Preaching

INTRO: Every year there’s new commercials for soap and toilet paper. The technology of them hasn’t really changed, so why is it that there is more each year? Because each year a new generation of buyers comes into the market who need to be reached.

Sometimes when you’re newer we need more explanation to understand things. And many who have been around should be able to give a better answer for why we do what we do, other than “it’s just what we’ve always done”, or “the Bible says we’re supposed to”. Both are true. But you really didn’t give a full answer that shows the WHY in a comprehensive way.

For those of us who have been here a while, there’s a danger for us too. The danger is that we go into autopilot mode, we become people of habit instead of purposeful people. We know what we do - Prayer, 3 songs, sermon, 2 songs, communion, song, and prayer —— we got the method down. But we need to make sure we don’t get fuzzy on the WHY.

That’s why we’re doing this series, and each year I make sure to preach on certain subjects.

So today, we’ll focus on one of our central parts of the assembly: Preaching.

Why do we have that? Why did God want that? After all it isn’t just something to fill a slot during our worship time. However, please don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s the whole reason you come. There isn’t one thing we do that’s more important than the others. We need to make sure we don’t have some things elevated as greater importance, and other things as filler.

We do need to know that preaching matters. And no, I’m not just saying these things for job security.

So…Why preaching?

Obviously it’s a big part of our weekly worship… but, Preaching isn’t just something the church does — it’s something God chose as His method to reach, shape, and sustain us.

2 Timothy 4:2, “PREACH THE WORD!”

Kerusso – “preach; proclaim; herald.”

God speaks through His word. You don’t come to hear Josh preach. You come to hear God’s will spoken, taught, and explained. That should be the case regardless of who the preacher is.

We need preaching because we need to HEAR God’s word. We need one another to help us grow and understand the word, and we need preaching to help with that as well so that its understood and applied rightly, so that we can come away with something to do with it.

Sermon, latin “sermo” means “to thrust”. It has a point and purpose!

It’s not pointing the finger, it’s pointing to Jesus. Every preacher should be pointing people to God.

Preaching isn’t meant to be a commentary on the news, it’s not meant to be another self-help therapy session. It’s meant to be a tool for bold proclamation of, as Paul said in Eph.3:8, “the unsearchable riches of Christ”.

Preaching isn’t about exhausting the riches of Christ; it’s about exposing people to them — helping them to learn to explore and be amazed by what can never be fully measured.

So Paul means “I’ll spend my life opening people’s eyes to what they’ll never finish discovering”. The preaching isn’t a master lecturer, but an amazed messenger who points to a treasure with infinite depth!

I say this to say — some people are satisfied with the “what”, but fail to actually comprehend the “what” or hold fast to the “what” because they aren’t seeking the riches of the “WHY” behind it!

But that helps us to start with what the preacher himself ought to be…

The Preacher is someone that…

Acts 20:18-35

V.18-19, Lives What He Teaches

Remember how I lived and worked among you. Do what I did. If you’re going to face these challenges successfully, this is what you’re going to have to do.

First, you need humility! That’s more than just not being arrogant. You’re going to have trials and tears, just as I did. I’m telling you how to overcome it all! And it begins by humbling yourself. Paul will explain how in a few verses – so hold onto the thought of needing to be humble.

V.20-21, Speaks Boldly/Courageously

“I DID NOT SHRINK! I didn’t hold anything back, I didn’t let the worry of “what are they going to think if I say this” or “I wonder how they’ll react if I teach that” – I told you everything regardless if people will like that or not! He sums it all up in repentance and faith – that’s the whole message!

Repentance TOWARDS. Its not just turning FROM sin, but also turning TOWARDS God! Remember how I Paul taught how to do that, and remember how I talked about faith and full allegiance in Jesus. If we’re going to face the next challenge, we’ve got to be going towards God, committed to turning to Him always.

V.22-24, Values God’s Mission OVERALL

a. THAT is Christian humility. Not counting my life of any significant value or precious to myself more than the Gospel is and seeking after Jesus.

Gal.2:20

Paul is saying that he is going to Rome to face persecution and something terrible, but that’s not what matters, my life isn’t precious or as much worth as the Gospel message being spread and people becoming Christians, and Christians growing in Christ to look like Christ – my life is nothing compared to the worth of all of that! That’s Christian humility. Loving first and foremost the mission of a Christian life

Is that the kind of life that you’re living? That we applaud? That we encourage our young people to pursue a life that puts Jesus first, others second, and me last? It’s not just about not being arrogant and not bragging. Humility as a Christian says “you matter more to me than my own selfish wants. I’m going to do what it takes to see you succeed as a Christian.” Are you telling people about the “gospel of the grace of God”?

