The Ultimate Reason for Preaching

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The Apostle Paul writes to his disciple Timothy…

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching (2 Timothy 4:2, NLT).

And when Paul instructs Timothy, his first sentence, “Preach the Word of God,” defines the reason for preaching. In this passage, Paul uses “word,” the same term the Apostle John used to describe Jesus…

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Preaching the Word focuses on Jesus, as the author of Hebrews writes, “Looking only to Jesus, the originator and perfector of our faith.” 

The ultimate reason for preaching is Jesus.

Some churches preach their vision, who they are, and what they want to accomplish. Other churches preach the compassion of serving others. Some churches focus on justice issues, while others teach multiplication and church growth, which can all be Biblical if these agendas first preach the ascendancy of Jesus.

It’s easy to replace Jesus with the passions and agendas of our ambition. 

I’ve listened to preachers who are remarkably eloquent, but their words lack power without uplifting Jesus. Some say, “I go to this church because they preach the Bible,” but this “Bible” preaching too often focuses on the doctrines of a denomination without the fullness of life in Jesus.

Timothy Keller, in his book entitled “Preaching,” says, “In the end, preaching has two basic objects in view: the Word and the human listener. It is not enough to just provide truth; it must be prepared in an edible form so that it can nourish and delight.”

I’ve been both delighted and bored by sermons. How about you? The greatest passage in the Bible on the reason for preaching is… 

For I decided that while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:2-4).

Great preaching elevates us from the mundane to the presence of God, from doubts and despair to the grace of Jesus, and from our inadequate efforts to the power of the Spirit. We know that we have listened to a great sermon when our faith increases, we find freedom from our sin, and we want to go forth with power.

Read the following phrases that describe what happened with those who heard the church’s first great sermon from the Apostle Peter in Acts 2… 

• A deep sense of awe came over them
• The Apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders
• They shared everything in common
• They worshipped together daily
• The Lord added to their number daily

I want to hear great sermons about the Word, the power of the Spirit, and our heritage as adopted children of the Most High God. That’s preaching.