Let Us Study (Preaching the Gospel)

Acts of Worship, Pt. 5

Introduction

The fifth act of worship we will look at is preaching the gospel. Now you might look at the title and wonder how is this studying? Don’t you study the bible in bible classes? The answer is yes, but you also study in the worship assembly. If you disagree, then it’s most likely you’re either doing it wrong or you’re in the wrong congregation.

 Definition of Preaching

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, here are some definitions of the word, ‘Preaching’…

"to bring or tell good tidings"

        Psalms 40:9, I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know.

Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

"to cry or proclaim as a herald"

Romans 10:14, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

The Mouthpiece of God

Who is the preacher? As for the man himself, he is God spokesman. Everything that he preaches shouldn’t be his own opinion, his own advice, or his own wisdom. It should be, AND ONLY BE, words from God himself as written in the scriptures.

Moses, when he encountered the burning bush, was chosen by God to serve as His mouthpiece to the children of Israel. Moses, however, attempted to come up with excuses as he didn’t want the job. Let’s pick up the story in Exodus 4:10-12, Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? "Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."

An individual does not have to be an eloquent speaker to proclaim the gospel. The apostle Paul remarks that in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

If your preacher is teaching anything aside from the gospel in the scriptures, then he is a false teacher and should be labeled as such (Rom. 16:17). As Peter wrote in 1 Pet. 4:11, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” This verse would eliminate the majority of preachers today as most want to give you an inspirational speech instead of words that convict sinners to repentance.

We Are Not an Audience

This is one of the biggest misconceptions that people have in regards to the worship service; especially where the sermon is concerned. Most will agree that they participate in the singing, praying, Lord’s Supper, and the collection. But when it comes to the preaching, they see themselves as an audience member listening to a speech. THIS IS NOT TRUE. We are just as much participants in the sermon as we are in the rest of the service.

How do we participate? We open our bibles and follow along with what is being preached. This was done by those in Berea when Paul came through preaching; Acts 17:11, These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Grant it no one had a bible at the time as it was still being written. However, the Jews had access to the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets so they checked them out to see if Paul was telling them the truth. This is why it is so important to have a bible with you when you go to worship. You need to make sure that the preacher is preaching from the scriptures and not telling you what he thinks it says. No man is above question or reproach.

If a preacher says something that is not in line with the scriptures, bring it to him and show him where he is wrong. If he accepts it and changes, then you’ve helped him as well as yourself. If he rejects the rebuke, then you need to find a new place to worship. If a man calls himself Pastor, Reverend, or any other title; he sees himself as above you and cannot be challenged. You don’t need that kind of sin in your life. Your soul is too important to give in to the whims of man.

Conclusion

There are many other examples of preachers and sermons as found in scriptures; too many to mention here. If you’d like to know more or understand more about preaching, and how one studies along, feel free to contact me in the comments below. The Book of Acts has many good sermons to read; to get an understanding of the good news that was proclaimed to man in the first century.