中文Preaching
Introduction of Preaching （讲道学概要）
Important Ideas to consider as we speak about Preaching
To be a speaker of the Word before God’s people or any people is to be an ambassador of Christ Jesus. Any preacher who is more interested in themselves or earning money than in telling people about Jesus and his Word, is a mockery.
It is the call of a preacher to proclaim God’s Word. We are not free to substitute our own ideas. Even though we use all of our life experiences and knowledge in our sermons, even though we think of good ways from modern life to illustrate what God’s Word is saying all those tools are meant to communicate the Word better not change the Word. The message of Jesus, the gospel and all of God’s will in the Bible must be central to all we proclaim.
Proclaiming God’s Word is an awesome opportunity. Those who are best able to do it are those on whom the Gospel has had an impact. Those who proclaim it well are those for whom the Gospel is an exciting and marvelous gift of God. We proclaim God’s Word for the sake of people with a focus on the Gospel. In preaching we apply what God has given each of us – our personality, our experiences, our faith. Get EXCITED about the opportunity to share God’s Word with people. If proclaiming God’s Word is not exciting to you, then you may better serve the Lord and his kingdom in a different way.
The central point of Jesus is the Gospel. So in our preaching the central point needs to be the Gospel. Certainly each sermon will have law (some more than others). Each sermon will have sanctification (some more than others). Yet to proclaim both law and sanctification best the Gospel must be central. The Law and sanctification without the Gospel many times turn into legalism. The Holy Spirits words in the book of Galatians show what happens when someone turns back to the law. If sermons lose the Gospel, then we do the same as the circumcision party in Galatians. Without the Gospel the law strangles the spirit. Without the Gospel, sanctification turns into an extension of the law. The Gospel is the power of the Christian faith and of the Christian faith in action.
Strictly speaking, the modern preacher is not a prophet, for the real prophets received direct revelation from God. We hear from them in both the Old and New Testaments. The modern preacher does speak the Word of God to people and so we do carry on the prophetic ministry of what has already been revealed in the Word of God in the Bible.