
‘But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
2 Timothy 4:1, 2
‘I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.’
Hebrews 4:12
‘For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’
5. The preacher must preach to defend the faith and protect the flock.
God’s truth brings eternal change. God’s truth sets men free. Knowing this, the enemy of God does all he can to corrupt or pervert the gospel to keep men from encountering ‘the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.’ As preachers proclaim God’s message, they must also stand against error.
Consider the following:
Galatians 1:6-8
‘I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!’
Colossians 2:8
‘See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.’
1 Timothy 1:3, 4
‘As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.’
2 Timothy 2:24-26
‘The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, have been held captive by him to do his will.’
Titus 1:7-11
‘For the overseer must . . . [hold] fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.’
Doug Richey, Pastor-Teacher
Copyright 2008, Doug Richey
112 Pisgah Drive, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024, USA
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