10 Foundation Stones of the Church—No. 4: Preaching the Word

By Jerry Harris

When I started this series of articles based on Acts 2:41-47 and titled it “Closed on Sunday,” I never imagined this phrase would also describe a new reality brought on by a pandemic. But with this new reality, and as we consider the future, the prescriptions in Acts 2 become all the more important.

We began this series with baptism—just like the first-century church—and then proceeded into authority and the Word of God itself. This article will explore the God-designed and commissioned delivery system for his Word—preaching.

Have you ever used Amazon? Perhaps you have Amazon Prime. Most people consider Amazon to be on the cutting edge, but truth be told, mail order is nothing new. It’s been around since 1845 when Tiffany sent out its original Blue Book. That was 175 years ago. So, while mail order really is not a new idea, it certainly has come a long way! What specifically about Amazon has made Jeff Bezos the richest man in the world? It isn’t just the selection, it’s the delivery system.

When God gave us the Word, he also provided a delivery system so that his Word could penetrate the hearts and minds of his children. Authority, the Word, and preaching all are contained in that Acts 2:42 phrase, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). It was the perfect delivery system.

Now that’s not to say that reading the Word won’t have a tremendous effect, because the power of the sermon is in the Word itself, but simply reading God’s Word was a challenge in Jesus’ time. The literacy rate 2,000 years ago in Israel was about 1 percent. That necessitated that most teaching occur via oral communication.

There is power in the Word itself—people just need to hear it. (Paul attests to this in 1 Timothy 4:13.)

God speaks through the Word whether it is read silently or aloud. Sermons and church services should be filled with the Word. Scripture has incredible power for our lives (see Romans 1:16), but it requires a delivery system that works.

Philip had to explain the words of Isaiah to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:30, 31), and we’re in the same situation. The Bible holds God’s eternal truths, but sometimes we have a hard time understanding them.

Paul compelled us to preach: “How . . . can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14). When preachers preach God’s Word, and listeners hear and believe God’s Word, then people call on the Lord. When the Word is preached there should be a response (Isaiah 55:10, 11). The response isn’t born from clever or entertaining preaching, but from the power of the Word itself. Paul, in fact, did not consider himself a good preacher(1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:1-5).

This doesn’t mean that good illustrations are a waste of time or that stories aren’t great tools for preaching. Jesus was the greatest of preachers and a genius at storytelling and illustrations. Jesus’ parables became windows people could look through to discover and understand deeper truths. Consider the many ways Jesus described God’s kingdom. The kingdom of God is like . . . a man who broadcasts seed onto the soil . . . a treasure hidden in a field . . . a mustard seed . . . a man who traveled to a far country . . . leaven in a lump of dough . . . a merchant seeking fine pearls . . . a big fishnet . . . 10 young women on their way to a wedding.

The problem is, many sermons today come off as stand-up comedy, or a mass therapy session, or a political platform, or a family counseling session. It’s easy to give into the felt needs of the world around us and to fail to see the very real needs we all have that only God can fill. That’s why, when preachers are ordained, the elders read aloud from2 Timothy 4:1-5.

The Word of God is what we need . . . and it’s what I need.

I need truth, not lip service. I need light, not rose-colored glasses. I need holiness, not popularity. I need peace, not politics. I need joy, not junk. I need eternal things, not disposable things. I need treasure in Heaven, not trinkets. I need discipleship, not Google. I need good seed, not spoiled fruit. I need deep roots, not plastic plants. I need living water, not an empty cup. I need a sharp sword, not a butter knife!

I need a good teacher, not a yes-man. I need a cloud of witnesses, not an echo chamber. I need a divine purpose, not an earthly distraction. I need a life, not a coping mechanism!

So preach it! Preach the Word! Hit me with your best shot!