Luke 1:4 (KJV)
That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Recently, I contrasted speaking under persecution—where Jesus instructed the disciples not to give thought to what they would say so that the Holy Spirit would speak through them—with preaching, which I compared to Luke 1:1-4.
Preaching ought to be:
• Prepared
• Studied out
• Researched
• Investigated
The preacher’s purpose should be that both he and his congregation might know “the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.”
I note that Luke did not leave it up to Theophilus to do the study.[1] Instead, Luke took it upon himself to do that work on his behalf. It appears that Theophilus had already been instructed in Gospel truth, and Luke’s purpose was to reinforce and confirm what he had been taught.
Preaching and teaching serve this purpose. It’s “line upon line” work—going over the same instructions again and again, confirming and reconfirming, placing things in order and then ordering them again. The preacher's task is to deliver the truths of the Word of God in such a way that the congregation is persuaded, convinced, and convicted. They know the Word of God. They know it for certain. And they are certain of its truth.
Preaching includes an element that teaching does not—application. Preaching involves a call to do something with what has been taught.
It occurrs to me that while Luke never explicitly stated that application was his purpose—and in fact, there is no written application in his Gospel—the Holy Spirit of God often provides one for the student of this book.
The best application in any sermon is not merely the one the preacher has prepared and presented (though he should certainly do both). The best application is the one the Holy Spirit impresses upon the souls of those who hear.
#BiblicalPreaching #CertaintyInTruth #StudiedPreaching #SpiritLedApplication #LineUponLine
The Certainty of Preaching: Studied, Prepared, and Spirit-Led
[1] Not that he should do not study but that Luke “improved upon” that study through his ministry. A pastor’s message is only as profitable as the foundation of his congregation’s own work.
What do you believe is the most important element of a strong sermon—preparation, application, or the work of the Holy Spirit? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Choose a passage of Scripture and outline how you would teach or preach it, ensuring it is prepared, studied, researched, and investigated just as Luke did.
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Luke 1:4 (KJV) The Certainty of Preaching
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