Our theme in this message is the power of preaching. My aim is that, because of hearing this message, you would preach with greater power, meaning that you would be used by God with greater effectiveness in bringing about his Christ-exalting, soul-satisfying purposes in the lives of your people. As I have reflected in the past few days on what the Bible has to say about this theme, it has seemed helpful to gather my thoughts under three headings.

First, the saving, sanctifying, Christ-exalting, soul-satisfying purposes of God for his people are humanly impossible and must be brought about by God.

Second, even though the accomplishment of God’s purposes in the life of our people requires supernatural intervention, God has chosen to bind the fullness of his supernatural effectiveness to the human ministry of the word.

At this point this message could become a message about counseling and the use of the word there, or teaching in the classroom, or mutual exhortation in small groups. But our focus is going to be on preaching, which I take to be a unique, God-ordained form of speech, namely expository exultation over the divinely inspired word. It is a form of speech that God intends to be a regular part of the corporate worship of his people.

Kēryxon ton logon (2 Timothy 4:2) means “Herald the word! Preach the word!” It’s not the same as “teach the word,” or “discuss the word,” or “share the word,” or “dramatize the word.” It is a unique form of speech created by the uniqueness of God, the uniqueness of the word of God, and the uniqueness of the people of God gathered for worship.

God is supremely great and beautiful and valuable. The God-breathed Scriptures are unique among all the books of the world. The people of God gathered in worship have no parallel in the world. Think of it! They are:

• a people of God’s own possession (1 Peter 2:9),
  
• chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4),
  
• destined to be like the Son of God (Romans 8:29),
  
• bought with divine blood (Acts 20:28),
  
• acquitted and accepted before the court of heaven (Romans 5:1; 15:16),
  
• a new creation on the earth (2 Corinthians 5:17),
  
• indwelt by the Creator of the universe (1 Corinthians 6:19),
  
• sanctified by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13),
  
• called to eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10),
  
• heirs of the world (Romans 4:13; 1 Corinthians 3:21–23),
  
• destined to rule with Christ (Revelation 3:21) and judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

There never has been a gathering like this. It is incomparable to anything on the earth. The God, the book, and the gathered people under the authority of the God in the book are incomparable. And God has ordained that there be in this gathering an incomparable form of speech — preaching, or expository exultation.

That’s our focus. So, first, we’ll focus on how God’s purposes in his people require supernatural intervention. Second, God has bound this supernatural action to the ministry of the word, including preaching.

Third, there are ways to preach that release or hinder this supernatural effectiveness. In other words, there are things you can do, with God’s help, which will make you more or less useful in the accomplishment of God’s supernatural intervention. That is, it is possible to become a more powerful preacher.

1. The Necessity of Divine Power

The saving, sanctifying, Christ-exalting, soul-satisfying purposes of God for his people are humanly impossible, and must be brought about by God.

Every aspect of salvation is beyond the natural man (Romans 8:7; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:24–26)

If anyone is to be saved, God must do what man cannot do.

New birth is a work of God.

According to [God’s] great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4–5)

Seeing the glory of Christ is a work of God.

God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Seeing Jesus as the Christ is a work of God.

Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:16–17)

Repentance is a work of God.

God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:25)

Faith is a work of God.

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship. (Ephesians 2:8–10)

Hope is a work of God.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

Experiencing the love of God is a work of God.

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

Obedience to what pleases God is a work of God.

[May God] equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:21)

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience. (Romans 15:18)

Becoming like Jesus is a work of God.

Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

All the Christian virtues are a work of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23)

Fulfilling our resolves for good is a work of God.

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power. (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

Serving the Lord Jesus is a work of God.

Whoever serves, [let him serve] as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

Enduring suffering is a work of God.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:8)

Endurance and patience with joy is a work of God.

[We pray for you that you may be] strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. (Colossians 1:11)

Brothers, this is the beginning of your power: to realize that all the decisive power in bringing about your purposes comes from God, not from you. “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

2. The Necessity of Human Ministry

Even though the accomplishment of God’s purposes in the life of our people requires supernatural intervention, God has chosen to bind the fullness of his supernatural effectiveness to the human ministry of the word.

The new birth (though a work of God) comes through a human word.

You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. . . . And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23, 25)

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)

The supply of the Spirit (though a work of God) comes through hearing the human word.

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:5)

Salvation (though a work of God) comes through belief in the truth, the gospel, in human language.

God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13–14)

Experiencing the love of God (though a work of God) comes through hearing the news of Christ’s death for us.

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:5–8)

God’s love is poured out by the Spirit into our hearts, and his love is shown by the historical events which come to us by way of the word of the gospel.

Faith (though a work of God) comes through hearing the human word.

Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

So, we may step back and make the all-encompassing statement that, since all that pleases the Lord comes from faith, and faith comes by hearing the word of God, therefore all the saving works of God in us are owing not only to his direct, supernatural intervention, but also to the ministry of the word. Paul said in Romans 14:23, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” And he said, “Faith comes by hearing the word” (see Romans 10:17). Therefore, everything that is not sin in the Christian life is owing to the ministry of the word. And at the center of that ministry is preaching.

So, we are led to our second heading: Even though the accomplishment of God’s purposes in the life of our people requires supernatural intervention, God has chosen to bind the fullness of his supernatural effectiveness to the human ministry of the word.

“God has chosen to bind the fullness of his supernatural effectiveness to the human ministry of the word.”

I think the main reason God does it this way — namely, ties his direct supernatural intervention to the word of God — is that if God acted incognito, neither he nor Christ would receive glory for his work in our lives. In order for God’s supernatural action to bring him glory, it must have interpretation by the word. Therefore, they move in tandem. Jesus said in John 16:14 that the Holy Spirit is given to glorify Jesus Christ. Therefore, wherever Jesus Christ is lifted up in the word the Holy Spirit will do his active illumination and transformation.

But where the word of Christ is silenced, the Holy Spirit does not do his illumining, transforming work incognito. The power of God is given to glorify the Son of God. Therefore, the human word, making much of the Son of God, will be blessed by the Holy Spirit. The fighter jet of the word and the fighter jet of the Spirit fly in tandem. And if for some reason the fighter jet of the word stops flying, the fighter jet of the Spirit will not do his Christ-glorifying work, because there will be no true Christ in the word to glorify. Or to change the image, Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). If the seed of the word is not planted and watered by men, there will be no Christ-magnifying word for God to make grow.

Therefore, even though the accomplishment of God’s purposes in the life of our people requires supernatural intervention, God has chosen to bind the fullness of his supernatural effectiveness to the human ministry of the word.

Now we come to the third heading.

3. What Releases or Hinders Supernatural Power

There are ways to preach that release or hinder this supernatural effectiveness. There are things you can do, with God’s help, which will make you more or less useful in the accomplishment of God’s supernatural intervention in your people’s lives. In other words, it is possible to become a more powerful preacher. I’ll mention three.

This does not mean we have veto power over the sovereignty of God. When Paul asks in Colossians 4:4 that they would pray for him “that I may make [the mystery of Christ] clear, which is how I ought to speak,” and when he asks in Ephesians 6:20 that they would pray for him that he would declare the gospel boldly, he is acknowledging that clarity and boldness really matter in the effectiveness of the gospel, and he is confessing that ultimately that clarity and that boldness will be the work of God. God ultimately decides if we will speak in a way that releases more or less of his power.

Here are the three things you can do to become more powerful in your preaching:

1. Make the content of your sermons the word of God. What God says you say. Make his meaning your meaning. The reality he means to communicate you communicate.
2. Make your explanations and illustrations of that reality crystal clear.
3. Make your delivery the embodiment of authentic, contagious affections for the preciousness of that reality.

1. Say what God says.

Don’t tamper with God’s word.

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2)

Get the message right. This is paramount, as you know from the fire-breathing book of Galatians:

Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8–9)

God has promised to bless his word. Get his word right, and there will be power.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven.
     and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
     giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
     it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
     and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10–11)

Get the word right, and God will act. He doesn’t just watch his word being preached. He performs it. Jeremiah 1:12 says, “The Lord said to me . . . ‘I am watching over my word to perform it.’” Don’t mix it with your own alien ideas. God doesn’t like that.

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:28–29)

If this path to power is missed, the rest of your empowerment will not be the blessing of God. He causes his word to grow not yours. So, make his meaning your meaning. Communicate the reality he means to communicate in the text.

2. Use crystal-clear illustrations.

Why does Paul say of the elders, “especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17), that we must be “able to teach” (didaktikon), skillful in teaching (2 Timothy 2:24)? This is where preaching and teaching overlap. If you want the reality of God that he means to communicate in the word of God to come to people with awakening, transforming power, it needs to be clear — clear words, clear sentences, clear transitions, clear structure, clear logic, clear illustrations, and applications that make sense. The opposite of clear is not false; it’s foggy. And foggy almost always means boring. The word of God should not be foggy and should not be boring. It should be crystal clear.

This is what Paul pleaded for and committed himself to: “that I may make it clear [phanerōsō], which is how I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:4).

We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth [tē phanerōsei tēs alētheias] we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2)

Paul loved being clear. It wasn’t a technique; it was a glad obedience. It was the gladness of cleaning the windows of the soul so they could see the glory of God.

Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:7, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” Are you giving your people real, clear substance so that you could say to them, “Think about what I say — I’m providing clearly expressed reality for your thinking”? Can you say to your people, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20). Can you say, “My preaching is a model of this. I want you to apply your best thought to grappling with my best thought. I’m trying to be mature in my thinking. I expect this out of you”? How many sermons are muddleheaded? They don’t hang together. They don’t move anywhere with clear logic. If the people obey the command “think over what I say”, will they find it to be coherent and beautiful? Or will careful thinking find it to be foggier and muddier?

The reason that God will grant you greater power through increased clarity is simply because he values his word and the reality he is trying to communicate. If the explanations of his word are unclear, the greatness and the beauty and the value of the reality he is trying to communicate won’t get through. But it’s that very reality that he glorifies and empowers. So, with earnest prayer for God’s help, labor to make your explanations and illustrations crystal clear.

3. Embody contagious affections.

If you haven’t noticed what I’m doing in these three paths to greater power, I’m simply unpacking expository exultation over biblical texts. Biblical content. Clear exposition. Authentic exultation.

The aim of the word of God is that the people of God would understand the truth of God and treasure the worth of God — that they would see and savor the beauty of God and his ways. The Bible demands from us, and from our people, right thinking about reality and right feeling about reality. Emotions are not peripheral or optional in the Bible; they are essential. God is glorified not simply by being understood, but by being cherished. Often the Bible makes clear that obedience involves right affections about reality. Here are a few of the emotions that the Bible commands.

Contentment:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Fervent love from the heart:

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. (1 Peter 1:22)

Hope:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
     and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
     my salvation and my God. (Psalm 42:5–6)

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

Fear:

But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! (Luke 12:5)

That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. (Romans 11:20)

Peace:

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

Zeal and fervency:

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (Romans 12:11)

Sorrow:

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. (James 4:9)

Desire:

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. (1 Peter 2:2)

Tenderheartedness:

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Gratitude:

[Address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:19–20)

Lowliness:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

Jonathan Edwards said,

I should think myself in the way of my duty to raise the affections of my hearers as high as possibly I can, provided that they are affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature of what they are affected with. (“Some Thoughts Concerning Revival,” 387)

Scan the Psalms, and you will see the emotional dimension of biblical reality:

1. Loneliness: “I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16).
2. Love: “I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1).
3. Awe: “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him” (Psalm 33:8).
4. Sorrow: “My life is spent with sorrow” (Psalm 31:10).
5. Regret: “I am sorry for my sin” (Psalm 38:18).
6. Contrition: “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
7. Discouragement and turmoil: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” (Psalm 42:5).
8. Shame: “Shame has covered my face” (Psalm 44:15).
9. Exultation: “In your salvation how greatly he exults” (Psalm 21:1).
10. Marveling: “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).
11. Delight: “His delight is in the law of the Lord” (Psalm 1:2).
12. Joy: “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” (Psalm 4:7).
13. Gladness: “I will be glad and exult in you” (Psalm 9:2).
14. Fear: “Serve the Lord with fear” (Psalm 2:11).
15. Anger: “Be angry, and do not sin” (Psalm 4:4).
16. Peace: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep” (Psalm 4:8).
17. Grief: “My eye wastes away because of grief” (Psalm 6:7).
18. Desire: “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted” (Psalm 10:17).
19. Hope: “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (Psalm 33:22).
20. Brokenheartedness: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
21. Thankfulness: “I will thank you in the great congregation” (Psalm 35:18).
22. Zeal: “Zeal for your house has consumed me” (Psalm 69:9).
23. Pain: “I am afflicted and in pain” (Psalm 69:29).
24. Confidence: “Though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Psalm 27:3).

God empowers preaching that authentically embodies the worth of his word, not just its truth. Treasuring the glory of God and his ways is caught as much as taught. The people should be able to see in their pastor the effect that God’s greatness and beauty and worth have had on the preacher. This is part of his power.

The greatest battle in the preacher’s life is to treasure the glory of God above all things — to feel its worth. Without this, any effort to manufacture emotion in the pulpit will ring hollow. The people will know. You’re not preaching. You’re not living. You’re acting. Staying in love with the glory of God is the great work of the Christian ministry.

It is a powerful thing to say to your people, “The [words] of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9–10) — and also embody that.

In summary, then: First, the saving, sanctifying, Christ-exalting, soul-satisfying purposes of God for his people are humanly impossible and must be brought about by God. Second, nevertheless, God has chosen to bind the fullness of his supernatural effectiveness to the human ministry of the word. Third, therefore, there are ways to preach that release or hinder this supernatural effectiveness.

So, make the content of your sermons the word of God. Make his meaning your meaning. Make your explanations and illustrations of that reality crystal clear. And finally, make your delivery the embodiment of authentic, contagious affections for the preciousness of that reality.