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http://www.gty.org/AudioPlayer/Podcast/1078



The Responsibilities of the Church: Preaching, Part 1
Selected Scriptures
Code: 90-143


As we come together this morning for the study of the Word of God, I want to continue in discussing with you the anatomy of the church. We have been for months now looking at the church and what the church ought to be and what ought to be its life and its emphasis, its ministry. We started out looking at the church in the symbolism of the body of Christ, as the New Testament identifies the church as a body, we've extended that metaphor a little bit. We talked about the skeleton of the church, the doctrinal foundations of the church. Then we talked about the internal organs, or internal systems of the church which are the spiritual attitudes that carry the life of the church, things like faith and love and obedience and worship and forgiveness and things like that. We went through those attitudes week after week.

And now finally in our discussion of the church as the body of Christ, we've come to the muscles, or the function of the church. What the church actually does, the church in action. And in our last message we looked at the subject of fellowship. The action of the church initially is it is a common expression of shared life, shared spiritual life in which people mutually minister to one another. All of us having been gifted by the Spirit of God for such ministry, and all of us having been called to the responsibilities of discharging the "one anothers" of the New Testament have a responsibility to each other to minister in the life of the church. It is a mutually ministering group of folks who by the power of the Spirit of God serve one another. And we address the issue of fellowship, that was a wonderful, wonderful time.

I want to go to a second function of the church, and it really is one of the gifts, it really or maybe more than one of the gifts, it really can be identified as several of the gifts, it is that matter of proclaiming truth. We might just simply say preaching...preaching. It is a function of the church that the Word of God be preached. In fact, let me begin by saying something that I want to plant in your mind and then I'll repeat it as we go because I think it's so important. There's really only one primary reason to choose a church, only one primary reason to choose a church and that is the character of its preaching.


Now when people evaluate churches they might evaluate them on the basis of many things. But there's only one that really sets the tone. The single most important reason to choose a church is the nature and character of its preaching and teaching. Where you have strong biblical preaching and teaching, everything else tends toward strength. Where you do not have strong biblical teaching and preaching, everything else is weak and tends toward shallowness. Preaching sets the tone in the church, proclaiming biblical truth is essential. Why? "Because man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

Preaching the Word of God, teaching the Word of God is a critical function in the life of the church. And, of course, we live in a time when preaching is being depreciated and it is being set aside in favor of other forms of communication. But the essential reality for the church, that which basically dictates its strength or weakness, is the character of its preaching and teaching. You show me a church where there is strong biblical preaching and teaching, and I will show you strong people and strong ministry. You show me a church where there is weak biblical preaching and I will show you a church with weak people and weak ministry. That's just how it goes because the Word of God is the food that makes believers mature and strong.

And the reality is that people in churches all across our country and all around the world are frankly starving. I hear it all the time, everywhere I go. It comes through the mail bags every day. People saying, "I can't find any place where I can be fed. I'm starving here or there or wherever it might be. Where do I find some food for my soul? Isn't anybody going to teach me the Word of God?" Cries from people all across the world, really. People are starving.

Some of them know what they're starving for. Some of them know they're starving for the knowledge of God which comes through His Word. And some of them don't know it. In fact, there are many people in churches who are starving and don't know what for. They really don't know that what they really need is the clear, penetrating Word of God proclaimed and taught. People are starving for the knowledge of God, whether they know it or not. Some do, some don't. They're starving to know their God deeply, to know Him broadly, to understand the world through His view. They're starving for a sound theology that they can live on, build their life on, be anchored by. They're starving for divine wisdom which comes through the knowledge of God in His revelation. People are starving for the knowledge of God. People live out their beliefs. We live according to our doctrinal standards, our doctrinal convictions. And where they're strong, you tend to have a strong life. Where they're weak, you tend to have a weak life. The Word is the foundation for everything and God has ordained that it be preached in His church. And that's what makes His church strong.

Turn to 1 Peter chapter 4, for a moment, I'm just going to introduce this, this morning, and then finish it tonight. I'm going to give you the introduction this morning, and the sermon tonight. In 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 11, we read this, "Whoever speaks, let him speak as it were the utterances of God." That's simple enough. Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God. Let him speak what God has spoken. Let him preach the Word. That's what it's saying. Let him tell us about God from God's own revelation. Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God.

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/90-143