The Equipping Ministry, Student Workbook, SW15

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T H E E Q U I P P I N G M I N I S T R Y

whole counsel of God’ I plan out my sermons three years in advance. In that way I guarantee that I will always concentrate on going through the whole Bible every three years, regardless of the immediate questions that people have right now.” What do you think of this kind of strategy, what are its strengths and weaknesses? Would you consider such a strategy for your own preaching schedule? The terms for preaching and its related terms are numerous in the NT, and regardless of the various words used to translate “preaching,” “preach,” they all contain an element of announcing a message to an audience, to proclaim a message publicly. The preacher is a herald ( crying out news as a messenger ), an ambassador (a representative of Christ and his Kingdom), and a prophet (charged to get a message clearly and unchanged to a predetermined audience. Preaching focuses upon mixed audiences, is connected to the Gospel of Christ and evangelistic activity, seeks to win those who have never heard of the Good News of Christ , and is given publicly. Jesus and the apostles preached extensively through their entire ministries, and the Church built on this foundation and extended its meaning through their own theological perspectives down through history. Satanic interference may impede the Word, as may the moral and spiritual weakness of the preachers themselves, as well as the tendency to “major on the minors” in preaching themes. Absolute dependence on God’s power has been and will always be the key to effective preaching. To understand the breadth and depth of the preaching ministry in the NT is to understand it in terms of the call to preach, the character of the preacher, and the content of the preaching ministry. The call revolves around the recognition and acceptance of the divine call to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom as a life shaping vision from the Lord. The Holy Spirit’s movement in the heart and life of a person is crucial to the call, and is usually confirmed in the Church. As such, the preaching ministry is not a job, but rather a commission associated with his gifts, endowments, and direction. The character of the preacher is an important element in the preaching ministry, especially in the sense that “who we are is more important than what we do.” The cardinal virtue of preaching is the courage to speak God’s message without fear or intimidation, and its cardinal vice is cowardice, failing to say what God has entrusted because of fear of others or risk of suffering. The content of the NT preaching ministry centers upon the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially in the proclamation of the Good News of salvation and life through faith in his name. The apostles proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as crucified, risen, and ascended as Lord of the earth, the sacrifice made for the sins of the world.

Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis

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