'Pray ... for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel' (Eph. 6:18-19). There is no true boldness in preaching without the prayers of faithful man and women who call upon God on behalf of the preacher. With the supporting prayers of God ’s people, the preacher goes into the pulpit. Through the continuing witness of God ’s people, the preached word goes beyond the pulpit into the world. The preacher is one among many within the fellowship of the Lord’s people. His minstry is significant, but so also is the ministry exercised by others. As we consider the relationship between the pastor and the people we must never forget that the spark which gets the fire going is the power of the Holy Spirit. If there is to be a fire lit in our day, it will not be the work of man but the mighty working of the Spirit. In all the works of ministry - the ministry of the preacher and the ministry of the people - there is something we must never forget: 'We are servants of the word and not its masters ... Not only are we servants of the word ... we are unprofitable servants.'
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This post is an excerpt from my article on The Use of the Bible in Evangelical Preaching Today.
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This post is an excerpt from my article on The Use of the Bible in Evangelical Preaching Today.
