Whose Idea Was It To Have Preaching, Anyway?
I don’t know how many times someone has come to me after I’ve preached a sermon and said, “I thought you were talking directly to me, because that is exactly what I needed to hear”.
Hey, it isn’t me. Sure, I’d like to take credit for such, but I just preach the word as best I can (well, I’m sure I often fail to even do that) and it hits home with power where it lands on good soil (as per Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:18-23). It is the natural power of God’s word combined with His providence in its effective use rather than any preacher.
After all, you have to remember that God spoke to Balaam through a donkey.
Remember also that God’s word, as Hebrews 4:12 teaches us, is very much alive and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing and dividing even body, soul and spirit. The ancient prophet Isaiah said:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not returnthere without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” Isaiah 55:10-11
My point is that God works through both His word and His people to provide for each member of His Son’s church. What if you miss something He has provided especially for you? What if God is providentially planning for something to be said in the assembly of the saints this coming Sunday or Wednesday that is specifically meant to help you and your family and you aren’t there?
The “bottom line”, so to speak, is that it is God’s plan to save the world through preaching according to several clear and obvious passages of scripture, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, Luke 24:44-47, Acts 17:29-31, Romans 1:16-17 & 1st Corinthians 1:21 are each good places to start.
Since it is God’s plan for the word to be preached, our plan should be to make sure that we hear it preached! If you are reading this and are the head of a family, your job then is to make sure that your family is there to hear it preached.