So said Martin Luther to explain the terrible ignorance about Christian faith on the part of Roman Catholic Church members at the beginning of the Reformation. Luther was reflecting on the truth that only, that is, only the preaching of the Holy Word of God can work true and saving faith in the hearts of human beings. The sacraments cannot work faith, neither can prayer. While the sacraments and prayer are also means of grace, they are very much secondary to the Holy Scriptures in this function.

The whole emphasis of the Bible about the communication of salvation through faith is upon the Word of God. As the apostle Paul says, "faith comes through hearing, and hearing comes through the word of God" (Romans 10:17). There simply is no parallel importance given to prayer or the sacraments. Indeed, Paul goes so far as to say, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should become of no effect." (1 Corinthians 1:17) It is our purpose in this article to understand the Bible's teaching about the importance and centrality of the preaching of God's word to the life and salvation of the Church.

What is Preaching?⤒🔗

It is perhaps best if we begin this article with a brief definition of preaching so that we understand our subject clearly. Briefly stated, preaching is the proclamation, explanation and application of God's Word. If any of these elements is missing, preaching is defective, so let us consider each element separately.

First of all, preaching is oral proclamation — public speaking. Sermons may of course be written down on paper, but real preaching requires personal contact and communication from the preacher to those who hear. God's message is a personal message from Himself to edify His people and to evangelize His world. It is essential that it be brought personally to its hearers by God's heralds. This is why Paul says, "God has determined by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21).

Secondly, preaching is proclamation, it is the powerful declaration of God's message to people. Preaching is not for optional consideration. True preaching de­mands a response of faith and obedience from those who hear it. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:4, "My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." The point is, when God speaks, we had better listen (see Habakkuk 2:20).

Third, preaching is the explanation of the Word of God. The Word that is not understood is snatched away by the devil (Matthew 13:19); the Word that is understood bears fruit, "some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty" (Matthew 13:23). The first question Philip asks the Ethiopian Eunuch is, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

This is the preacher's job: "So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading" (Nehemiah 8:8).

Fourth, preaching is the application of the Word of God to the lives of the hearers. Unless there is a direct and personal call to repentance, faith and obedience in response to God's Word, the preacher has not done his job. Paul says, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). Preachers sometimes discuss the makeup of their audience. Are we preaching to believers, unbelievers, or what? Well, in every case we are preaching to sinners, including ourselves. When we are gripped by the message of God's Word, and only then, will we be useful to others. Preaching is not an impersonal exercise; properly done it takes up the whole of the preacher's personality, as he personally applies God's message to his hearers.

Fifth, preaching must be "of the Word of God." If the former points about preaching are important, this one is absolutely paramount. Indeed the four points above grow out of the nature of the Word of God as "the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Preaching is never to be "thus says the preacher," but "thus says the Lord." In this sense it is exactly what prophesying was in the Old Test­ament: it is the proclamation of the very Word of God. It must be the proclamation of God's Word and of that Word alone because God has given a very special place to His work on earth to the preaching of His Word.

God's Word is God's Power unto Salvation←⤒🔗

We have already referred to verses in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 1 that demonstrate this fact. What is important to understand is that ONLY the preaching of the Word of God is given such power and prominence in the application of salvation to human beings. This is because salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ, and God the Holy Spirit uses His Word recorded in Scripture as the means of working saving faith in people's hearts. This is so true that the apostle Peter can say that we are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which lives and endures forever" (1 Peter 1:23). Notice that this statement is a direct parallel to Christ's declaration that we must be "born of water and of the Spirit" to enter God's kingdom (John 3:5). These verses of course do not contradict each other, but rather teach us that the Holy Spirit uses His own inspired Word to work faith in our hearts.

Since God's Word is God's power unto salvation, it is absolutely necessary that the preacher preach God's Word and nothing else. Throughout its history the church has suffered and died from the lack of biblical preaching. The false prophets of the Old Testament have everything in common with the false preachers of today, preachers who disguise themselves as "apostles of Christ," and no wonder, for "Satan transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

Furthermore the true preacher must be skillful in understanding and expressing the teaching of God's Word. He must "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). When preaching does not accurately communicate the teaching of God's Word, it leads people astray and teaches them not to trust the Bible. As God's people we may never object in any way to the teaching of God's Word or even think about disobeying it. But like the Berian Christians we must "study the Scriptures daily to see if these things are true" (Acts 17:11). Each of us is responsible to God for what we believe, and for making sure that our faith is in what God actually says so that we do not "reject the commandment of God to keep our own tradition." If it was right for the Bereans to check up on Paul's preaching, we preachers must welcome the same interest in God's Word today.

Preaching God's Word is Central to Christian Worship←⤒🔗

Just as important as the fact that the preaching of the God's Word is God's power unto salvation is the fact that the reading and preaching of God's Word is central to Christian worship. Indeed, the glory of God is the central purpose of worship and the salvation of persons through the preaching of God's Word is just one aspect of what happens when the Word is preached. By the very same preaching of God's Word, God's people are edified, but this too is a byproduct of preaching God's Word for God's glory. The point is that God is glorified when His wisdom, power, majesty and grace are proclaimed, even though human beings may pay scant attention to this proclamation. As Paul says about the Word of God, "what if some did not believe, will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God of no effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true and every man a liar" (Romans 3:3-4).

The Word of God is central to worship because worship is by its nature fellowship between God and His people. In worship, we enter into God's presence, we bow down before Him in our hearts and minds, and we listen obediently to His Word (these points are taught clearly in Psalm 95, verses 2, 6 and 7-8, respectively). The Lord Jesus Christ said, "they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Well, spiritual fellowship is carried on by words, which is why Christ speaks in this text about truth. What happens in worship is that God speaks His truth to us in His Word, and we respond to Him in words of our own, that is, in words of prayer and hymn and confession. Worship is God's cov­enant conversation of fellowship with His people. Because worship is a conversation between the Almighty King and Savior and His servants, the central word is God's Word. What is most essential to worship is that God speaks and we listen obediently to that Word. As David says, "today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Psalm 95:7-8).

Parallel with this teaching of God's Word being the central element of worship is that the purpose of worship is the dedication of human life to God. In worship human beings are to take the world God has given them and dedicate it spiritually to the glory of God. As David says in 1 Chronicles 16:29 "Give to the Lord the glory due to His name, bring an offering and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." The offering is a gift of thanksgiving, giving back to God a part of what He has given us, and thus dedicating all that we have to His service and glory.

It should be no great surprise that a very important part of this dedication of all things to God, is "the word of God and prayer." In 1 Timothy 4:4-5, Paul teaches us that "every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified (dedicated to God) by the word of God and prayer." It is especially in the spiritual exercises of listening obediently to God's Word and responding to Him in prayer that we dedicate our lives and all that we have to His glory.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

God's Word is God's power in creation. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. To create, God spoke directly, He did not use human intermediaries to proclaim His creating word. Nevertheless, God's Word does not loose its power when God uses prophets and preachers to proclaim it. Going back to 1 Peter 1, we find the apostle concluding about God's Word, "But the word of the Lord endures forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you" (1 Peter 1:25). It is still true today that, "the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The Word of God has not lost its power when it comes to worship either. In his discussion of Word-centered worship in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul concludes, "But if all prophesy (speaking God's Word), and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced of all, he is judged by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you" (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). This is so true that Paul also says, "In the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue" (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Dear brothers and sisters, is the Word of God truly at the center of your worship? Not only is the pulpit at the center of your church building, but is listening to God's Word why you really come? Are you intent on worshiping God by listening obediently to His Word? Do your prayers come from an empty heart or are they real responses to the beloved Word of God? Listen to God in the preaching of His Word, and He will listen to your prayers!