THE PRIORITY OF PREACHING

"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Cor 1:21)

A WORD SHOULD BE SAID concerning the priority of preaching. Our day – a day of falling away – is characterized by a devaluation of preaching. Bible Colleges and seminaries across the land are noted for an emphasis on things other than preaching. Counseling, youth work, and Christian entertainment are popular emphases – attempts of the contemporary church to become "more relevant."

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THIS: relevance to this world, as commonly perceived, necessarily involves alienation from "the world to come." God does not call us to put one foot in "this present evil world" (Gal 1:4), and one in "the world to come" (Heb 2:5). Rather, He calls us to occupy "heavenly places," calling upon our peers to "come up higher."

THERE IS NO NEED FOR CONFUSION on this issue. God has spoken plainly. "For the preaching of the cross . . . is the power of God . . . it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor 1:18,21). Concerning the proclamation of the Gospel, "it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Rom 10:15). God has accomplished the work. Man proclaims the work! The Gospel was accomplished by Jesus, it is preached by His ambassadors!

NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PREACHING
There is no substitute for preaching – proclaiming what the Lord has done. Every epistle is marked by such a proclamation. It made no difference what the issue was, the man of God brought the Gospel of Christ to bear upon it. Duty was not the primary message! The resolution of personal, domestic, and political issues was not the focus. The accomplishments of Christ and the blessing that flows from them were the heart of the Apostolic message – the "Apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42). Their emphasis was not the resolution of difficulties, but the establishment of people in the faith. Whenever they dealt with problems, they did so to bring people back to the place where they were sensitive to God. That is the place where real ministry begins!

GOD HAS PLACED THE EMPHASIS UPON "PREACHING"
Preaching is proclamation; the announcement of accomplished realities! The preacher is a reporter; someone who is letting the people know "what the Lord hath done!" (Psa. 66:16). These things have to be said to be appropriated, and preaching is the activity through which they are communicated!

PREACHING IS VITAL TO OUR ESTABLISHMENT
The establishment of believers has a high priority in the kingdom of God. If men and women are not established, they are sure to fall, drawing back to perdition. The preaching of Jesus Christ will ground and mature the saints! "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began" (Rom 16:25).

GOD'S WORD MADE KNOWN THROUGH PREACHING
By divine appointment, the Word of God is manifested by preaching, or proclamation. "But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior" (Titus 1:3).

THE SAVIOR WAS INTRODUCED BY PREACHING
John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ by preaching. His dynamic proclamations raised spiritual valleys and lowered moral mountains. "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea" (Matt 3:1).

JESUS CAME PREACHING
The primary activity of our Lord was that of preaching. His prodigious miracles complemented that chief work. "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people" (Matt 4:23).

PREACHING PROVOKED NINEVEH TO REPENT
The repentance of the city of Nineveh is one of the great occurrences of history. It was not accomplished by a brilliant strategy, but by preaching! "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here" (Matt 12:41).

THE PEACE JESUS MADE IS PREACHED
Jesus made peace through the "blood of His cross" (Col 1:20). The liberating knowledge of that peace does not come by praying! It is not conferred by the miraculous laying on of hands! It comes through preaching! "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all") (Acts 10:36).

THE WORD THAT BEGETS FAITH IS PREACHED
The "word of faith" is the word that begets faith. It is the word through which the Lord "opens" the heart, enabling the hearer to "attend" to the Word of the Lord (Acts 16:14). How does this begetting Word come to the individual? Through preaching! "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (Rom 10:8).

PREACHING IS NEVER OUT OF ORDER
From heaven's perspective, the proclamation of the Word of God is always in order, never out of order. Proclaimers, or evangelists, are urged by the man of God to be noted for their preaching. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim 4:2).

– Given O. Blakely