V.25-27, Speaks Truth & LOVES The Truth (SCRIPTURAL)

Paul pulls imagery from Ezekiel 3.

Paul says he’s innocent because he told the truth – even if some didn’t like it or not listen. Why is Paul telling the elders this, about how he operated? Because now he’s passing the baton to them to say “now it’s your turn. Don’t shrink back, don’t be cowardly. If you don’t tell them what God’s message is fully you’re guilty too! But you can be innocent, and people can be transformed by God when you give the message.”

V.28, Someone Who Guards Against Falsehood

To elders, but again the context of “do what I’ve done”

2 Timothy 4:2–4 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Protects from drifting into error or comfort driven faith

Shepherds & Sheep Dog

Reminds us of truth, exposes sin, calls us back to Jesus.

V.29-32, Someone Who LOVES the people and Prepares The Church For What’s Next

2 Timothy 2:1–2 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

Who am I to do this? One strengthened by Gods grace and grown to do it.

Preaching is a designed roll by God for the maturing of Christians, Ephesians 4:11-12.

Preaching is for transformation

Preacher that preaches to the “Mondays”, for the days that it’s not as easy to be in the word or living it

The job is not to help you to feel good about your walk with Christ on Sunday, but give you something of use for Monday when real life smacks you in the face again.

The job is to preach not just to give information, but encourage transormation. It’s not about handing down knowledge….if that’s all a sermon is, how does that help me grow in Christ and stay in Christ?

Every sermon needs a “SO WHAT”. Meaning, I told you all this but so what? What is there to do with it? Every sermon must point to Christ with the added point of assisting Christians to be more like Christ. The Gospel must be the focus, and if it’s not we’re not a Church that belongs to Christ.

Preachers that preach to the “back-row”

Maybe not literally to the ones seated on the very back, I’m not picking on you.

But meaning for the ones that come here and don’t know what we’re all about, maybe don’t know much bible or our songs...but they’re here!

Seating isn’t the point. But meaning the ones that feel left out, in search of more and genuine Christianity, a good family that will encourage them. SO the preacher then needs to do his best to preach to each listener because everyone is somewhere different in understanding and progressive levels of faith.

And the goal is to get the back row sitters to have front row enthusiasm!

Romans 15:7 “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

The gentiles were the backrow folks. The Jews were the privileged and thought they had special status before God. Paul preached to them but also reached out to the gentiles. Unity was a huge thing for Paul. Everyone needed to be united in the right heart and spirit for the Church to function.

Jesus took people where they were at, he met them where they were. But guess what — He didn’t leave them there. He challenged them, guided them, corrected them, comforted them — all to move along in maturing as a faithful follower.

Backrow people need to know that the preacher and the front row people value them and want what’s best for them spiritually.

Illustration: a lawyer, a doctor, and preacher went out deer hunting together. A huge 10 point came out. When he stopped all three shot. They went over to inspect and see who it was that got to claim the prize. Things got heated, the game warden showed up, and he said “the preacher” got it. They asked how do you know, and he said “It went in one ear and out the other”.

I love hearing from you more than “good sermon”, I’m often encouraged when someone tells me something specific they took away from the sermon, or I see your page full of notes, I’m more encouraged when you laugh at my jokes or throw out an amen…You’re very kind and I’m glad you’re attentive even when I’m not very exciting. It’s important to give an ear to what God says, regardless if the speaker isn’t very lively or funny or have good illustrations. And even better than those things, the best for me is knowing it took root based on what I hear, or what I see.

Many places have some people or person that comes every week to listen, but never listening for himself. They listen for another person. They listen and say “I wish so and so were here because he’s the one that really needs this”, and he sent the link or the CD to who he thought needed it. And week after week he keeps listening for everyone else, and you know what happened in his life? Nothing much. Had he listened he would’ve known it was his job to meet the needy persons need, had he listened he’d understood the lost person needed him to preach it himself, or that the upset person needed him to speak comfort to him. But he didn’t listen in that way, and so he missed the fact that God’s word is for EVERYONE, not just everyone else.

Of course it’s ok to think my friend or family would like this or need this - not saying anything against that. My point is, don’t forget to listen for yourself. Here’s one of my preaching secrets —— I’m preaching to myself as much as I am to the room.

My aim is to point you to God. My prayer is that God use me to be a successful mouthpiece for God’s glory and encouragement to Christians to get saved and stay saved.

Preaching is a job of responsibility and relationship. The preacher needs you just as much as we need anyone else. I’m not just the preacher. I’m your fellow worker.