by Greg Gwin

People may have various views about preachers and their work, but the Bible plainly states the kind of preaching that is needed in the world today. We need preaching that is:

Bible-Based

The Lord told Jonah to “preach the preaching that I bid thee” (Jonah 3:2). Some preaching is pleasant to hear and it entertains people, but it leaves them sadly uninformed about what God really wants.

Doctrinal

Paul urged Timothy to “take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:16) Doctrine is distasteful to some folks, but it is essential to the saving of the soul.

Direct & Personal

Preaching that doesn’t deal with the real problems and sins of people is of little value. We should not be unkind, but we have to “get to the point.” John the Baptist set a wonderful example, and lost his head for doing so (Mark 6:18).

Motivated By Love

We won’t succeed in reaching people if they can’t see that we truly care about them. But, when we “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) we will be able to help people deal with the toughest problems.

Full of Conviction

You have to have deep faith in the message you proclaim. As Paul said, “I believed, and therefore did I speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13)

Bold

Some men check to “see which way the wind is blowing” before they speak. Instead of this, we should speak “with all boldness.” (Acts 4:29)

Balanced

We need both positive and negative instruction. If we omit either one, we will not be effective in this important work. Paul told Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2), and in doing so he emphasized the need for both positive and negative teaching.

The work of preaching is vital in God’s plan for the salvation of lost sinners (1 Corinthians 1:21). We need to do it, and do it well.