We must preach because preaching is not simply the fuel for worship: preaching IS worship. As Piper says, “in the same way that a melody can awaken us to the true beauty of God in the lyrics of a worship song, so the spiritual music of the preacher’s soul can awaken the people to the glory of the preached truth of God” (“Preaching as Worship,” 33).

In last week’s installment of our ten-things-you-should-know series I focused on the causes for the demise of biblical preaching. Today I want to focus on why it is so critical that pastors be committed to the exposition of the Word.

(1) We must preach because of the power of the Word of God to change human lives and to transform the experience of the church. Tragically, although they would hardly admit it openly, many preachers have grown suspicious of the power of the Scriptures to change lives. Day in and day out they face marriages that are disintegrating, teenagers who are rebelling, both young and old fighting addictions from which they can’t break free, not to mention the spiritual apathy of their congregations, and they secretly doubt if there is much help to be found in digging deeply into an ancient book. Contemporary problems call for contemporary solutions, and nothing seems more irrelevant and obsolete than Scripture. If that lie even remotely rings true in your heart, I urge you to carefully consider the following texts – Romans 10:17; 15:4, 13; Galatians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 4:12;

(2) We must preach because preaching is God’s ordained means for making himself known to us. Throughout biblical history we see that “God’s standard way of securing and maintaining His person-to-person communication with us His human creatures is through the agency of persons whom He sends to us as His messengers” (Packer, 15-16), whether prophets, apostles, pastors, or teachers.

(3) We must preach because preaching not only communicates truth about God, it also mediates the very person and power of God. That is to say, it is in preaching that God draws near to his people to comfort and encourage and strengthen us. As Packer says, “the proper aim of preaching is to mediate meetings with God” (Truth and Power, 158). There is a sense in which Scripture, like baptism and the Eucharist, is a sacrament. God himself, in his love and power and sustaining presence, enters our hearts in a unique and life-changing way when Scripture’s words and images and stories and truths are ingested and flow through our spiritual veins.

(4) We must preach because preaching (aside from reading) is the most effective means for transmitting the truths of Holy Scripture. Preaching is teaching. Yes, it is more than teaching; but it is certainly not less than teaching. It is speaking “aimed at both mind and heart, and seeking unashamedly to change the way people think and live” (21).

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