The Foolishness of Preaching

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A. Preaching is to Proclaim Publicly with Authority

1. Proclaim. to speak out with a loud voice...this is not rude or ungodly, for God has a loud voice and his prophets preached their prophecies in a loud voice.

2. Publicly. Preaching is a public exercise, and our ministry is primarily a public ministry, not a closed-in meeting as it usually is today.

Jer. 11.6	Proclaim all these words in the cities and in streets
Jer. 17.19	Stand in the gate, in all the gates of Jerusalem
Mat. 10.27	Preach ye upon the housetops
Acts 10.42	Commanded to preach unto the people
Acts 13.44	Came almost the whole city to hear
Acts 16.13	Went out of the city by a river side
Acts 17.22	In the midst of Mars' hill
Acts 18.28	Convinced the Jews and that publicly
Col. 1.23	Preached to every creature

3. With Authority. Boldness, assurance, warning. We are accused of being dogmatic arrogant, proud, aggressive, accusative, divisive, and lacking in love. But here we can see that preaching is speaking boldly what we know, not for pride, but because we believe what we preach.

b) Authority for being the very words of God

c) Authority by understanding, by being right and upright

B. Preaching is God's method of evangelism.

- God chose a specific method to spread the truth, and if we do not preach it, we do not obey him.

1. He chose preaching as his method

1 Co. 1.21	Pleased God by foolishness of preaching to save
Rom. 10.13-17	How shall they hear without a preacher?
Tit. 1.3	Hath manifested his word through preaching
Heb. 1.1	God spake by the prophets
Rev. 19.10	The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy

2. God commanded men to preach

Mark 16.15	Go and preach the gospel to every creature
Luke 9.60	Go thou and preach the kingdom of God
Luke 24.47	Repentance and remission should be preached
Acts 10.42	He commanded us to preach unto the people
2 Ti. 4.2	Preach the word
Amos 3.8	The LORD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

3. God chooses and calls certain men as preachers

2 Ch. 36.15,16	The LORD sent by his messengers, his prophets
Isa. 6.8-11	Whom shall I send? Go and tell this people
Isa. 61.1	The LORD hath anointed me to preach
Isa. 62.6,7	Have set watchmen which shall never keep silence
Jer. 1.5-10	I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations
Eze. 33.7	I have set thee a watchman
Hag. 1.13	The LORD's messenger in the LORD's message
Amos 2.11	I raised up of your sons for prophets
Amos 7.14,15	I was no prophet, LORD took me, Go, prophesy
Acts 9.15	He is a chosen vessel to bear my name
Acts 13.2	Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
1 Th. 2.4	We were put in trust with the gospel
1 Ti. 2.7	I am ordained a preacher
2 Ti. 1.11	I am appointed a preacher

4. This calling, how it is done, how it is known. Not all are called to preach, but all are responsible to see it is done.

a) God calls sometimes by speaking directly

b) Sometimes through visions or dreams

c) Sometimes through recognizing the need

d) Sometimes through recognizing your gift

e) Sometimes through the understanding and the faith a man has

f) Most often through an inward necessity

C. The Purpose of preaching

1. To teach all the world the truth

Mat. 28.19,20	Teach all nations, all things I have commanded
Acts 5.28	Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine
Tit. 1.3	Manifested his word through preaching
Pro. 1.23	I will make known my words unto you
Ecc. 12.9	Because the preacher was wise, taught the people
Psa. 105.1	Make known his deeds among the people
Acts 4.10	Be it known unto you all
Rom. 16.25,26	Made known to all nations
Eph. 6.19	To make known the mystery of the gospel
Col. 1.28	We preach, teaching every man in all wisdom

2. To give an opportunity to all men to be saved God knows that these men will despise the gospel, but he desires to give the opportunity anyway.

Mark 1.38	That I may preach there also, therefore came forth
Luke 4.43	I must preach to other cities, for therefore am sent
John 5.33,34	I say these things that ye might be saved
Rom. 10.13-16	How shall they hear without a preacher?
1 Co. 9.22	That I might by all means save some
2 Co. 10.16	To preach in the regions beyond you
2 Ti. 4.17	That all the Gentiles might hear

- Notice that God wants to give opportunity even to the rebellious

Luke 20.13	It may be they will reverence him when they see him
Jer. 36.3	It may be that they will hear, they may return
Eze. 12.3	It may be they will consider, though be rebellious
2 Ti. 2.25	If God peradventure will give them repentance

3. To produce faith in the hearers. Preaching has characteristics that make it efective. One of these is that preaching demonstrates the faith of the preacher, both by the foolishness in it, the boldness, and the endurance of persecution. The preacher's faith produces faith in the hearer.

a) Faith comes by hearing the message preached

b) Preachers actually persuade unbelievers

4. To condemn the unbelieving. We know that we are not worthy to condemn anyone but God uses our preaching as a supreme condemnation. And who is sufficient for these things?

a) Our faith condemns the world

b) Christ came as a stumblingstone also

c) Job well done when we are rejected

d) That God may be justified when he judges

D. Results we should expect.

-By these things we may judge our preaching. If we do not receive generally these same results then we are probably not preaching correctly.

1. Opposition, Disputes. We have been told that true servants of the Lord never argue, or strive, and they quote 2 Ti. 2.24. We do not intend to strive, but strife is often inevitable.

2. Uproars, stirring of the people. We have been told that our causing uproars proves we are doing something wrong.

3. Persecution, false witness This should not surprise us, we must be careful not to give opportunities to false accusers.

4. Dishonor, ridicule

5. False brethren, cults. It doesn't much matter which false doctrine they teach, but false brethren are a hindrance to the truth.

6. Burdens, stress, fears, labours, weariness. Watch for laziness.

7. Loss, great disappointments

8. Envy, rivalry, contention, and pride among us. This ought to be avoidable, but it is very common among preachers

9. Success, believers, churches established

10. Followers, preachers, helpers

E. Proper Attitudes of Preachers

1. Meek, not seeking vainglory. Understanding that our meekness is concerning ourselves, not concerning the defense of truth.

2. Sincere, not covetous. A sincere longing to save others.

3. Grave, serious, not lightness

4. Frank, not with wisdom of men, not pleasing men, not proselytizing

5. Aggressive, blunt, rebuking, contentious, fearless

6. Energetic, spirited

F. Subjects of Bible Preaching

1. Jesus. We preach about Jesus, we learn to praise Jesus.