The Purpose of Preaching

In my devotion time this morning, I was thinking about the purpose of preaching. As a preacher, I love to hear good preaching of the Word of God. Paul tells us in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” This means that without the preaching of the Gospel, there is no power to save the lost. We are also told in Romans 10:14, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” This verse emphasizes the importance of preaching the Word of God, and I am of the opinion that the worship service is not complete until there is a Word from the Lord.

David Haywood suggests in his book, Transforming Preaching: The Sermon as a Channel for God’s Word...

"At the heart of the Church’s worship and life is the expectation that people will encounter God, and preaching is the activity that focuses and expresses this expectation.”

Heywood, David. 2013. Transforming Preaching: The Sermon as a Channel for God’s Word. SPCK Library of Ministry. London: SPCK.

Preaching is supposed to promote personal encounters with God to the end that sinners are saved and saints are strengthened. We preach to impart a message that will change lives for the better and lead people into deep, personal, and spiritual relationships with God through Jesus Christ.

Let us remember the purpose for our preaching and why it is so important for us to study God’s Word, and prepare sermons that demonstrate preparedness, convey sound doctrine, and inspires and convicts our own hearts along with the hearts of the hearers.