Daily Christian Journey

The Heart of Preaching: Proclaiming Christ

As a pastor, I’ve often found myself wondering what makes a sermon truly effective. Is it the charisma of the speaker, the eloquence of their words, or something more? In my journey to answer this question, I’ve come to realize that the key to powerful preaching lies not in the messenger, but in the message itself.

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

The apostle Paul writes, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). Here, we see that the content of our preaching is not just information about Jesus, but the person of Jesus himself. We’re not just teaching the Bible or explaining a passage; we’re proclaiming the Savior.

A Fourfold Vision of Preaching

The New Testament gives us a fourfold vision of preaching:

1. We’re preaching Jesus: The content of our preaching is a person, not just a message. We’re proclaiming him, warning everyone, and teaching everyone with all wisdom (Col. 1:28).
2. We’re proclaiming the unfathomably good Jesus: We need to ensure that we’re proclaiming the Jesus who is unfathomably good, not just a watered-down version of him.
3. We’re bringing people to the crucified Christ: Jesus’s immeasurable riches come to us through his death. We cannot proclaim him without proclaiming him as crucified (Gal. 3:1).
4. Christ himself is proclaiming Christ: When we open the word of God to the people of God, our longing is for Christ himself to come and make himself known to the hearts of those listening (Eph. 2:17).

The Power of Preaching

When we preach, Christ himself is the preacher. He is the one who comes and preaches peace to those who are far off and those who are near. This raises a question: What is our role in preaching? We’re not just the speakers; we’re the vessels through which Christ proclaims himself.

A Lesson in Humility

As pastors, we often feel the weight of responsibility to deliver a powerful sermon. But the truth is, we don’t need to have the most eloquent voices in town. We don’t need to be charismatic or charming. All we need to do is proclaim Christ, and he will do the rest.

Conclusion

The heart of preaching is not about us; it’s about Christ. It’s not about our abilities or our strengths; it’s about his power and his goodness. When we remember this, we’re freed from the pressure to perform and can focus on what truly matters: proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ to a world that desperately needs him.