When it comes to the preaching of the Gospel there are many aspects for the preacher to consider. Some of them are obvious such as the need to select a text, to read it often, to wrap it in prayer, to do a thorough linguistic analysis, to come up with an all-embracing theme, to construct an outline that is accurate, clear, and logical, and to find appropriate illustrations. All of these are part and parcel of the preacher's stock and trade.

At the same time, though there are other things that are not so obvious. One of these has to do with the relationship between the preacher and Holy Spirit. Of course, every preacher knows how important and essential He is. But, do we ever really stop and count the ways? More often than not we need to admit that we take Him very much for granted.

The Spirit's Book⤒🔗

And that's a shame in more ways than one. For consider this book that we are so busy laboring over. Whose book is it anyway? Is it not the book of the Spirit?

The apostle Paul tells us that 'all Scripture is God-breathed.'2 Tim 3:16

Peter tells us who especially is doing the breathing out when he adds,

for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God, as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.2 Pet 1:21

In other words, man may be doing the writing down here, but in actual fact it is the Holy Spirit who is carrying him along like a piece of driftwood down a fast flowing river. He is doing the directing and guiding, the shaping and moulding, the informing and teaching. True, He uses men. He takes into account their backgrounds, their level of education, their talents and abilities, as well as their personalities. He works in such a way that they are convinced that what they are writing comes from them. And it does, but the deeper truth is that the Holy Spirit is the One who is behind all of their thoughts and words.

Now, this has tremendous implications. It means that the Book that the preacher is expounding is no mere human book. It is God's Book. It is the Spirit's Book.

As such it is endowed with authority. The Spirit is God.

Of Him it can be said 'for from him and through him and to him are all things.'Rom. 11:36

Nothing exists apart from Him. Nothing lives and breathes without Him. In Him resides all power, might and majesty. Thanks to His authorship the preacher can say to his listeners, "Thus says the Lord. You need to listen to this!"

At the same time this Word is also filled with reliability. God the Father does not lie, and neither does God the Holy Spirit. What He has men put down in His Word is true, accurate, and without error. The preacher can have great confidence that when he is proclaiming the Word, he is presenting the truth.

One more implication is that this Word is filled with essentials. Is the Bible a textbook for geography, history, psychology, astronomy, sociology? The answer is "No!" It says nothing about the landscape of India, the battles of Genghis Khan, personality disorders, the speed of light or the dynamics of human society.

So what kind of a Book is it? It is the Book of God's saving deeds. It is His redemption textbook. It is His salvation manual. It deals with life's most basic needs and fundamental issues. Yes, and in the process of doing so, it is always correct, revealing and pertinent.

In short, the preacher should never under­estimate just what kind of a special Book he is working with. It is a resource beyond compare, a treasure without price, a blessing beyond measure.

The Spirit's Light←⤒🔗

Yet there is more, for not only does the Spirit allow the preacher to work with His Book, He also gives the preacher a mind that can understand this Book. Many years ago already the Psalmist understood this so well. He turns to God and prays along these lines: "open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law" (Ps. 119:18) and "give me understanding according to your word" (Ps. 119:169). He knows that if he wants to see and to grasp what God is saying to him he needs light from above. He realizes that it is only "in your light" that "we see light" (Ps. 36:9)

The same thing is understood by the apostle Paul. He writes to the Corinthians and says, "we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Cor. 2:12) To the Ephesians he writes this:

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.Eph. 1:17-19a

What thus becomes clear from all of this is that the preacher not only needs to appreciate the treasure that he is working with, he also needs to pray fervently for the Spirit to enlighten him as he works on this treasure. The study of God's Word may never become a purely objective exercise. This Word needs to be read and studied in humble dependence on the Spirit.

This applies, however, not only to the preacher, but also to his hearers. Believers too need the Holy Spirit to open wide their eyes, ears, hearts, and minds. Paul says that it is "through the Spirit" that believers are given "the message of wisdom" (1 Cor 12: 8).

The Spirit's Power←⤒🔗

Still, if the preacher needs the help of the Spirit to understand the Word, he also needs the strength of the Spirit to bring the Word. This becomes very clear as one reads through the Book of Acts. Chapter four even gives us a dramatic example of this. There Peter and John are threatened, seized and imprisoned by the Jewish authorities. The next day they are even arraigned before the whole Jewish Council – rulers, elders, teachers – in an attempt to intimidate them and make them stop their preaching.

What happened? You might say, "the Holy Spirit happened!" For in response to all of these scare tactics Peter stands up and speaks with great boldness. This man who previously denied his Saviour three times because he does not have the courage of his convictions, suddenly finds a backbone. How come? What changed him? The Holy Spirit! Luke writes "then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said..." (Acts 4:8)

And so it is recorded everywhere in the book of Acts. It does not matter whether it is Peter, John, Stephen, Philip, or Paul, they all proclaim the Word with boldness. They can do so because the Spirit keeps on filling them up.

Some Lessons←⤒🔗

All of this should remind us who are preachers about a number of basics:

1. remind yourself that time and again that it is the Spirit's Word that you are working with;
2. pray fervently that the Spirit may grant you light as you study His Word and prepare your sermons;
3. depend on the Spirit to grant you help in the form of courage, determination and boldness as you bring His precious Word to God's people.