Does Preaching Matter?

I am a preacher. I know a lot of jokes about preachers and preaching and sermons, and you probably do too, or at least you’ve heard a lot of them. One of the oldest asks, "Who is a preacher?" and the answer is, "A man who talks in other people’s sleep." The late comedian George Burns said, "The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and have the two as close together as possible." Then there was the elder in the church who was introducing a guest preacher on Sunday morning. The elder said, "I’m not up here to make a long, boring speech for him. He can do that for himself." And so it goes. So, what do you think about preachers and preaching? The answer to that depends, of course, on who you ask. The point I want to press home here is that the Bible views authentic, bonafide gospel preaching and gospel preachers in a much different and much more positive light than many people do these days. Don’t believe that? Think about the times you’ve heard someone apologize and say, "I don’t mean to preach" or "I don’t want to sound ‘preachy.’ " Well excuse me, but I want to do a little preaching here, preachy or not! Listen to a few Bible passages on preachers and preaching. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 (King James Version) the Bible declares: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." Now, the New King James, English Standard and New American Standard Versions all make clear in that verse the apostle Paul (who penned it) is stressing the content of what is preached – "the message / word of the cross" – and not the act of preaching in and of itself. The message of the cross of Christ was folly and foolishness to many people in Corinth and other Roman and / or Greek cities in the first century, and still is today. Paul declares that such people are perishing. But that same message is God’s power to save those who believe and obey! Same message, different effect, depending on how hearers evaluate it. Still, the content of God’s message has to be delivered, and the God chosen and God-ordained method / medium to deliver the message of the cross is "preaching." So it is a few verses later in 1 Corinthians 1:21 (New King James) Paul goes on to write – "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." There it is – although the message of a crucified, buried, raised-from-the-dead-Jesus is foolishness to many people, ancient and modern, it pleases God when a man with a fire in his belly stands before a crowd on Sunday morning to preach the gospel, if indeed it is the gospel he preaches! And it pleases God when a woman seeks to teach her children or co-workers or neighbors or unbelieving husband the message of Christ! This much I know – whatever culture thinks of preaching Christ, God is pleased with preachers and preaching and sermons that preach the gospel!



Romans 16:25 is part of the apostle Paul’s conclusion to ROMANS. He leaves readers with these words: "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ." Preaching Christ matters to God, whether it matters to people or not. Does preaching matter to you?

   Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN