Powerful Preaching

POWERFUL PREACHING

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” - 2 Timothy 4:2

I love good preaching. I love it when a man takes his Bible and simply, but powerfully, preaches the Word of God. We need more preachers to do this. Instead, it seems popular for pastors to reduce the message to a pop-psychology lesson with Bible verses sprinkled in. Some think that creativity is more important than theology. To them, having a sermon idea or title that grabs the attention of an audience is paramount to a message. They act like the content of the sermon is of secondary importance.

I don't have a problem with preachers having creative titles or using memorable illustrations. However, the key is to proclaim the truth of God's Word, without compromise. Preachers are to be more than strong orators. A sermon is more than a speech or a lecture. Properly conveyed, a sermon is theology set ablaze by the Spirit, proclaimed by a man of God.

What constitutes powerful preaching?

THE SCRIPTURAL TRUTH

First of all, a Biblical sermon must come from the Bible itself. Rather than a polished lecture, a sermon has the Bible as its foundation. Personally, I love expository preaching. With expository preaching, the minister simply preaches what the Bible says. He preaches word for word, line for line and verse by verse. He simply preaches, “Thus saith the Lord.”

There are too many ministers who simply insert their beliefs and preferences into a text. That is not Biblical preaching. It is not the minister's job to make a verse fit his theology. He needs his theology to be formed by what the text teaches. Rather than trying to find a verse that teaches what he believes, a preacher should simply preach what the Bible says.

The Word of God is alive. Lasting change occurs when people hear what the Bible really says. Powerful preaching is Biblical preaching. We need more of this today!

THE SPIRIT'S TOUCH

Secondly, powerful preaching occurs when the preacher has the touch of God on his life. When the Spirit blesses the preacher, he is able to boldly, yet humbly, convey the powerful truth of the Word of God. Far too many sermons sound like boring classroom lectures. The Bible is living and active. It should not be taught in a boring, monotone manner.

When a man of God preaches the Word of God, he is dependent on the Spirit of God to take the message and change lives. God uses imperfect men with imperfect skills to preach the Word that transforms others. The Spirit's touch upon a man of God is desperately needed.

THE SERMON'S TARGET

The purpose of powerful preaching is the transformation of lives for the glory of God. Primarily, a pastor should preach to his flock. The children of God should be fed a steady diet of the Word each Sunday. The congregation of believers need to be encouraged, warned, strengthened and directed. This will come as the pastor preaches the Word with power.

Also, the sermon should make the Gospel known to any unbeliever in the service. The local church should be a good place for a sinner to hear the truth. The Apostle Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. An evangelist is a man who proclaims the Good News. Like Timothy, every pastor needs to do this work.

Most of all, the sermon should exalt the Lord Jesus. A preacher needs to preach with the goal of pleasing his Lord, not his deacon board. Any praise for a sermon needs to be directed to the One who gave the message, not the messenger. When a man take credit for God's work, the Spirit ceases to use that man. A good sermon will not lead people to say, “What a great preacher.” Instead, a powerful, effective sermon will cause people to say, “What a great Savior!”

Do you want your preacher to preach better? Then pray for him. Pray for God's hand to be upon him. Pray for his ministry, his family and his health. Pray for God to use him beyond his talents and abilities. Pray for God to be glorified through his life and ministry.

Yes, we need more powerful preaching today. We need more men to rise up and boldly preach the Word in the power of the Spirit.

The world is dying to hear such preaching.