Are you a PREACHER?
- Tony Vance
- Jan 22, 2015
- 3 min read
It still takes preaching. I firmly believe this statement, but it will take a little explaining. The Bible, in the New Testament that is, list the word preacher only 4 times; Romans 10:14, 1 Timothy 2:7, 2 Timothy 1:11 and then in 2 Peter 2:5. Each of these in the first three verses are the same word; in Greek, herald, to publish, proclaim or preach(er). The last verse is a form of the word that means the same, preacher. Though ‘preacher’ is only used 4 times, preach (the same Greek word) is found forty four times.
In today’s church world, it seems as if the idea of preaching, is passé. In reality, everyone is a preacher. Now I know, before you get all theological/doctrinal on me, I firmly believe in an ordained ministry. Paul talks about being ordained as a preacher (though the argument could be made he meant by God-alone). So, just to be clear, I’m not talking about an office within the church, whether you call it minister, elder, bishop, pastor or whatever. Most of those titles are synonymous, and used as such, depending on your denomination. No, I’m talking about something entirely different.
In life, everyone is a preacher. Everyone is proclaiming, something. Everyone is heralding a message. Everyone is publishing, and it doesn’t have to be in a traditional sense, a sermon. Let me explain. We all have a narrative, a story we are telling. Our thoughts, opinions, and convictions are bore out in our speech, actions, and life. We are ‘proclaiming’ something, always. This is not a Christian-thing, no, it is everyone. See, a person has a message, and that message, aka-preaching, is delivered in a variety of ways. Someone that is not a Christian is a preacher. I recently heard an atheist/agnostic expound upon the notion that he disliked the word ‘belief’. He defined belief as a “hopeful, wishing for something.” Thus, by his thinking, your belief in God is simply a hopeful wish for it to be. He used the phrase, “evidence seems to indicate” this or that. Thus, he was preaching a message of UNBELIEF.
Everyone is a preacher. Have you decided what your message is? Are you working on its points, the illustrations (your actions), the hook, and the text to which you appeal to, to back up your message? The atheist/agnostic, I refer to earlier, had a message, “don’t believe”, and he even had a text to which he appealed; science. He was convincing, not to me - mind you. His message was very clear and articulate. To his congregation, a hardy ‘Amen’ was lifted, I would imagine. So, are you working on your message, preacher? Are you ready to deliver? Matters not if you are not, you deliver it every day. Your message is spoken, written, FaceBooked, Blogged, Tweeted, e-mailed, or whatever mode of deliver you are using.
1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” This verse is directed at the Christian, of course, in context. But, maybe it’s not. Maybe, it is directed at everyone…Christian, non-Christian alike. Oh preacher, of course I mean everybody, are you ready to give a reason for your hope? Unbeliever (which is what the atheist/agnostic I referred to earlier, prefers to call himself) are you ready to give your reasons for hope, or lack thereof? Christian friend, and reader, are you ready to give your reason for OUR HOPE?
Every day we are preaching. Let’s preach the message of Christ and His redemptive work. Shall we live as if Christ has saved us? Shall our message of hope be convincing? You are a preacher, you are preaching, you are being asked to step into the pulpit…to deliver the message GOD GAVE YOU! It’s your message, it’s your sermon. So preach it with love, with power, and with the help of the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 (KJV) “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”