Preaching Ministry

I am constantly trying to improve the "preaching ministry" component of my role as Senior Minister. Consequently, I'm always on the lookout for what people are saying about the gift of preaching. Today I ran across a great quote from Philip Jensen is the Anglican archbishop of Sydney and an influential evangelical leader.

"The present debate about human sexuality often betrays a failure to grasp how the interlocking teaching of scripture in Old and New Testaments can be brought to bear on contemporary life. The Bible is read subjectively, or as an endless succession of small segments without a proper connecting link or a single voice. The lack of a proper approach to the Bible prevents its message ever impacting on the church. You cannot say with authority, 'The Bible says . . . ' Once people lose confidence in the word of God, the preaching ministry of the church is lost. Once the preaching ministry is lost, the world's message is heard in the church, instead of the church's message heard in the world. Then the churches decline."

Listen to that last part again.

"Once people lose confidence in the word of God, the preaching ministry of the church is lost. Once the preaching ministry is lost, the world's message is heard in the church, instead of the church's message heard in the world. Then the churches decline."

Wow!

Dear God, give me confidence in Your Word.