I'm in the middle of a sermon series on preaching. In my study, I've been sitting at the feet of great preachers who have reflected on the purpose and priority of preaching. In one essay I read, John MacArthur, explained the power of preaching the Word:
Show me a church where there is strong Bible teaching over an enduring period of time, and I will show you a congregation that is studying the Word of God on their own, skilled in the science of interpretation that has been modeled for them by their pastor. But show me a church where the Word of God is not taught in the pulpit, and I'll show you a place where biblical illiteracy, doctrinal confusion, and spiritual apathy at the personal level is rampant. The people will not rise to a level that is higher than their teacher. They will follow the example of their leaders. So, if we love God's Word, our people will too. If we don't, they won't either.
I desperately want to model what MacArthur wrote about. I know that I love God's Word and I want that love to be visible and obvious. What a joy it is to preach in a congregation full of believers who do hunger for God's Word week in and week out.
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