Epilogue
This book was originally published under the title I Believe in Preaching. That title expresses a strong personal conviction. I do believe in preaching. I believe that true, biblical preaching is the one thing that can restore health and energy to the church and lead its members into maturity in Christ.
Certainly there are objections to it, which we have tried to face. But there are even stronger theological arguments for it, which we have tried to express. Certainly, the task of preaching today is extremely difficult, as we seek to build bridges between the word and the world, between divine revelation and human experience. So God calls us anew to give more time to study and to preparation. He calls us anew to decide to preach with sincerity, earnestness, courage and humility.
The privilege is great, the responsibility heavy, the temptations many and the standards high. How can we hope to respond adequately?
I would like to share with you a simple secret. I myself struggle to remember it, but whenever I am made aware of it, I find it extremely helpful. It begins with the negative point made in Psalm 139: wherever we go, we cannot escape from God. But the psalm continues with the positive message that, wherever we are, “even there” his right hand leads and holds us. Moreover, his “loving eye” is on us, and his ears are open to our words and prayers (Ps. 32:8; 34:15; 1 Pet. 3:12). This truth is important for every Christian, but it is especially important to the preacher, as Jeremiah and Paul confirm.
Jeremiah: “What passes my lips is open before you.” (Jer. 17:16)
Paul: “In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.” (2 Cor. 2:17)
“We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ.” (2 Cor. 12:19)
True, we preach in the sight and the hearing of people, and they challenge us to be faithful. But much more challenging is the awareness that we preach in the sight and hearing of God. He sees what we do; he listens to what we say. To him all hearts are open and from him no secrets are hidden. Nothing will rid us of laziness and coldness, of hypocrisy, cowardice and pride more than the knowledge that God sees, hears and takes note.
May God grant us a more constant and clear awareness of his presence. God grant that when we preach, we may become even more conscious that he sees and hears, and that this knowledge will inspire us to faithfulness!