Where would we be without preachers and teachers?  Without them we wouldn’t have the church.  Without them we wouldn’t know about God and His ways.  After all, the apostle Paul told the Ephesians that Jesus gave a number of types of people for specific purposes.  Those were to equip the saints for the work of service and to build up the body of Christ (the church).  Wow! What a simple mission statement!  Equip and build up!  However the phrase “easier said than done comes to mind” all too often.  This may be the cause of many a preacher giving up!

As we retell the story of Jesus we must not forget that He was a preacher (Luke 4:43).  We remember Him as a great teacher, miracle worker, and even remember His death and resurrection, but often forget that He came to preach and preach He did!  Of all the preacher examples we find in the bible, Jesus’ pattern is the best of all.  His style varied from simple conversations to question and answer sessions to even longer dissertations such as His sermon on the mount.  His approach could be one of compassion and sensitivity as well as confrontational.  Whatever situation He found Himself in He adapted His style and approach accordingly.  He pronounced woes on the Pharisees, scribes and hypocrites in Matthew chapter 23, and yet looked upon multitudes with great compassion and seeing a need for many preachers, He commissioned His apostles to preach in Matthew 9:36-10:1. 

Of all His preaching, first and foremost was the preaching of God’s love for His creation and what He was willing to do for it (John 3:16-17).  Jesus preached in such a way that we would know Who He was.  He taught as one having authority (Mark 1:22, 27) and the things He did confirm His identity for the purpose of believing that He was indeed the Son of God and that believing we might have life in His name. (John 20:31)  Have you truly responded to the preaching of Jesus?  His is the only preaching or teaching that will change your life from a life on the broad path toward destruction to a more abundant (John 10:10) one that can only be found on the narrow way that leads to everlasting life (Matthew 7:13-14).  God said, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” (Mark 9:7)

Copyright © 2005, Nolan P. Rutter