Preaching

The modern church over-emphasises preaching. Most pastors spend an hour each Sunday preaching to the church. A great deal of energy is put into this weekly event. In the modern world, this is misdirected energy. There is no indication in the New Testament that preaching is a core part of the pastor’s role.

Many years ago, the pastor was often the only person in a church who could read. He taught them the truths of the Bible. Most Christians can read, so this need no longer exists. There is an abundance of excellent teaching in books and on television, radio, audio tape and the internet. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on the church, so there is no need for an intermediary between God and his people. The Holy Spirit has promised to teach us all things (1 John 2:27, John 16:13-15).

Since the Reformation, the high point of the worship service has been a message preached by the pastor leader. However, in the modern world, preaching should not be an important part of worship. Abundant access to books, tapes, videos, television and the internet makes regular preaching to the church much less important.

Church members should not be preached at. Instead they should be quietly exhorted and taught. They will be eager to receive God’s word, so there is no need for the rhetoric and flamboyance of preaching.

In the New Testament, preaching was mostly used as a means of evangelism. It was directed towards outsiders to persuade them to repent and believe. The proper place for preaching is the market place, the highways and byways, or any other place where people meet. People who have a desire to preach should be taken out of their pulpits and sent out into the world where preaching belongs.