Preaching & The Mission of God
JOHN TALLEY III
VP of Ministry Development
Recently, I heard a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, TX titled, “For I Reckon.” He delivered his eloquent and powerful sermon at the 2022 Hampton Ministers’ Conference in Hampton, Virginia. Cosby’s homily was derived from the Apostle Paul’s theological and missional masterpiece–the book of Romans. As he preached, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how God was using Rev. Cosby to proclaim his word. It reminded me of how essential preaching is.
The word preaching is used roughly about 60 times in the NT (4 times in the book of Romans alone). It is extensive in the New Testament. Here are three passages about proclaiming the word:
MATTHEW 4:23
“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”MARK 1:7
“And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.ROMANS 10:14
“And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
The Importance of Preaching
Throughout history and the Holy Scriptures, God has gifted certain people to preach his message of hope and liberation to a dying world. He has used men of God such as John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Francis Grimke, E.K. Bailey, Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., and of course the “Dean of Preachers” the Rev. Dr. Gardener C. Taylor.
But what exactly is preaching? Is it to give an hour sermon in the pulpit on Sunday morning? Is it to deliver a dry and boring lecture-style speech? Is it a Ted-Talk-style message with high production and a table with your Starbucks coffee on it? I imagine we all have a different and specific picture in our minds of what preaching is.
Here is my definition of preaching: to convey a clear and convicting message that contains thought-provoking truths. Let’s break it down thought by thought.
The word convey implies that it is verbal–an actual proclamation of words. The word clarity means that it can be understood. It is clear enough for it to be digestible to people as they feast on the word of God.
The word convicting means that it hits home! When we read about the Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost, we sense the impact. We’re also reminded of the book of Acts when Dr. Luke, the physician and author of Acts, says that the crowd was “cut to the heart” (Acts. 2:37). We know that feeling–being “cut to the heart”. When our soul resonates with a strong and deep awareness that there is something spiritual and mysterious happening. We may even want to shout, “Amen!” Or, “Preach it, Pastor!”
And lastly, preaching contains thought-provoking truth. The greatest of which is the message of the crucified and resurrected Christ that gives hope and new life to those who believe.
The Importance of Hearing
Hearing is just as important as preaching. Paul says, “And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Many people may suffer from selective hearing, meaning they only hear what they want to hear. In the Bible, true “hearing” communicates the idea of “obeying.” From the Bible Dictionary of Ancient Greek, “To follow instructions, obey, follow, be subject to."
You know who knows what faithful listening looks like? Pet owners.
My wife and I used to have two dogs. They were named Brownie and Lucy. They were good dogs (for the most part). Occasionally, we would have friends come over to our house, and at times they would try and give orders to our dogs. Brownie and Lucy never would listen. However, when I or my wife would tell them to do something, they would listen. It’s because they recognized the voice of their owners.
In medieval times, “heralds were people who would declare important news on behalf of the king to the public.” This wasn’t an occupation that you necessarily trained or went to school for. In fact, a person was chosen to do it by the king. A herald was to have a good voice, good character, read, write, and obey the king. They serve as his mouthpiece and represented his voice, not their own. Similarly, preachers of the gospel message do not deliver their own messages, but the Lord’s.
John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” When God’s people genuinely hear the voice of God, they listen and follow. There are many messages and voices that are out there, but people that God has chosen from the foundation of the world to be his children will know his voice when they hear it because the Holy Spirit will awaken them to receive the thought-provoking truth of the gospel.
Simply put, there is a need for preachers–for how will they hear without a preacher?
The Importance of Mission
Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Church planters and pastors around the world labor in preaching, teaching, and disciple-making because the marching order of the church is to make disciples. Author Christopher J.H. Wright explains it as “God’s great purpose for the whole of creation and all that he calls us to do in cooperation with that purpose.”
The missional call is a gracious invitation from God to participate in his grand story of redemption and preaching is one of the many activities that God’s people can engage in, to the glory of His name. Faithful preaching stirs belief in Christ Jesus, through the power of the Spirit. As it says in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones reminds us that preaching is essential to mission because “…the primary task of the Church and of the Christian minister is the preaching of the Word of God.” May the Lord continue to raise up pastors who participate in his mission to redeem a particular people for his own possession and preach to the glory of God.
