The Privilege of Preaching

The call to preach is as old as the Bible we read. Noah was a bold preacher of righteousness. Jonah preached to the metropolitan city of Nineveh. The Old Testament prophets were anointed to preach. Jesus’ earthly ministry was introduced by John the Baptist, a preacher from the wilderness of Judea. Jesus himself preached in synagogues, in ships, on the seashore, in the mountains, in houses, and in the streets. The early apostles were anointed to preach Christ crucified throughout the then known world.

Jesus began his ministry by speaking the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

He then commanded, in the book of Mark, chapter 16, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

The apostle Paul further expounded on the call to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, not to the glory of man, without abuse of power, making full proof of the ministry, to preach believing to the unbelieving, and to preach among all nations the unsearchable riches of Christ. Paul sums up his call in this fashion: “It is laid upon me to preach and woe unto me if I preach not the gospel.” He exhorts young Timothy to “preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

The call of God to preach is not something we should take lightly. It is a great privilege to handle God’s timeless word, the saving gospel of “Christ Crucified, Buried, and Alive Again, with All Power!”

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
(1Co 1:21)

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