Why We Do What We Do: Preaching of the Word

By Barry Rager

When I was young, I loved to watch wrestling.  Occasionally, my parents would let me rent a pay-per-view. That was a really big deal for me.  This was when all of the biggest stars battled one another leading up to the main event for the evening.  Every match and chair shot made you desire the main event matchup even more.

This is what a lot of people think of when they think of the preaching of the Word of God each week, but the preaching of the Word of God is not the main event. It is not even the primary focus of the Gathering.  All of the components of the Gathering — from the Call to Worship, to prayer, to the songs and hymns we sing — all play an important role.  

This does not mean that the preaching of the Word is unimportant. It is, but what makes preaching important isn’t the person delivering the message. What makes preaching important is what’s is being communicated — the Word of God.

So why do we preach the Word of God each week?

We preach because God’s Word is truth.  

Psalm 119:160 says, “The entirety of Your word is truth…”  In a world full of falsehood and relativism we can hold to the truth of God’s word.  The proclamation of truth is powerful.

We preach because God’s Word saves.

One way the power of God’s Word is made evident is in the salvation of individuals.  Paul wrote in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  The Word of Christ is essential for a person to have faith, believe in Christ, and be saved.

We preach because God’s Word transforms.

Another way that we can see the power of the Word of God is in the transformation that it brings.  In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  Scripture shows us our wrongdoing, guides us in correcting our wrong behaviors or actions, and shows us the way that we should go. 

The Word of God is the power of preaching.  I have often told people, “You do not need to know what a pastor thinks or his opinions.  What you need to hear is the Word of God.”  The Word of God provides the importance and basis for the public preaching of the Word.