I read this startling quote from a prominent Reformed Baptist pastor giving a lecture on preaching, “You should prepare your sermon so that, if the Holy Spirit doesn’t show up, at least the people will have heard a good lecture.”
No! No! No!
It is the Holy Spirit who must teach us….and lead us unto all truth…or what we are doing is worthless stubble.
Jesus was clear on this: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit must guide me in my studies and preparation or the sermon on Sunday is but “sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” If the Holy Spirit is not empowering the preaching of the Word, it is just the words of man and will fall on deaf ears and be as seed scattered on stone. If the Holy Spirit is not applying the Word in the hearts and minds of the hearers, no faith will be produced.
Without the Holy Spirit there is no ministry of the Word and there will be no faith, no sanctification and no worship.
Here is how the Westminster Confession puts it: “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.”
A wonderful lecture without the Holy Spirit will accomplish nothing, but even a lousy lecture empowered by the Holy Spirit can transform the most depraved soul. Without the Holy Spirit we have nothing!
Please pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth and empower the preaching of God’s Word to the edification of our souls and graciously lead us in worship of the Living God.
Comments are closed.