"What a great sermon!" Did you ever say such a thing? I hope so! Or, do you more often say: "What a boring sermon. His preaching is so irrelevant; it does nothing for me. I don't get anything out of it."

What basis do we have for making our judgments about preaching and preachers? Is there an objective standard by which to measure or is the response to preaching purely personal and subjective?

As a guide for reflection about our attitude to preaching and preachers, it will be helpful to study the words used in Scripture for preaching and preachers. One of the major word-groups used in Scripture to describe what happens on Sunday morning and afternoon has to do with the idea of a herald.

The Preacher as a Herald⤒🔗

In ancient times, before the rise of modern communication technology, a herald had a very important role in society. If a head of state or some government assembly in earlier days wished to broadcast a political announcement, the figure of the herald was indispensable.

The herald would be sent by the person in authority to communicate the announcement to the population. Arriving at his destination, he would find the public square of that town, announce his presence with the sound of trumpets, and then in a loud, clear voice would convey the message of his superior.

Suppose, for example, that a great King like Caesar wishes to make known a new law for his many subjects. Let's imagine that it is a new tax law. The moment this law is announced by the herald it becomes binding on the people. From that instant, the citizens become responsible to pay the new tax. Or, imagine that the King sends a herald to a certain person with a message that needs a response. As soon as the herald brings the message, the response has to be given. To delay is to insult not the herald, but the King who sends him.

The point that needs to be understood is that the herald has no authority in himself. He has authority because he represents the King. To hear the herald is the same as hearing the King himself.

If we know that one of the most common Scriptural words for preaching actually means "heralding," we have some guidance for thinking about sermons and preachers.

Implications for the Preacher←⤒🔗

First of all, we realize that the preacher as a herald or delegate of the Great King Jesus Christ, has a tremendous responsibility to bring the Message of the Great King plainly and faithfully. He is not permitted to bring his own word, but only the Word of his Master who sent him. It is the duty of the herald to truly let the Word of the Great King be heard among the citizens of the Kingdom as well as by the enemies of the Kingdom.

After all, if the herald does not bring the message of the King in a clear, intelligible manner, the Great King will hold him accountable. The Lord Jesus is not honoured when His powerful message of salvation is muddled in murky and incoherent speech. The preacher has a sacred responsibility to make sure that he creates no obstacles for people to receive the glad tidings of salvation. It is the preacher's task to make sure there is no other obstacle to faith and repentance than the folly of the cross itself (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). When the people of the King hear the herald, they should have no doubt about what God would have them believe and do.

Surely all preachers have reason for constant self-examination and self-criticism when it comes to their preaching. They need to work very hard to understand and communicate clearly the content of God's Word. Constantly, they will have to grow in the knowledge of the Word. Without rest, they must seek to hone to a sharp edge their pulpit communication.

Congregations have every right to expect clear, understandable, upbuilding messages on Sunday morning and afternoon. On the other hand, ministers have every right to expect that God's people gathered for worship show every effort to listen and come to grips with the authoritative message of the herald. After all, it is not the minister's word, but the Word of the Great King.

Implications for the Pew←⤒🔗

If we realize that ministers of the Gospel are heralds of the Great King Jesus Christ, this will also have implications for the way we listen.

First of all, we will realize that we are in no position to make all kinds of stylistic demands on the preacher. Let's imagine that Caesar sent a herald to a certain province and town of his empire. Faithfully, the herald does his duty. He proclaims the will of Caesar. However, the people respond by saying: "Who can bear this herald's style? He is so boring. Why can't he dress up his message? Why can't he be more eloquent? Caesar should have sent a better herald, one with more pizzazz and power."

Suppose further that because they didn't appreciate the herald's style, these citizens ignored and disobeyed the message of Caesar. Well, you can imagine the result: Caesar’s wrath would fall upon them! In disdaining the herald, the people have shown indifference to Caesar himself.

The point that needs to be clearly understood is that the preacher does not make his message relevant by his own eloquence. Neither his stylistic power nor his communication gimmicks give authority to the message. The message has power in itself. It is the living Word of the Great King which comes with imperative claims upon all who hear. It makes a claim upon all who hear simply because it comes from the Lord!

As people of the Great King, gathered for worship, we are not in a position to make too many demands of the herald. Our position is rather to listen in all humility to the revelation of the King's will for us.

Yes, we may ask for clear, understandable exposition. We may even demand that! Beyond this, however, we must not insist on a certain style. Nor should we too strongly state our preference for one pulpit personality over another. What counts is: did I hear the mind of Christ for me? Was I addressed by my King this morning?

Not entertainment in our own era, perhaps more than ever before, there is the temptation to demand of the preacher that he satisfy our desire for a pleasant experience. After all, we live in a pleasure-oriented society. The masses are devoted to the entertainment of Hollywood. If our ears and minds are conditioned by the kind of communication we encounter on TV, we may come to expect the same of our minister. We will want his messages to be simple, short, predigested, sappy and always smooth. Messages from the pulpit that require diligent effort and focus on our part we won't really appreciate.

If the minister tries to compete with the communication methods of TV personalities and broadcasters, the preaching will soon degenerate into a pleasant, but mindless "tickling of the ears." The preacher will have the impossible duty of making God's Word relevant to people who are actually looking for entertainment instead of truth.

Listening to the herald of God will require the fullest concentration of our mind and the disciplining of our ears. Preaching is hard work, but listening is equally demanding. A couch potato disposition won't suffice if we hope to benefit from the Word. Preaching can only be fruitful if those who hear recognize that those who preach are heralds. These heralds do not make God's Word relevant. It is in itself eternally relevant. In fact, the heralds must firmly resist the temptation of trying to make the living Word more relevant and authoritative by their own personality and pulpiteering ability.

The Sermon is Our Judge←⤒🔗

How relevant is the Word of the herald? Christ tells us in John 12:48:

He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that l have spoken will be his judge on the last.

To his disciples, the Lord Jesus says:

He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me, rejects Him who sent Me.Luke 10:6

Today, the Word of Christ goes out to the Churches through the office of the minister. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation proclaimed to us (compare Hebrews 2:3)? Let us see that we do not refuse Him who is speaking to us through the herald (compare Hebrews. 12:25). For the Great King will Himself inflict vengeance upon those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus - as it comes to us through the herald (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts by your unreasonable and unjustifiable expectation of a certain pulpit style. Do not tempt your preacher to rob the preaching of dignity and authority by catering to the modern expectation of entertainment instead of faithful instruction.