The Foolishness of Preaching


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.

Isa. 8.19 Familiar spirits peep and mutter
Deu. 5.22

The LORD spake with a great voice

Mic. 6.9 The LORD's voice crieth
Pro. 1.20 Wisdom crieth without, uttereth her voice in the streets
1 Ki. 13.2 He cried against the altar in the word of the LORD
Isa. 13.2 Exalt the voice unto them
Isa. 40.3,6,9 The voice said, Cry...lift up thy voice
Isa. 58.1 Cry aloud, lift up thy voice like a trumpet
Jer. 4.15,16 A voice declareth...give out their voice
Jer. 31.6 The watchmen shall cry
Amos 3.4-8 The lion roars, God speaks and men prophesy
Jon. 1.2, 3.2 Cry against it...preach unto it
John 7.37 Jesus stood and cried
John 12.44 Jesus cried
Acts 2.14 Peter lifted up his voice
Acts 23.6 Paul cried out in the council
Rom. 9.27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel
Rev. 5.2 An angel proclaiming with a loud voice

-The following verses are used as objections to defining preaching as speaking with a loud voice.

Isa. 42.2 He shall not cry, nor cause his voice to be heard
Mat. 12.16-21 He charged not to make him known to fulfill Esaias
Acts 5.42 In every house ceased not to preach Jesus Christ
Acts 8.35 Unto him alone? It does not say he was alone.

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.

a) Authority delegated by God to men

Num. 12.8 Wherefore not afraid to speak against my serv.?
Acts 23.4,5 Thou shalt not speak evil of ruler of thy people
1 Sa. 24.5-8,11 The LORD forbid seeing is anointed of the LORD
1 Sa. 26.9-11 Against the LORD's anointed be guiltless?
2 Sa. 1.14 Wast not afraid to destroy LORD's anointed?
Mat. 7.29 He taught them as one having authority
Mat. 28.18,19 All power is given unto me, go ye therefore
Luke 9.1,2 Gave them authority and sent them to preach
Mat. 10.40 He that receiveth you receiveth me
Luke 10.16 He that despiseth you despiseth me
John 13.20 That receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me
2 Co. 5.20 We are ambassadors for Christ
Tit. 2.15 Speak, exhort, rebuke with all authority

b) Authority for being the very words of God

Exo. 4.22 Thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD
1 Sa. 2.27 Man of God said, Thus saith the LORD
1 Ki. 22.14 What the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak
Jon. 3.2 Preach the preaching that I bid thee
Acts 4.19,20 We cannot but speak things we have heard
Gal. 1.11 The gospel preached of me is not after man
1 Th. 2.13 Not the word of men, but the word of God
1 Pe. 1.25 The word of the Lord is preached unto you
2 Co. 2.17 As of God speak we in Christ
2 Co. 4.13 I believed, and therefore have I spoken

c) Authority by understanding, by being right and upright

Pro. 28.1 The righteous are bold as a lion
John 7.25,26 Lo he speaketh boldly and they say nothing
John 19.35 He knoweth that he saith true
Acts 4.13 The boldness of unlearned and ignorant men
Acts 4.29,31 Grant that with all boldness they may speak
Acts 9.20,27,29 He had preached boldly at Damascus
Acts 14.3 Speaking boldly in the Lord
Acts 18.26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue
Eph. 6.19,20 That I may speak boldly as I ought to speak
Php. 1.14 To speak the word without fear
Php. 1.20 Not ashamed, with all boldness, as always
Php. 1.28 In nothing terrified by your adversaries
1 Th. 2.2 We were bold in our God to speak the gospel

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

1 Sa. 3.3-10 The LORD came, and stood, and called
Num. 12.8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth

b) Sometimes through visions or dreams

Isa. 6.1,8 I saw the Lord, I heard the voice
Acts 9.3-6 Shined a light from heaven, heard a voice
Acts 16.9,10 Assuredly gathering had called us to preach

c) Sometimes through recognizing the need

1 Co. 15.34 Some have not knowlege of God, your shame

d) Sometimes through recognizing your gift

Acts 6.8-10 Stephen, full of faith, power, wisdom and spirit
Acts 16.1-3 Timotheus, well reported, him would Paul have
Acts 18.24-26 Apollos, eloquent, instructed, fervent, diligent

