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We’ve all had the experience; someone is trying to tell you something important! Meanwhile, you are creeping to the door. Whew! You escaped…. then you recall: "I just felt like they wouldn’t stop preaching at me!” As humans, we do not like to be “preached at” or really for that matter to be preached nearby. We do not like to be told “what to do” or “how to do it”. We can figure it out on our own, thank you very much. But, the Bible mandates preaching (Mark 16:15-16), Jesus himself modeled it (Mark 1:14-15), and throughout the history of God’s people He has delivered His message through the voice of the prophets. So, how can we reconcile our dislike for preaching with God’s call to preach? Shall we swallow the vinegar with the honey or shall we retire preaching and agree to have more “conversations”.

We must preface this episode with an understanding: not all preaching is good, God-honoring preaching. Some is horrendous, hateful, and embittered; other preaching is passive, disorganized, and subjective. Our focus is, “What is God-honoring, Biblical mandated preaching look like?”

First, let’s look at the Biblical mandate to preach. The last chapter of Mark records the direct command of Jesus- “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). This is straight forward enough. The last chapter of Matthew presents a more nuanced view of the disciples’ ministry- “Go therefore a make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20) This is perhaps a fuller picture of the preaching ministry. The disciples are called to always have a focus, not to just make converts, but raise up disciples. They are called not only to plant the seeds, but also to harvest the crop. And, the primary means to ensure the fruit of the spirit in the heart of believer is teaching. Preaching without teaching is like talking without words- the two always go together.

But, teaching is only a component of preaching and is not inherently connected to its nature. Martin Lloyd Jones compared teaching to preaching by saying that a lecture could be given at anytime, but a sermon must be delivered now. Preaching has a sense of urgency. Again, Martin Lloyd Jones writes, in his book, On Preachers and Preaching,

What is preaching? Logic on fire! Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire. A true understanding and experience of the Truth must lead to this. I say again that a man who can speak about these things dispassionately has no right whatsoever to be in a pulpit; and should never be allowed to enter one.

The Prophet Jeremiah expressed the same urge to preach as a “fire in his bones.” (Jer 20:9) So, preaching possesses many qualities of teaching, the former exceeds the latter in passion, urgency, and conviction, while never sacrificing content or clarity.

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