The Place of Preaching

by David Gibson

Why some won’t listen

Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t preach to me!” Preaching is not always appreciated. The rebellious inner self, the Bible says, must be put aside. In its place, there must be childlike humility. We must be willing to yield control of our lives to God and make Christ our Lord in every area of our lives. When the preacher tells us we’re wrong, he may be doing us a tremendous favor, even if it hurts at the time. “Have I therefore become your enemy by telling you the truth?” Paul asks (Galatians 4:16 NASB).

Paul, who at one time was the violent persecutor of the church, had to realize how wrong he was before he could get right. And so must we.

Why it makes sense to listen

If the preacher is true to God’s word, then those who resist the message are resisting God Himself (Luke 10:16). The preacher is simply the messenger.

It’s been said that preaching should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Sometimes we need to be afflicted. Paul urged Timothy to “preach the word…reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” The time will come, Paul says, when people will reject the truth and turn to those who will tell them what they want to hear (II Timothy 4:2-4; see Isaiah 30:9-11). Does this happen in our day? A lot!

The choice we make

So what do we want? Pleasant words that make us feel good, or the truth we so desperately need? To receive God’s marvelous grace, we must renounce our sins, then humbly submit to God’s revealed will in trusting obedience (Acts 2:36-38; 22:16).

If truth is what we need most, can we afford to accept anything else?