The importance of preaching for the Church (spiritual) context is not to be denigrated in any way by the church (institutional), but carried forward as the central public offering of every congregation. Readers are reminded here that the use of Church (upper case C) in these Pages relates to the spiritual meaning of the Church as established at Pentecost and made up of those who, by faith, have believed in the redemptive message of Jesus Christ. That message then is adopted not only as a matter of belief but as the guide for conduct in life. That conduct includes devotion to God, and incremental growth (improvement) in Christian life formation. A major concern in that performance is that it be righteous and that it serves mankind in the world relating to both physical and spiritual needs. The concept of witness was the last theme addressed by Jesus before the ascension, and comprises what is identified as the Great Commission of the Church, rightly carried over to the institutional church. I would not want to be a member of a church that did not have a mission program related to the communication of the gospel world-wide. The church buys the time of the public for attention to its message and to give affirmation to the claims of Christianity.
Jesus is remembered for his preaching. Some of his preaching events would proceed for hours. In his years on earth the distractions were few. He not only offered hope for heaven but also for better earth life, and proved his meaning in the attention he gave to persons in various ways, including miracles of healing. In this performance he proved to those who would believe that he was truthful and willing to show the verification of his message even to die for it. His proofs were not in terms of natural evidence, but in experience. Natural evidence is not denigrated in true Christianity, even if there are unschooled Christians who miss its value and meaning. Some natural evidence highly regarded by scientific study does reflect God, but only if there is presupposition (faith) that there is God to be personally engaged. The heavens declare the glory of God is biblical evidence, but one must believe that there is God to be declared. Arguments related to inductive and deductive logic have been analyzed for centuries by theologians.
The Apostles insisted on their duty for preaching, and turned all other matters of the church over to laity. Augustine is known as a great preacher. Before his conversion he was a teacher of rhetoric, which was largely related to oral presentation at the time. His writing on rhetorical principles after his conversion differed somewhat from his teaching on what we identify as classical rhetoric. Reading his rhetorical work, one senses his understanding of the difference between secular rhetoric and divine rhetoric. He knew well the tricks-of-the-trade in secular rhetoric and he knew that sacred rhetoric was dependent upon Scripture as its base. He was concerned about the ethics of communication that would focus on truth. That which comprises truth in secular rhetoric (hard natural/presumed evidence to conclusion) is differentiated from sacred rhetoric (hard biblical/historical evidence to conclusion). Divine rhetoric is not to prove God in the rhetoric, but declare him and his purpose. The proof of that message is found in the person who believes it, practices it and finds that it works. The perception is that there is nothing better than this and nothing else available that offers the promised benefits. Reliance is on faith in the only Blessed Hope.
Preaching ought to be excellent. It ought not be judged by the length of the presentation but the completeness of the purpose of the sermon. The sermon ought to be prepared well, very well, and be the first purpose of the lead pastor of a congregation, and that joined with prevailing prayer. There ought to be an understanding among the listeners of the difference between a speech (nature’s logic, based on replication), and a sermon (divine logic, based on biblical faith). Presentation must have something of the understanding of the level of acceptance related to persuasion in personal freedom. The Lord calls ministers to persuasion with truthful appeals to the minds and souls of listeners most of whom feel some need to go beyond what they have available in nature for a full and complete experience as a human being. To achieve that purpose takes some doing in study, language felicity, empathy, faith and skill. Christian preaching, when well done, is magnificent for consideration for human alternatives. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020