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

Amos 3.8 The LORD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
Acts 18.24-26 Apollos, mighty in the scriptures
2 Co. 4.13 I believed, therefore have I spoken

f) Most often through an inward necessity

Psa. 39.1-3 My heart was hot within me, then spake I
Jer. 4.19 My bowels, my bowels! I cannot hold my peace
Jer. 20.9 His word was as a burning fire in my bones
Luke 24.32-34 Our heart burned within us...returned, and told
Acts 17.16 His spirit was stirred in him, therefore disputed
Acts 18.5 Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified
Acts 20.22-24 I go bound in the spirit...to testify the gospel
Rom. 9.1-3 I have great heaviness and continual sorrow
1 Co. 9.16 Necessity is laid upon me, woe is me if not

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

John 13.19 I tell you that when it is come ye may believe
John 19.35 He saith true that ye might believe
Acts 4.4 Many of them which heard the word, believed
Acts 8.12 They believed Philip preaching
Acts 10.44 The Holy Ghost fell on all which heard the word
Acts 15.7 Hear the word of the gospel and believe
Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by word
1 Co. 3.5 Ministers by whom ye believed
1 Co. 15.11 So we preach and so ye believed
2 Th. 1.10 Our testimony among you was believed
1 Co. 1.21 By preaching to save them that believe

b) Preachers actually persuade unbelievers

Acts 13.43 Speaking to them, persuaded them
Acts 18.4 He reasoned and persuaded
Acts 18.13 This fellow persuadeth men to worship God
Acts 18.28 He mightily convinced the Jews
Acts 26.28 Almost thou persuadest me
1 Co. 14.24,25 If prophesy, he that believeth not is convinced
2 Co. 5.11 Knowing the terror, we persuade men
Tit. 1.9 Able by sound doctrine to exhort and convince

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

Mat. 12.41,42 Niniveh shall rise in judgment because repented
Luke 11.31,32 Queen shall rise in judgment, she came to hear
Heb. 11.7 By his faith Noah condemned the world

b) Christ came as a stumblingstone also

John 3.18,19 This is condemnation, light is come into world
John 9.39-41 I am come that they which see might be blind
John 15.22 If I had not come...they have no cloke for sin
Rom. 9.32,33 They stumbled at that stumblingstone
2 Pe. 2.21 It had been better for them not to have known

c) Job well done when we are rejected

Mat. 10.14,15 Not receive you, shake off dust of your feet
Mark 6.11 For a testimony against them
Luke 9.5 For a testimony against them
Luke 10.11 We do wipe off against you, be ye sure of this
Acts 13.46,51 Necessary first been spoken...shook their feet
Acts 14.22 We must through tribulation enter the kingdom
Gal. 5.11 The offense of the cross is necessary

d) That God may be justified when he judges

Rom. 1.19,20 Shewed unto them, so they are without excuse
Rom. 3.1-4 That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings
Eze. 2.5 Yet shall know hath been prophet among them
2 Co. 2.14-16 Savour of death to death...who is sufficient?

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.

Acts 4.2 Being grieved that they taught the resurrection
Acts 4.18 Commanded them not to teach in name of Jesus
Acts 5.17 They were filled with indignation
Acts 5.28 Ye intend to bring this man's blood upon us
Acts 6.9 There arose cetain disputing with Stephen
Acts 9.22,29 Saul confounded the Jews, disputed with Grecians
Acts 14.4 The city was divided
Acts 16.19 The hope of their gains was gone
Acts 17.17,18 Disputed he in the synagogue
Acts 18.4 He reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath

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

Acts 14.2-4 The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles
Acts 17.5 Set all the city on an uproar
Acts 17.13 Came thither also, and stirred up the people
Acts 19.23 There arose no small stir about that way
Acts 19.29 The whole city was filled with confusion
Acts 21.27 Stirred up all the people

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

Acts 4.3 Put them in hold unto the next day
Acts 5.18 Put them in the common prison
Acts 6.13 Set up false witnesses
Acts 7.54-59 They stoned Stephen
Acts 8.1-3 There was a great persecution against the church
Acts 9.1 Breathing out threatenings and slaughter
Acts 12.2 Killed James with the sword
Acts 13.50 Honorable women raised persecution against Paul
Acts 14.19 Having stoned Paul
Acts 16.23 They laid many stripes upon them
2 Ti. 1.8 Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel
1 Th. 3.3,4 These afflictions, we are appointed thereto

4. Dishonor, ridicule

Mat. 13.57 A prophet is without honor in his own country
Acts 2.13 Others mocking
Acts 5.41 Worthy to suffer shame for his name
1 Co. 4.9-13 We are made a spectacle unto the world
2 Co. 6.8 By honour and dishonour

