Preaching the Cross

Chuckle: "He charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it too." --Mark Twain

Quote: "I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come." --Abraham Lincoln

"I know very well how foolish the message (preaching) of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. As the Scripture says, 'I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas" (I Corinthians 1:18-19 NLT).

Unfortunately, not all of us preachers are equally articulate and eloquent in proclaiming the gospel message. However, a lack of individual ability in preaching the Word of God does not diminish the importance and power of the message. The important thing for any preacher is that he speaks in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in the power of his eloquence. I urge you to listen to your pastor/preacher with a sincere desire to absorb the message and never with an attitude of a critic that nit-picks his delivery.

In verse 17 of our chapter, Paul says that God did not send him to give clever speeches/sermons with high sounding ideas, but to preach the Good News so that the cross of Jesus Christ would never lose its power. The word "preaching" means to evangelize or cast the net. The technical meaning is to proclaim good tidings. Here, Paul is more interested in the content of his preaching than the method. The primary purpose of preaching is to bear witness and is the essential task of the Christian minister. But every Christian has the responsibility to proclaim the gospel message.

Please notice that the first letter to the Corinthian church is addressed "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- their Lord and ours" (I Corinthians 1:2 NIV). Paul's words are for every Christian. You may not be a vocational preacher, but you certainly have a responsibility to proclaim the message of the cross.

Why is it so terribly important for each of us to be messengers of the "Good News?" It's because "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 NIV). Each one of us who has experienced salvation through faith in Christ has a God-given responsibility, privilege, and commission to tell others the Good News.

You do not need to be a great speaker with an impressive vocabulary to share the Good News effectively. I believe the most powerful and effective way to communicate the power of the gospel is through your personal testimony of what Christ has done in your life. Many will respond to a simple testimony given with an attitude of love and understanding.

Love, Jerry & Dotse