Preach the Word

Micah 6:9. “The LORD’S voice cries to the city.”

Sometimes Christians forget, or disassociate, the preacher with God, and there is a great attempt at making the preaching of the word simply good advice. At Grace Chapel we do not believe the Word of God is simply good advice. We believe the preached Word transforms the soul, and contains everything that Christ gave us for llife and godliness. The biblical mandate is that God’s prophet, herald, messenger, angel or pastor is in fact, God’s mouth. When the preacher preaches God’s word, God is talking to the people. Do you believe this?

In the book of Micah, the prophet by the same name is uncompromising and bold in his delivery of God’s message throughout every chapter. Ministers of God ought to be bold, plain and faithful in their communication of divine truth. Why? They are the mouth of God.

The prophet Micah declares what true worship is in Micah 6:6-8. Though this is God’s message, it is spoken in first person by the prophet here. What should true worshippers say? How should true worshippers think? What do true worshippers do? True worship does not come from living carelessly before the means of grace.

In verse 8 the question must be posed, “what will God be pleased with?” The prophet gives them a theology of walking. The Bible is filled with a theology of walking. Since the time Adam walked in the garden, since the time Enoch walked with God, there has always been a walking to accomplish before God. Justice and mercy equate to walking humbly with God. God loves those who walk humbly with him. God loves to see them reflecting back to him his attributes of justice and mercy in true obedience. God is never pleased with mere outward action. The church must first offer themselves to God, not animals, oil or others. God looks to the heart of the one forsaking his sins, and ordering his conversation before God in a right manner. This requires more than mere superficial worship. The prophet’s message is, “do what is right, and perform what justice requires.” They must perform what God’s righteous character requires.

In all this, the prophet’s voice is the Lord’s Voice (Micah 6:9). Do you, reader, believe that? Most Christians do not believe that. The Lord’s voice, his word, is being preached by Micah. “Hear now what the LORD says,” (Mic. 6:1). God speaks through the preacher. God’s words are communicated through the preacher. “The LORD’S voice cries to the city!” (Mic. 6:9).

The voice of the Lord is in all faithful sermons given by all faithful ministers. The Lord’s voice can be found there. The Lord’s voice cries in such preaching. There is a famous passage of Scripture that compliments this one in Micah. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe,” (1 Thess. 2:13). The preached word is given by prophets, heralds, messengers, interpreters, elders, pastors, or preachers. These are those who are called and qualified and set apart.

True ministers point people to Christ, the Living Word, the Living Voice of God, in the power of God’s Spirit for the edification of the people of God. And if one is a beloved sheep of Christ’s fold, this is said of them, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” (John 10:27). The voice of Christ in this way is a glorious voice, mighty in its operation, dividing the very soul and spirit, of a man, (Heb. 4:12).

What is it to hear the Lord’s voice in the sermons and preaching by true ministers? A true minister is one called of God, confirmed by men, qualified for the task, who preaches plainly, boldly and faithfully what God intended men to hear in his word. Preaching is not sharing. It’s not musing at the pulpit. It is not a theological lecture. The pulpit is not an academic chair. Preaching is not a chain of family illustrations that tickle the ear.

God commands that preaching be done to the ears, hearts, souls and consciences of the hearer. Preaching commands and invites the hearer to closer communion with God that the hearer might experience not only the power of God in salvation, but the immense love of God in Christ for spiritual transformation. Preaching centers on God’s Son Jesus Christ, which the whole of Scripture presses men to have a closer communion with God through Him, in the power of the Spirit. William Perkins, a most famous preacher, said that preaching is, “to preach one Christ, by Christ, to the praise of Christ.” There is found the supremacy of God in redemptive preaching. The minister, prophet, herald, messenger or interpreter, has a job to preach God’s message, His word, from Scripture; and the Scripture alone; nothing else.

 A messenger or herald of the word is one sent and commission by God, qualified and able to bear the message that God desires to be preached. Ministers must preach the word. “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching,” (2 Tim. 4:2-4). All men, then, whoever they are, should hear intently and patiently what the messengers of the Lord speak. When bold, faithful ministers herald God’s word, it is a true saying, it is the voice of God and not of man. “The voice of the Lord cries to the city,” (Micah 6:9). The voice of the Lord cries to the church. Jeremiah said, “And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.” (Jer. 42:21). Jeremiah spoke, and equated it with the voice of the Lord. Why? God’s people should hear the crying voice of the Lord in the preaching of all true ministers.

At Grace Chapel, we hold preaching in high regard. We look to hear God speak to us in the Word. Consider, hearing the voice of the Lord in the message of the minister is of utmost importance to the health and happiness of God’s church.