|
INTRODUCTION
1. Today, pulpit preaching is regarded as
irrelevant and unnecessary.
2. They regard “preaching” as out-of-date, but
now there are more effective, efficient, and attractive
methods of communicating. We must use them to spread the
Gospel.
3. In defiance of the world’s wisdom that says
“preaching” is out-of-date, and no one wants to come to
church and hear sermons, and to replace it with something
more visually stimulating and attractive, I want to contend
from 1 Corinthians 1:21 that preaching is always relevant.
I. PREACHING WAS ORDAINED BY GOD
1. God decreed that we could come to know Him
only through a revelation of Himself.
a. He revealed Himself generally through
creation (Rom 1:20).
In Romans 1:19-20, we read “Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it
unto them (v19)
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they
are without excuse”
(v20).
b. He revealed Himself more clearly through “the
Word.”
(1) Jesus is called “the Word” of God.
(2) God sent His Son to become the revelation of
God on earth.
God reveals Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ
(1 Tim 3:16).
c. God revealed Himself also through His
written Word, known to us as the Bible.
(1) At the end of Paul’s life, he affirmed that “All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).
(2) Therefore, the words of Scriptures are the
words of God Himself.
(a) As such, they are never out-dated or stale.
(b) On the contrary, “the Word of God” is living
and powerful (Heb 4:12).
d. Today, it is through the written Word of God
that we can only come to know Jesus, His incarnate Word.
(1) In other words, God revealed Himself to us in
the person of Jesus Christ, and it is through the Bible, the
written Word of God.
(2) It is through the Bible, we learn about Jesus.
(a) The mere presence of the Bible on earth does
not communicate its message.
(b) So, God has a plan of proclaiming His Word.
(3) Think of some of the options available to God
for declaring His message.
(a) Angels
(b) Stars
(c) Voice from heaven
(d) But for reasons known only to Himself, He has
chosen none of these means.
2. The Meaning of Preaching
What does God mean by preaching?
a. In a broad sense preaching is proclamation,
the proclamation of God’s truth by any legitimate means.
Therefore, sharing the Gospel with your friend is preaching,
giving someone a Gospel tract is preaching, teaching in a
Sunday School about Jesus is preaching, and giving a
testimony of your conversion to Christ is also preaching.
b. But the word translated “preached” in 1
Corinthians 1:21 implies more than just proclamation,
because there is another Greek word that is used for the
idea of proclaiming the Good News about Jesus.
(1) If Paul meant to describe the
general proclamation of God’s Word by various means, then he
could have chosen the other word.
(2) When the New Testament wants to refer to
“pulpit preaching”, it uses this word.
(a) When Paul says “it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1
Cor 1:21b), the grammatical emphasis of the words is on the
“message” that was preached – the content – not the act of
preaching itself.
(b) God saves people through His message, the
message about Jesus Christ, not through the physical actions
of someone preaching.
c. God ordained preaching in the Old Testament.
(1) He could have used various means to describe
what He wanted people to know.
(2) Instead, He spoke through the preaching of
prophets.
Hebrews 1:1 “God,
who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets.”
d. In the New Testament, Jesus preached (Matt
4:17).
(1) In Luke 4:43-44, Jesus said “I must
preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for
therefore am I sent (v43).
And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee”
(v44).
(2) Then, He sent out the disciples to preach.
He said to them, “as ye go, preach,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 10:7).
(3) After His resurrection, He commanded His
disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15).
(4) Later on, Peter reported that they were
commanded by Jesus “to preach unto the people”
(Acts 10:42a).
(5) Preaching was the method used by the Apostle
Paul (Gal 1:23).
e. So, we see preaching was (and is) the method
explicitly appointed by God.
Therefore, preaching is always relevant
because it is timeless, simple and practical.
(1) It does not require equipment, money,
organizations or buildings.
(2) I have nothing against film shows,
tapes, books, drama, video aids – all are useful in
transmitting the Word.
But God uses preaching to communicate His
Word, more than all these.
II. GOD’S MESSAGE IS THE SUBJECT OF PREACHING
1 Corinthians 1:21
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of
preaching to save them that believe.”
1. The content of the preaching is the message
of Christ.
a. Paul explains what he means by the
“foolishness of preaching” – the message.
(1) 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul describes the
message as “the Gospel”, and it is about “the cross of
Christ” (v18).
(2) In verse 23, he says “we preach
Christ crucified.”
Here, Paul acknowledges the message of the
cross as foolishness – not from God’s point of view but from
man’s.
(3) The main content of the message preached by
the church should be Jesus Christ and His Cross.
Since Jesus is the main subject of the Bible, all messages
preached from the Bible should relate, either directly or
indirectly to Him.
b. You need to avoid a church where the
preaching does not clearly come from the Bible.
(1) Sometimes, the preacher announces a text, but
never preaches on it.
(2) The kind of church you want to be a part of,
is one where the Bible is read at the beginning of the
sermon and you can follow what will be built upon the text
for the sermon.
2. Advice from Charles Spurgeon
a. He says “Do not go where it is all fine
music, grand talk, and beautiful architecture: those things
will neither fill anybody’s stomach, nor feed his soul.
b. Go where the Gospel is preached, the Gospel
that really feeds your souls, and go often.”
III. GOD SAVES PEOPLE THROUGH HIS MESSAGE
PREACHED
1. You should listen to the preaching.
As Paul says, “it pleased God by the foolishness of
preaching to save them that believe” (1Cor
1:21b).
2. Since preaching is one of the main methods by
which God saves sinners, we must keep away from a church
that minimizes preaching or substitutes other things for it.
3. Conclusion
What shall we do when we come to church?
a. Listen to God’s Word preached.
b. Preachers and their preaching need your
prayers.
c. One measurement of your spiritual health is
your hunger for God’s Word preached.
|
