Publisher's Synopsis
Friends readers, This book has been prepared to help preachers both young and old to better focus on their audience.In Luke 11: 1, 18, we read that Jesus once prayed in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.We find no such request for preaching: "Lord, teach us to preach! Yet we believe that if there is one model the apostles most followed in their ministry, it is that of Christ.We would have liked the disciples to have made such a request. We would all have benefited from the advice of the great master of preachers. Indeed, the life and teaching of Jesus gives us lessons that can revolutionize our ministry of preaching. Let us observe with Pastor Moris Dereck:1. The preacher must preach the Word with the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus affirms that the Spirit of the Lord appointed him to preach the good news of salvation (Lk 4:18). Would it be too bold to say that we cannot preach the word of God without first being anointed by his Spirit? Jesus told his disciples (student preachers) to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the promise from the father (Acts 1.8). After being anointed at Pentecost, the disciples preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.Etienne is a good example. He is described as "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6.5), and also as "full of faith and power" (v. 8). When Stephen preached, his listeners "could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (v. 10). Even Etienne's non-verbal communication was irrefutable testimony "All those who sat on the Sanhedrin having fixed eyes on Etienne, their faces appeared to them like those of an angel" (v.15). His life demonstrated that when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, he has great power. He preached with holy audacity (Ac 4.29-31; 13.6-12).If we follow the teaching of Jesus as found in Lk 11.7-13 and Jn 14.2-18, each of us can confidently declare that "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach ".2. The preparation of the sermon must be bathed in prayer Jesus, the Master of Preachers, spent a lot of time in prayer. As he prepared to preach in the synagogues of Galilee, the Lord got up early in the morning, retired to a solitary place and prayed (Mk 1.35-39). Before preaching his sermon on the bread of life, Jesus spent hours in prayer (Mt 14.23-25). For him, preaching and praying went hand in hand. His disciples (student preachers) also realized that those who preached the word of God also had to spend time praying (Acts 6: 4). The intense moments of prayer that the disciples experienced before Pentecost were not only intended to prepare them to receive the Holy Spirit. It was also an essential condition for preaching with power.The apostle Paul affirmed the importance of prayer in the preparation and delivery of the sermon. He made a special request for an intercessory prayer (Eph 6.19). He understood that without prayer, he could not "speak confidently" (v.20).The lack of power of biblical preaching among us is directly related to the lack of power of our prayers. Peter's denial in the courtyard of the high priest's palace illustrates a disturbing truth: our testimony will be devoid of power if we sleep instead of pray.The lesson is clear. Pray, to be guided by God before you start preparing your sermon. Pray while you work on your sermon. Pray when you preach. Learn from the example of Jesus, that a powerful preaching is built first on prayer. Bathe the preparation and deliverance of your sermon in prayer.3. He must preach the word of God rather than his opinion Jesus proclaimed the word of God, both in his words and in his life. Boldly he declared: "The word which you hear is not mine, but that of the Father who sent me" (Jn 14:24). While praying for his disciples, he said to his father, "I have given them your word" (Jn 17:14)..... etc.
