As you read the other articles regarding church planting, you realize that there are many factors to consider when a church undertakes the task of planting another church. Many things may be different in the church plant when compared to an organized church; for example, the one may have a slightly different liturgy, it may have a different feel or look, and one might have coffee after the service while the other may have a noon meal that is shared by all who attend. However, there is one thing that cannot change if they both desire to be identified as a church of Jesus Christ: the primacy of preaching. The Word of God must be central at any gathering of the people of God, whether it be a small group or large, a majority of believers who are gathering or a majority of unbelievers who are visiting. God’s Word must be the focus.

Some church plants aim to be “seeker sensitive” to gain attendees. In doing this, the preaching of the Word is often compromised. This is not new; throughout his­tory, there have been calls to abandon preaching and to engage in other ways of reaching people, but they have all failed. So today, when church plants water down the Bible’s message or refrain from preaching, it does not follow God’s plan.

As you study the New Testament, you realize that preaching was of central importance in obeying the call that Jesus gave to His followers to disciple the nations. The preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus was a pattern that the New Testament church followed (Matt. 31:1-2; 4:17; Mark 1:3-4, 1:14-15). The disciples, following this lead, proclaimed that the kingdom of God had arrived and God, having now spoken through His Son, was call­ing people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), believe the gospel, and be transformed into citizens of the kingdom. And how will these citizens live? Well, that is the very reason we need preaching to continue as well. Continued growth in the Word transforms us. As we struggle with life’s decisions and challenges, we need a source that we can turn to for truth, and God has determined that source to be the preaching and reading of the Word.

Paul is clear regarding this in Romans 10. In verse 13, he quotes Joel as saying that “whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”; then he continues by asking rhetorically, “and how shall people call on the Lord if they do not hear Him and how will they hear Him without a preacher?” The clear implication from the passage is that God is sending preachers who, when they speak in the name of Christ and according to His Word, are His voice. Preaching then is the message of God to us. It is not simply cold, intellectual information, but it is truth conveyed to us so that our lives would be transformed and impacted.

The Scripture gives us unchanging principles to guide us; by answering these questions and their implications, we can draw out practical observations for church plant­ing. Paul says that preachers are ambassadors for Christ, as if God Himself were speaking to us, urging us to Christ. The point is that the preacher is not there to entertain people, he is not to speak words that would puff them up, but he is called to speak the words of the living God to them. There is a dynamic and powerful event taking place during preaching; when the preacher is faithful to the Word of God, it is as the voice of God coming down to us and speaking. There is a living, vital transaction taking place; God is speaking to sinners. As Martyn Lloyd-Jones said in Preaching and Preachers (a highly recommended read on this topic),

Preaching is that which deals with the total person, the hearer becomes involved and knows that he has been dealt with and addressed by God through this preacher. Something has taken place in him and in his experience, and it is going to affect the whole of his life.

Preaching is the heart and soul of any church plant. It is where the Word of God catches fire, where our hearts are pricked and our minds renewed through the means of preaching. The Spirit of Christ takes His Word into our hearts and minds. It is something the world calls foolish­ness but to us who believe it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:21). It was through the Word (preaching specifically) that we were made alive and it is through this same Word that we now live; we feed on that Word and are nourished and grow in grace. Preaching will cause our hearts to be enflamed in love for Christ. Preaching will convict us of sin and our need for Christ. Preaching will address our present world events and how we are to respond to them with lives which should reflect Christ practically. Preaching will call us to a life of godliness and holiness. The whole counsel of God must be set forth. Preaching is a call to conversion and transformation, justification and sanctification.

Some say that no one will come to hear such preaching. The fact is that when the preacher is bringing the Word of God to the listeners faithfully, there will be people attracted and drawn to listen to the message. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice” and “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 10:27; John 6:37). Let’s not fall prey to fleshly arguments that would discourage us. This is a long-term investment and the dividends are not immediate; church planting, as well as established church work, requires patience and endurance. We are to look to the Lord for blessing while we seek to be faithful, by grace.

If we look at church history, when was there darkness and decline in the church? Was it not when the preaching had become dim and dull, when the Word of the Lord was no longer heard (Hos. 4:6)? But when the preaching was renewed, it becomes clear that those were the times in which the Lord worked reformation and revival in His church (2 Kings 22). Let’s pray for such times again so that we might see God’s mighty hand on us for our good and His glory; that we would see many souls saved primarily through the means of preaching at many church plants.