Why Do We Have to Preach?

Romans 10:14-21

People cannot call out to what they do not believe in.

Interestingly, God “calls” (kaleō) people to salvation (e.g., Rom. 8:30), and people “call on” him to be saved.

I. Howard Marshall

The language of calling (kaleō) and election (eklogē) is featured prominently in 1 Thessalonians (1:4; 2:12; 4:7; 5:24)

D. Michael Martin

This term arises from a verb kaleo (“to call”) plus the preposition ek (“out of”). On this etymological basis, many theologians conclude that the idea of “the called out ones” inheres in the resulting noun ekklesia.5

Stanley J. Grenz

People cannot believe without hearing (understanding).

1910 With your calling and your crying you broke through my deafness. Your shining and your splendor drove out my blindness.

Augustine of Hippo

People cannot hear without someone preaching.

Logic on fire = preaching.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

If a church does not evangelize it will fossilize.

Arthur Walkington Pink

Always and everywhere the servants of Christ are under order to evangelize.

J. I. Packer

The church is a worshiping community, a witnessing community, and a working community. In other words, the church is to exalt the Lord, it is to evangelize the world, and it is to edify its members.

John F. MacArthur

The command to evangelize is a part of God’s law. It belongs to God’s revealed will for his people.

J. I. Packer

If every member of the Christian Church were adult, were strong, were able to take strong meat, and to teach others, you would find that the world would be evangelised in a way we have never known.

The Christian Soldier, 89

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Proclaiming the truth, not arguing error, is the biblical way to evangelize.

John F. MacArthur

The world will never be Christianized, but it should be evangelized.

Havner, Vance

People cannot preach unless they are sent.

The gospel does not fall from the clouds like rain, by accident, but is brought by the hands of men to where God has sent it.

John Calvin

It is an abomination to let the grass grow up to your knees and do nothing towards making it into hay. God never sent a man into the world to be idle.

Charles Spurgeon

Before Christ sent the church into the world, he sent the Spirit into the church. The same order must be observed today.

John Stott

Brethren, if you were to go to heaven now, perhaps you would go almost alone; but you must stop till there is a companion to go with you. The Sojourn In Mesech, Volume 48, Sermon #2780 - Psalm 120:5

Charles Spurgeon

Those that talk and walk the gospel bring good news and have beautiful feet.

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.

Augustine of Hippo

We judge them by the gospel; we do not judge the gospel by them.

John Stott

The gospel is good news. But Jesus never said it was easy news.

Charles Colson

When the heart no longer feels the truth of hell, the gospel passes from good news to simply news.

John Piper

Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of Christ.

We must hear Jesus speak if we expect him to hear us speak.

Charles Spurgeon

People cannot claim ignorance before a Holy God.

They did know. Quoting OT

Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

Jerome; Scott Hahn

6699 Our knowledge, compared with God’s, is ignorance.

Augustine of Hippo

Ignorance is closely followed by obstinacy.

John Calvin

Conviction of ignorance is the doorstep to the temple of wisdom.

Charles Spurgeon

Ignorance of God and of ourselves is the great principle and cause of all our disquietments; and this ariseth mostly not from want of light and instruction, but for want of consideration and application.

John Owen

The worst ignorance in the world is not to know ourselves.

J. C. Ryle

There is no greater darkness than ignorance of God.

John Calvin

Salvation is to all who call on the name of the Lord.

This does not mean all will be saved, but rather some.

This also means that God is saving a people who were not looking or asking for himself. He does this in part to woo Israel to repentance.

The call goes out, and without any further ado the obedient deed of the one called follows. The disciple’s answer is not a spoken confession of faith in Jesus. Instead, it is the obedient deed.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The reason the church is called the ekklesia is that the church is the company of people who have been called out of the world by God.

R. C. Sproul