Jump Start # 1195

Romans 10:14 “How will they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

I’ve been thinking about preaching lately. I’ve been doing quite a bit of it lately. Out of the past eleven days I have preached 17 times. The audiences have been very encouraging and interested. I’ve meet many new people and have spent some time with some very dear friends from years ago. The love for God and His word is impressive.

Preaching is something that is near and dear to my heart. I’ve spent the past three and a half decades working at this. It looks easier than what it is. The easiest part, at least in my book, is standing behind the pulpit. By then all the work is done. The research, thinking,  praying, typing, digging out thoughts, chasing rabbits mentally, answering questions in your mind, getting the books out, forming, shaping, and putting the final touches on a sermon is done. Behind the pulpit is simply the delivery. It’s rather like cooking. There is a lot of steps into making a good meal. Mama works hard. She calls the family, and they rush in and enjoy the meal. Only Mama truly understands what it took to bring it together. Happy faces and full bellies is the greatest compliment to any cook. For the preacher, it’s open hearts that bring a person closer to the Lord. It’s doubts removed. It’s faith strengthened. It’s hearts that are motivated and challenged. It’s better lives and better churches that serve the Lord. That’s the greatest compliment to the preacher.

Preaching is much different than simply giving a speech. Many excel in public speaking but they don’t do so hot at preaching. There is a difference. There is an added dimension to preaching that makes it so unique and special. Preaching is about heart. Preaching involves convictions and faith. It’s persuading. It’s more than revealing facts, it’s changing minds, and wills, and convictions. This is accomplished by the living word of God intersecting with an honest and good heart. When those two meet, great things happen.

Our verse today is composed of three questions. They are progressive or connected in nature. One cannot believe unless there is something to believe in? The calling upon the Lord involves coming to Christ by faith. Faith rests in Christ. They can’t call if they have not believed. That’s the first question. That naturally leads to the next question. How will they believe if they have not heard? This shows us the mechanism by which faith comes. One hears the word of God and they believe that. That naturally leads to the third question in this verse. How will they hear without a preacher? If there is nothing to hear, then they have nothing to believe, which means they cannot possibly call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. It all starts with the preaching of God’s word.

Preachers are to preach God’s word. That’s what Paul told young Timothy. Preach the word. Do the work of an evangelist. We preachers need to be reminded of this. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we get busy doing other things and forget what the main job is, preaching the word. Office administration, taking care of church buildings, being the church social butterfly is not preaching. A person can get very busy doing all those things and forget about the preaching part. It’s the preaching part that builds faith and strengthens hope in the Lord.

Preachers preaching the word implies that they must spend time with the Bible. It’s hard to teach what you don’t know. Digging deeper and deeper into the word of God is the key to understanding. The preacher must stick his nose in the books. Brethren have to understand this. Sometimes folks see the preacher’s car at the church building and they think he’s not doing anything, so they stop by to jaw. A regular habit of this kills the study time that the preacher needs. You can help your preacher by finding out what study materials he needs and buy them for him. Books to a preacher are like toys to a kid. He loves them, needs them and uses them.

However, preaching isn’t solely a research project. The preacher is not to spend his days stuck in libraries. He is to preach the word. That necessitates an audience. The preacher must be around people. He is to teach, encourage, preach in all avenues that he can. He’ll do this in the church building. He’ll do this in living rooms. He’ll do this in coffee houses. He’ll do this before hundreds of people and he’ll do this one on one. Teaching. Showing. Explaining. Building faith. That’s the work.  Being around people, the preacher must understand and know people. He not only knows God’s word, but he understands people. He understands what moves them and what is important to them. He’s in the people business. Any preacher that doesn’t like books and doesn’t like people will make a poor preacher.

His goal in teaching is not just to share information but to get the listener to believe. That’s what our verse is driving at. How can they believe if they haven’t heard and how can they hear without a preacher? The preacher is the vehicle that transports the word of God into the hearts of the audience. It’s the belief in Jesus Christ that the preacher is after. That is his accomplishment and that is his goal. A believer will change. A believer will become. A believer is the makeup of a disciple.

Preaching the word. We must open the barn doors and let our preachers out. Encourage them to preach. Help them find people who are interested in listening. This is the means where by the church grows. There is no other way. Teaching and converting is God’s only method of growth. We can never out grow this, move away from this, nor replace this. Packed houses of untaught people who are being entertained is not the goal that God wants. He wants disciples. He wants believers. That is accomplished by the preaching of His word.

And how will they hear without a preacher? Be a friend and a help to the young men who want to preach. Sure they’re green. Sure they drop the ball a few times. But nurture them. Help them. Be there for them. They are filling a great service in God’s kingdom. You are helping the future.

Many of my best friends are preachers. I love them all. They help me be a better preacher. God bless those who want to spread the Gospel of Christ.

Roger