The Word of Power Preach the Word! 2 Timothy 4:2a Whenever the Word of God is soundly and seriously taught or preached, it invariably does good. In every pew there’s a hurting heart, and in every audience there’s a hungry soul in need of a morsel of God’s unchanging truth. Often it’s the Scripture text itself or a quoted verse that heals the heart.
The respected British expositor Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones pointed out that the Puritans considered their sermons to be the means by which God solved the personal, individual problems of those who listened. Puritan preachers often spent less time in counseling and more time in preparing biblical, practical messages for the lectern and pulpit.
Counseling and personal interaction are vital, as we see from the ministry of Christ. But if you are a teacher or preacher, don’t underestimate the power of the public reading and proclamation of the Scriptures rightly divided. If you’re a listener, pray for God to speak through your pastor. Bow your head before every sermon and ask the Lord to speak to your own heart. The preaching of the Gospel from the pulpit, applied by the Holy Spirit to individuals who are listening, has been the means of dealing with personal problems of which I as the preacher knew nothing . . . D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Read through the Bible in a Year: Daniel 10:1 – 12:13