6 Reasons Preaching is Still Valid

Recently I asked a question, “Is traditional preaching still valid?” Although I’m a big user of technology in ministry I also believe that traditional preaching is still valid and can never be replaced by other methods of communication.

Before I give you my reasons why preaching is still valid let me give you my definition of preaching.

Preaching is:

 -Personal communication of God’s Word that explains and applies truth to man’s life.

It’s a simple definition that includes what many pastors do on Sunday mornings but it also includes more than that.

• I can preach to my children around the dining room table.
• I can preach to my neighbor while working in the yard.
• I can preach to my co-worker during a smoke break.

The possibilities are endless but I’ll save that for another post!

A few reasons why preaching is still needed in today’s churches

1. Preaching comes with a divine command.

Check out what Paul tells young Timothy as he gives him instructions about how to lead the church.

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 2Tim 4:2

There is a long Biblical history of preaching from Noah, to Moses, to Isaiah, to Stephen, Peter and Paul! Jesus also spent much of his time preaching.

2. Preaching is not just a text it is also a person.

This is what I tell my students,

“A man must become a preacher before he can preach”

The preacher must preach because the Word that he is preaching has already changed his heart and he wants to share that with his listeners. If the preacher’s heart has not been radically changed by the truths he is preaching then he has no business preaching!

Preaching is personal because it is God’s Word coming through the life of an individual who has been changed by it. Look at how this made a difference when Paul preached.

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as you know what kind we were among you for your sake.” 1Th 1:5

Read the whole passage to see how Paul’s personal life affected his preaching to the Thessalonians 1Th 1:5-2:11

3.      Preaching can explain doctrine and apply principles in a way that other methods can’t. 

I’m all for using music, drama and the arts but these are all limited when it comes to explaining and applying God’s Word to people’s lives.  The primary method of learning for everyone is language.

When Jesus walked the earth he didn’t put on art shows or ask his disciples to act in dramatic reenactments of OT stories. Jesus’ primary method of teaching was to simply preach. Matthew 5:2

4.      Preaching allows for interaction.

You might be amazed by how much a preacher can read from his audience. I can sense when I’m going to long, when people are getting tired, distracted, not understanding or in disagreement with me.

Preaching allows for engagement and interaction. Some interaction happens in the pulpit with simple questions that engage the listeners mind. Here are some examples:

• “Who is the most important person you have ever met?
• “Do you think Joseph was scared when his brothers threw him in the well?”+
• Sometimes we can ask questions that don’t need to be answered.
• “Why does God allow us to go through painful circumstances in our life?”
• “Have you ever struggled with anger against someone and you don’t know what to do about it?”

Most interaction happens either before or after the sermon. This is when I often have the opportunity to talk with someone personally and help them gain a better understanding of the text or specifically apply the text to their situation.

5.      Preaching allows the speaker to make changes based on changing circumstances.

I don’t always know what will happen on Sunday morning.

• Who will come through the doors of the church?
• What major problems have people faced over the past week?
• Has someone died?
• Is there a major event that might affect the lives of many people in the church?

There will be occasions that will require us to change how we are going to preach or even entirely change what we had planned to preach.  Preaching gives us this freedom.

6.      Preaching does not rely solely on technology and thus provides greater flexibility.  

Sometimes we rely too much on our technology, don’t get me wrong technology is great, video clips and PowerPoint can all be used to enhance our message but they shouldn’t be relied on too heavily.

Preaching is an amazing form of communication! I have preached in the simplest villages with no electricity and in large churches where my image was projected on giant screens so I would be more visible. However, the basics don’t change, we preach the simple truths of God’s Word by opening our mouth, explaining the meaning and sharing how these truths have changed us and how they can change our listeners.

The only costs is our time and effort in preparation, yet the rewards are eternal! Preaching will always be the primary method of communicating God’s Word.

Question: What are some other reasons why preaching is still valid?