Being a pastor means that preaching is constantly on my mind!
What exactly is Bible preaching?
I am reminded of a famous story of two American tourists who once went to London during the 19th Century. On Sunday morning, they went to a church service and listened to a well-known preacher. After the service, they said to each other, “What a preacher!” That evening, they went across London to the Metropolitan Tabernacle where Mr. Charles Spurgeon was the pastor. After the sermon, those same tourists said, “What a Savior!”
Is preaching a bunch of opinions clothed in religious garb? Is it funny stories, life lessons, or yelling with scratchy pitches? I submit that the preaching we need is Bible preaching.
Look at what the apostle Paul said about his preaching:
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: – I Corinthians 2:3-4
Here are some principles about Bible preaching:
Bible Preaching Will Feed You Scripture
Everyone has an opinion, but I cannot have hope for eternity nor build my life on your opinion! I need truth! I need the word of God! Paul told the Corinthians that he determined not to know anything except Jesus Christ and Him crucified! He came preaching Jesus Christ!
I expect the pulpit to give my family and me truth from God’s word. I need the Bible to be read, explained, and applied.
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. – Nehemiah 8:8
Bible Preaching Does Not Sacrifice the Scriptural for the Sensational
Have you ever thought, “I wish I could be like him”? I wish I could sing like him? I wish I could paint like her! What if we heard Paul preach? I wonder if we would want to do it like him. Paul said he stood before the people in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. That does not sound like the kind of man who would be trending on YouTube!
We love entertainment! (Exhibits A – E: YouTube, TikTok, Sports, Concerts, etc.) Entertainment must not become the driving force of the church and pulpit! Preaching is not to be degraded to is the most dynamic speaker? Who can tell me the funniest stories? Who can be the most relevant? Perhaps some hearers like the preacher who yells the loudest, runs through the church aisles, and jumps on top of pews. To be clear, I am not criticizing any man’s delivery. Everyone is different! Some men are loud; others are quiet. Some men preach like they are fighting bees!
My point is that the way it is said is of far less consequence than what is actually said. Fictional novels or movies may prompt you to laugh or cry, but you cannot build your lives or eternity on them. A ventriloquist can make a dummy appear to speak, and a showman can make a whole lot of nothing sound like something.
Just because it is sensational does not make it Scriptural.
Bible Preaching is a Tool God Uses to Build Lives
Build your life on the Bible! Paul desperately wanted the faith of his hearers to stand in the power of God, not the wisdom of men. He did not want them to rise and fall on the man, Paul. This preacher wanted the people to be built up in the Lord!
I once listened to a man speak about God using Bible sermons to build lives, and it has haunted me ever since. If I, as a preacher, endear people to me, they will fall, and I have failed. We stand by God’s word! The Lord uses Bible messages to build us, stir us, and comfort us.
Do not choose your preacher like you would choose a restaurant: What am I in the mood for? Respectfully, you need more than a man; you need the Bible. I am ashamed at how little I have poured into messages I bring before God’s people. God’s people do not need cute outlines, Internet fodder, or microwaved life principles. We need the fresh bread of Scripture that the Holy Spirit has been long baking in the fiery heart of God’s man.
I ask you to pray for me that God will make me a Bible preacher. I ask you to consistently place yourself and your family under sound Bible preaching!