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

Acts 8.18,19 When Simon saw, he offered them money
Acts 13.8 Elymas the sorcerer withstood them
Acts 19.13-16 Certain vagabond Jews, exorcists
Acts 20.29,30 Grievous wolves, to draw away disciples
Gal. 1.7 Some trouble you to pervert the gospel
Gal. 2.4 False brethren unawares brought in
1 Ti. 1.6,7 Some having swerved unto vain jangling
1 Ti. 1.19,20 Some having put away concerning faith

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

Acts 4.29 Behold their threatenings...grant unto thy servants
Acts 18.9 Be not afraid, but speak
1 Co. 15.19 We are of all men most miserable
2 Co. 1.8,9 We were pressed out of measure, above strength
2 Co. 4.8,9 Troubled, perplexed, cast down
2 Co. 7.5 Flesh had no rest, without fightings, within fears
2 Co. 11.27,28 Weariness, painfulness, watchings, fastings
1 Th. 2.9 Labour and travail, night and day
1 Th. 3.7 We were comforted in our affliction and distress

7. Loss, great disappointments

Acts 13.13 John departing from them returned to Jerusalem
2 Ti. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken me
2 Ti. 4.16 All men forsook me

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

Num. 11.27-29 Enviest thou for my sake?
Mk 9.38, Lk 9.49 We forbad him, because he followeth not us
Acts 15.37-39 The contention was so sharp between them
2 Co. 10.12-14 Comparing themselves among selves are not wise
Gal. 2.11 I withstood him to the face
Php. 1.15,16 Some indeed preach Christ of envy and strife

9. Success, believers, churches established

Acts 2.37 They were pricked in their heart
Acts 2.47 Favour with all people, the Lord added to church
Acts 16.5 Churches established in the faith
Acts 19.20 Mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed

10. Followers, preachers, helpers

1 Th. 1.6-8 Followers of us, from you sounded out the word
1 Th. 2.14 Ye also have suffered like things
2 Ti. 1.6 Gift in thee by the putting on of my hands
2 Ti. 2.2 Commit thou to faithful men who shall teach others

E. Proper Attitudes of Preachers

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

2 Co. 4.5 We preach not ourselves
2 Co. 10.12 Dare not compare ourselves, commend ourselves
Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory
Php. 2.3 Nothing done through vainglory, but in lowliness
1 Th. 2.6-8 Nor of men sought we glory
2 Ti. 2.24,25 Gentle unto all men, in meekness instructing

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

John 5.34 I say, that ye might be saved
Acts 26.29 I would to God that thou were such as I am
Gal. 6.13 Desire to have you that may glory in your flesh
2 Co. 1.12 In Godly sincerity to you-ward
2 Co. 2.17 As of sincerity speak we in Christ
1 Th. 2.5 Not flattering, nor covetousness...desirous of you

3. Grave, serious, not lightness

Rom. 9.1-3 Great heaviness, continual sorrow
2 Co. 1.17 Did I use lightness?
2 Co. 5.10,11 Knowing the terror of the Lord
Jude 23 Others save with fear

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

Exo. 4.10 I am not eloquent
Jer. 1.6 I cannot speak: for I am a child
Mark 10.21,22 Jesus loved him...one thing thou lackest
1 Co. 1.17 Not with wisdom of words
1 Co. 2.4 Not with enticing words of man'w wisdom
2 Co. 4.2 Not craftiness, but by manifestation of the truth
Gal. 1.10 If I pleased men I should not be servant of Christ
1 Th. 2.4 Not as pleasing men, but God

5. Aggressive, blunt, rebuking, contentious, fearless

Luke 11.38-44 Ye fools, hypocrites, woe unto you!
John 2.14-18 The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up
Acts 2.23 Ye have taken, wicked hands have crucified
Acts 4.10 Whom ye crucified
Acts 7.51-53 Ye stiffnecked, ye do always resist
Acts 9.22,29 Confounded the Jews, disputed with the Grecians
Gal. 2.5 We gave place, no, not for an hour
Jude 3 Earnestly contend for the faith

6. Energetic, spirited

Mark 3.17 Sons of thunder
Isa. 13.2 Exalt the voice, shake the hand
Eze. 6.11 Smite with thine hand, stamp with thy foot
Acts 26.1 Paul stretched forth the hand
Acts 4.33 With great power gave the apostles witness
Acts 18.28 He mightily convinced the Jews

F. Subjects of Bible Preaching

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

Acts 3.20, 5.42 Jesus was preached unto you
Acts 8.5,35 Preached Christ unto them
Acts 9.20 He preached Christ in the synagogues
Acts 17.3,18 Jesus, whom I preach unto you
Rom. 16.25 The preaching of Jesus Christ
1 Co. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified