What Makes A Good Preacher?

I believe the greatest threat to the church in America right now is the superficial, anemic ear-tickling we have coming from our pulpits. There is, without any exaggeration, a crisis in our churches stemming from a lack of hearing and responding to the authoritative Word of God.

That's why I urge you to look at Al Mohler's recent blog on preaching. If you're not a preacher, please read this to know what you should be looking for in a sermon or in a preacher. If you are a preacher, you must read this, and you must commit yourself to doing this.

From a Dying Man to Dying Men:

Recovering a Bold Vision for Biblical Preaching

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May the Word of God increase among us! (Acts 6:7)

Can Women Preach?

Yes, I’m opening this can of worms. Actually, the fine folks down at First Baptist Church Decatur, Georgia are to thank for this. They apparently believe a woman can preach/pastor. You may have heard that they recently called Julie Pennington-Russell to be their new pastor, taking the “honor” of becoming the largest Baptist church to be led by a woman.

FBC Decatur is making a statement. They are obviously pushing this issue. And it all stems from the liberal vs. conservative battle that simmers under the surface of many ‘First Baptist’ churches. But understand that not everyone who likes a strong dose of estrogen in the pulpit is a liberal. Female preachers have long been a part of the Pentecostal movement. From Aimee Semple McPherson to Katherine Kuhlmann to Paula White, our staunchly conservative charismatic brothers and sisters have historically accepted women in their pulpits.

So we have a group of very liberal people and a group of very conservative people who answer affirmatively to the question posed. Interesting, huh? But don’t get the wrong idea. Pentecostals do not support female pastors for the same reasons that theological liberals do.

THE LIBERAL VIEW
Men and women are equal in every way; there is nothing but anatomy that distinguishes one from the other. Where the Bible seems to disagree with this statement, it is wrong.

For instance, Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:12, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” The liberal answer? Paul was a chauvinist pig.

THE PENTECOSTAL VIEW
God gifts both men and women to do the work of ministry, including preaching. Where the Bible seems to disagree with this statement, they find a way to twist it into agreement. Hey… at least they care what the Bible says! And, much to our shame, we have all been guilty of twisting Scripture to fit our agendas.

Let’s stick with our fist example (1 Tim. 2:12). The Pentecostal might answer that a woman cannot serve as a pastor, but she may serve as a preacher. Another way they might get around it is to say that Paul was addressing a particular situation, not giving a universal command.

THE BIBLICAL VIEW
Men and women are equal, but God has given each unique roles. God gifts both men and women to do the work of ministry in ways fitting with their roles.

In explaining 1 Tim. 2:12, we would say to the liberal… criticizing Paul is no solution. Paul wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus, your disagreement isn’t with Paul; it’s with the Spirit of God.
To the Pentecostal we would say… (1) a woman preaching would fall under the ban of “I do not permit a woman to teach a man,” unless that woman was preaching to a group of women. (2) Paul viewed this as a universal command, not a situational one. In the next verse, he bases his command on the God-given roles at Creation. “For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” This command is rooted in Creation, making it applicable for all people (even Pentecostals) in all ages (even in these “latter days”).

So can a woman be a preacher? No, she may not.

Q-“But who are you to say whether or not God has called her?”
A-“I’m no one to say. God’s Word is the authority, not me. God said she can’t.”

Q-“But doesn’t Galatians 3:28 say that there is neither male nor female?”
A-“Yes. That passage is speaking about salvation, not qualification for pastors. Salvation is available for all who repent and believe, regardless of gender. Women are not second class citizens of the kingdom of heaven.”
Q-“I’ve heard women preach better sermons than men.”
A-“Me, too. I’ve also heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing hymns better than Christian choirs. Our experiences do not trump God’s Word. A woman’s ability to preach doesn’t change the fact that she is disobeying God’s command.”

We could go on and on. Let me end with an example that may help to understand the biblical view. I see how some could be confused. How can we say that men and women are equal, but then say that a woman isn’t allowed to preach?

As Christians, we worship the Triune God. As the famous hymn says, “God in three persons, Blessed Trinity.” We worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are ONE God in THREE persons, same in essence and equal in every way. The Father isn’t more “God” than the Son. The Son isn’t more “God” than the Spirit. They are all three equal in their divine status.

Yet in Scripture, we see the Son submitting to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42). We see that the Spirit works to glorify the Son (John 16:14). Each is equally God, but each has a unique role in the work of salvation. Get it?

Men and women are equal, but we have different God-given roles. To argue that this is impossible is to argue against the nature of God Himself.

