Dear Congregation,
In worshipping God there is of necessity a key place for the Word of God.
Last week we saw from 1 Timothy 4:13-16 that the Pastor is to “give attention to reading” – a reference to the custom of public reading of Scripture in the church’s worship service, followed by the exposition of the passage that had been read.
As we noted, through this reading, God speaks directly to the congregation in His own words. Preaching is an essential part of Christian worship. As Robert Rayburn observes:
‘When we concentrate our attention upon the essential meaning of worship we realize that it is just as important that God should speak to His people as it is that they should speak to Him.’
So it is no surprise that we hear Paul reminding Timothy in his second pastoral letter to this young minister. Paul writes
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:2-5
It was through preaching of the Apostles that the church came into being and grew – Mark 16:20; 1 Cor 1:17-18; Acts 20:27. The place given by the Apostles on preaching indicates that God has chosen to communicate not only through His written revelation in the Bible but also through the clear exposition and powerful proclamation of that Word by his appointed ministers.
True preaching is of course the explanation and application of the Word of authoritative God – “preach the Word”. The preaching that the Church needs is not social comment on present trends or practices in society, or motivational speaking to keep the troops engaged and happy, or the naïve ‘how-too’ messages of pop-psychology. The true preacher carries out his work within the framework of biblical truth, and his every argument and appeal is based on the presupposition that God’s Word is true, powerful and sufficient.
In this regard we note how Paul emphasises the role of doctrine in preaching. Today doctrine is not viewed as useful and people generally prefer ‘practical preaching.’ But a church without doctrine is like a house without a structure, or a building without a foundation. The church needs to be instructed in the doctrines of God’s Word. Therefore preaching should contain a major focus on the fundamental Christian doctrines, yet it would be amiss to not show God’s intended help that they give to the believers faith and daily life.
As a result both preacher and congregation should embrace the Apostolic experience and expectation:
“It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” – 1 Corinthians 1:21
Then as those who are saved gather under the faithful fervent preaching of the Word that believers are built up in their faith, encouraged and enabled to meet the trials and difficulties of this life, and learn how to interpret and engage with culture around them while upholding the moral and ethical standards which are necessary for communal life even among unbelievers.
The preacher who truly understands this will give a priority to prayer for the Spirit’s help and blessing as well as a careful study of God’s Word. While there are other demands that rise within their ministry these must not be neglected as a result, but rather protected – including by the congregation. Here we think of Acts 6 where the Apostles looked for others to share in the wider ministry needs of the church’s fellowship so that they should give their attention “to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” – assaying “that pleased the whole multitude” (Acts 6:4). How in step with the early church are we?
He is to be ready to preach at every possible opportunity, not letting his own personal inconvenience hinder him, nor the reaction against preaching he may receive from others.
However, it appears that if some in the congregation were not yet putting worldly expectations and demands on his preaching, they soon would, even to the adjustment of the content of the message by yearning for novelties instead of sound doctrine.
This challenges those in the who seek to dumb down the sermon by setting time limits on the preaching, but also on the preacher in having unrealistic expectations in the demands he places on his congregation through their organisation, manner and length of their preaching.
We should nonetheless also note that despite the importance of preaching it is a mistake to come to church simply to hear the sermon. They are not merely preliminaries for the ‘main game.’ While delays happen from time to time in getting to church before the start, it is a concern when people don’t plan and make every effort to participate in the whole service as far as it is possible.
This emphasis of Paul to Timothy also rejects the notion that preaching is a monologue on the part of the preacher, with the congregation as some passive absorption. The attitude of the listener is most important. There should be an eager anticipation that every sermon preached by a Spirit-filled minister that the Lord will speak to them concerning some important aspect of their life. Are your ears open to the truth of God? Are you listening for spiritual food for your own soul?
Even a poorly prepared sermon, without excusing shoddy endeavour, if it is directing our thoughts to the Bible will have something of significance to the prepared listening.
That does not mean a careless hearing on your part – on the contrary the Bereans were honoured for testing even the Apostle Paul’s preaching by the Word of God – “in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The members of the congregation are responsible to hear rightly using the Word as your guide, even as the preacher is similarly in his preaching.
Rayburn suggests three rules for good listening:
- make sure what the text of the sermon is and have it open in the Bible as one listens;
- seek to determine what is the main thrust of the argument of the sermon;
- seek to determine what action is called for in the life of the listener.
As we reflect on this, as pastor and people, let us pray for the preaching of the Word, and prayerfully approach the preaching of the Word – that we may know the reality of which Jesus spoke when He said, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27).
So, let us give our attention to the proclamation of the Word of God.
Together in Christ’s love and service,
John
Your Pastor