Lesson 5

The Preacher

“A prepared messenger is more important than a prepared message” -- Robert Munger

I. What serves as the basis for the preached word?

1. A sense of divine call (John 15:16; Acts 16:10; I Cor. 9:16; I Tim. 2:5-7; II Tim. 1:8-12)

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that
your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:16

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do
not preach the gospel! I Corinthians 9:16

So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even
though I’m in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the
proclamation of the Good News. 9 It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not
because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began--to show his love and
kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of
Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through
the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. 12
And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I
trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.
II Timothy 1:8-12, NLT

a. When God calls us He also equips us with the spiritual gifts necessary to function in the call (I Pet.
4:10-11).

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
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.

b. Everyone who preaches should feel like they are a person on a mission. They should feel like they are
“A man sent from God…” (John 1:6-7).

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of
the Light, that all through him might believe.
2. A vital Christian experience (Mt. 7:28-29 with Mt. 23:1-4)
Albert Martin in his booklet titled What’s Wrong with Preaching Today states,

“The principle is this: that unless we would degrade preaching to a mere elocutionary art, we must never
forget that the soil out of which powerful preaching grows is the preacher’s own life.”

a. You cannot lead others where you have not been (Acts 4:20; 19:13-16; I John 1:1-3).

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and
we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was
manifested to us--that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. I John 1:1-3

Someone once said regarding the preacher, “He cannot share what he does not possess or reveal what he
has not seen.”

b. Your goal is to be an example of what is being preached (I Tim. 4:12, 16).

c. Your life and testimony must be channels of truth to people (Rom. 15:18; I Cor. 11:2; I Th. 2:10).

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word
and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient… Romans 15:18

I dare not boast of anything else. I have brought the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I
lived before them. Romans 15:18, NLT

Jerome said, “A holy clumsiness is better than sinful eloquence.”

Cervantes said, “He preaches well who lives well. That is all the divinity I know.”

Someone else said, “The world looks at preachers out of the pulpit to know what they mean in it.”

Could it be that the reason why Jesus preaching and teaching had such authority was because He actually
lived what was preached? The scribes of the day had accurate teaching, but they did not practice what
they preached.

And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for
He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Matthew 7:28-29

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in
Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to
their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on
men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Matthew 23:1-4

3. A continuation of learning

This means that the preacher will have to settle it in his or her mind that they will live the life of a disciple
who continues to grow personally through their devotional life with the Lord and their study life in the
Scriptures. This is important for several reasons:

a. So that the preacher can continue to grow personally, staying ahead of the people.

b. So that the preacher can draw from fresh experiences with God as a source of encouragement to
others (Eph. 1:17).

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not
cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of
His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power… Ephesians 1:15-19

c. So that the preacher can remain relevant to the times and the culture.

4. The development of natural gifts

God gives us natural gifts, talents and abilities, but we are responsible to take what God has given us and
develop it. You cannot create a gift; that is something that God must bestow. However, you can cultivate
the gift that has been bestowed by God.

a. This involves honing or sharpening our skills.

5. The maintenance of physical health (I Cor. 9:27; I Tim. 4:8)

There is a physical side to preaching.

6. A complete dependence upon the Holy Spirit (I Th. 1:5).

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much
assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
“The preacher who learns homiletical skills may forget his need for the Holy Spirit. The key reason some
worship services are cold and lifeless and the sermons within those services without impact is that the
Holy Spirit is not present to give warmth and life.” –Broadus

We could add a seventh need of the preacher which deals with the heart or the motivation of the preacher.

7. A pure heart

a. This includes a genuine fear of God (I Th. 2:3-5).

So you can see that we were not preaching with any deceit or impure purposes or trickery. For we speak
as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to
please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to
win you with flattery, as you very well know. And God is our witness that we were not just pretending to
be your friends so you would give us money! –NLT

To have a fear of God implies that you have rejected the fear of man. Do you preach to put a smile on
God or a smile on the faces of man? Perhaps there is a way to do both.

b. This includes a sincere love for the truth (II Cor. 4:2; II Th. 2:10).
And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up. We reject all
shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of
God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that. II Corinthians 4:1-2, NLT

c. This includes a true love for people (II Cor. 4:7-15).

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of
us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--10 always carrying about in the body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are
always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according
to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing
that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For
all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to
abound to the glory of God.

d. This includes a heart free from covetousness (Acts 20:33; Phil 1:15-17).

B. The personal disciplines in the life of the preacher lay the foundation for all ministry of the word.

1. This means that the preacher must be a person of prayer and communion with God.
It is very important that the preacher has the ability to hear from God on a personal level. This prepares
the preacher to be able to hear from God for others. How do you decide what to preach on any given
occasion? Does God have a role in this?

2. This means that the preacher must be a serious student of the Word (I Th. 2:13).

It is the word of God that powerful in people’s lives not our words (Heb. 4:12). The more familiar we can
be with God’s Word the more equipped we will be to represent God to man.

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which
you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which
also effectively works in you who believe. I Thessalonians 2:13

“A preacher should be a live coal to kindle all the church” unknown