The proclamation of the gospel is the great task of my life. It is a weighty task and one of great privilege and joy. To remind myself of the gravity of the calling, I have put these things on the inside of the Bible to look over before I open the Word and teach.
“All
scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16
Preach the point of
the passage.
Open the Bible and
tell the people what it means with all of my heart.
Biblical identity is
shaped in community as the Word is preached.
Give the people the
mind of Christ through the Word.
The Scripture is the
voice of the church. Speak, meditate,
read, & proclaim.
Explain the
Scriptures with gravity and skill.
Significant
preaching comes from a mighty life of prayer.
Teach everything He
has commanded. – Matthew 28:20 & Acts 20:27
The Scripture always
accomplishes its purpose. Isaiah 55:10-11
Give the sense so
that the people understand the reading.
Nehemiah 8:8
“Let us not take
into our heads either to seek out God anywhere else than in His sacred Word, or
think about Him that is not prompted by His Word, or to speak anything that is
not taken from that Word”. John Calvin
Prayer is the
necessity to an effective life and sermon.
“…the Word of God is
not bound…” 2 Timothy 2:8
Before I speak on
God’s behalf, I need that Word to wash over me.
When I know
something is what God truly says, then I must live and proclaim them.
My heart must
tremble at His Word!
Declare only the
standard of God’s Word, so we will only have one standard.
My life will be a
product of my view of Christ and response to His Word.
I need more than
head knowledge, I need my heart penetrated by truth.
Preach the Word only
after being in God’s presence.
I am called to pray
just as much, if not more, as I am called to preach.
My sermon should be
stained by the depth and breath of my prayers.
I will study and
preach well when I have prayed well.
The Scriptures are
sufficient enough for us to know the truth.
Preach in such a way
that people have more of a sense of God’s greatness.
“The great design
and intention of the office of a Christian preacher is to restore the throne
and dominion of God in the souls of men.”
Cotton Mather
Be a man who is
competent in the Scriptures.
Never relax the
commandments. Matthew 5:19
Devote myself to the
public reading of scripture. 1 Timothy
4:13
Keep a close watch
on yourself and on the teaching. Persist
in this, for by doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy
4:16