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So what can women do in ministry? Lord willing, that will be the topic of my next post.

Dear Church Members,

As a servant of Christ and His church, I feel compelled to write you and express my deepest concern for the present condition of preaching in our churches. You may wonder why I don't address the preachers. After all, they are the ones primarily responsible with preaching. That is true. But I write you because what you believe about preaching will change the way your pastor preaches. If you are content with fluff from the pulpit, expect it. If you are satisfied by feel-good sermons, expect them. When it comes to preaching, you usually get what you ask for! This is unfortunate but true. Thus, I'm appealing to you: Examine your view of preaching.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:21-25

I. Preaching Is Pleasing
Verse 21 says, "it pleased God." Preaching pleases God! In a day when many churches are "man-centered," (seeking to please people), the Bible tells us that preaching is to be God-centered (seeking to please God). I've heard of pastors doing all sorts of things to please people -- coffee and doughnuts...popcorn...free beer! And all this is in hopes to get/keep you coming to church. Many of these pastors should be ashamed of the ways they lure people in, but do you see why they do it? This is the only way they can get you to church!
What are you expecting from the sermon? Do you want it to cater to your wants and please you or do you want it to focus on pleasing the Lord and obeying Him?

II. Preaching Is Centered
All sermons - even bad ones - are centered on something. Most preachers today center their messages on the "needs of the congregation." Thus, we have sermons on how to be a better parent, how to be content with your job, etc. Those are the things you think about on a fairly regular basis. But is that really what you need? Think about it. Will 7 steps to being a happier person actually help you in eternity? Will 5 ways to spice up your marriage get you to heaven? No. You need sermons that are centered on something greater than your "felt-needs."
Verse 23 says, "we preach Christ crucified." That should be the central message from our pulpits: the Holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the sacrificial death & glorious resurrection of Christ, and the command to repent and believe! That's the Gospel... that's the Bible. Thus, preaching should be Gospel-centered, Bible-centered. That is your real need. You need to weekly be reminded of your sinfulness and pointed back to the mercy and grace of your Savior. That will fit you for heaven! And that will fit you for earth (this kind of preaching will change your soul, which will change your marriage, your job, etc).
Do you want your preacher to excite your attention & impress your ears or do you want your preacher to feed your soul? What you expect is what you will get.

III. Preaching Is Saving
You need real preaching that is seeking the Father's pleasure and that is centered on Christ's Gospel because the Holy Spirit uses that kind of preaching to do His most powerful and miraculous work. Verse 21 says, "to save those who believe." Preaching is the instrument that God uses to save people! Not cantatas, not children's plays, not fellowship dinners... preaching. Can people get saved at those things? Yes. Are people saved through those things? No.
Romans 10:14 says, How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Some of you may think preaching is too boring for our visual society. Some of you may think preaching is too authoritative for our anti-authoritarian society. Some of you may think preaching is too intellectual for out anti-intellectual society. So instead, you think we should sing the message or we should act out the message. You think those are better ways to reach this culture. But that is "wisdom" of men. God has chosen the foolish, weak tool of preaching to shame the (seemingly) wise, strong ideas of men.
Prophets like Isaiah, Amos, and Ezekiel preached. Jesus Christ preached. When He sent out the twelve, He sent them to preach. God has and will always use the preaching of His Word to communicate His truth to sinful souls.

Because of these truths from 1 Corinthians 1:21-25, I plead with you, brothers and sisters, to do the following:
1) Listen to Preaching -- Preachers are responsible for what they say, you are responsible for what you hear. God commands you to hear His Word. How do you listen to the sermon? DO you listen? Reverently listen and humbly obey the Word.
2) Prioritize Preaching -- If the church offered you free pills each week that would ease all of your aches and pains, you would make every effort to be there. You'd drop everything to get there. Yet, 1 Corinthians teaches us that something even greater is offered through preaching -- salvation! God saves us and makes us holier through preaching. Will you not get out of bed for that? Will you not bring the kids for that? Don't neglect the preaching of the Word; it's too important.
3) Pray for Preaching -- If you realize that your preacher isn't living up to God's standards in his preaching, don't desert him. Lift him up to the Father. If you want better sermons, don't talk about the preacher, pray for him. Also, consider a gentle, loving way of talking with him about his sermons. If he doesn't care and continually will not hear your concern, then find another church. But only after much prayer for your current church's preacher.

May our pulpits be filled with men who will faithfully preach the Word so that our souls would be fed and our lives would be changed. Amen.

For the Gospel,
Josh