What are You Preaching?

Good question right? The question is “What is it that you are preaching?” I'm not just talking to or about preachers here. You do realize that, yes, there is an office of pastor, who is to preach, but everyone is to preach (1 Peter 3:15).

So what is it that we are to be preaching? This is not a trick question, and the answer is just one word. Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s Christ Jesus. That’s right, it’s the person and work of Jesus Christ. We are to preach Christ, and him crucified. The apostle Paul says it pretty clear, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

Now, I think that most that will read this would agree emphatically. But have you listened to your pastor lately and what he preaches? Have you listened and examined what it is that you are preaching to your children? Now I know that you don’t want to necessarily “preach” to your children as a pastor would from a pulpit.

Let me get to the point of what I’m getting at with an example in what we “preach” to our children. Let’s say that your child gets into trouble at school and was caught stealing or cheating on an exam. When he gets home what is going to be the main point of your message that you will communicate? Is it “Little Johnny, you were a bad boy because good boys don’t steal or cheat. You have made mommy and daddy very upset and are extremely disappointed in you, and we didn’t raise you to act like this.” That, I would submit to you, is how most parents would generally address the situation. However, all that focuses on is the morality of little Johnny and not the person of Jesus Christ.

A Biblical way to address the situation with the centrality of Christ might look like this: “Little Johnny, your actions today in cheating and stealing are very serious as you have disobeyed what God clearly tells you not to do in the Bible (Ex. 20:15; Hos. 12:7; Amos 8:5; Eph. 6:2 etc.). That’s what the Bible calls sin and why God had to send His Son to die for. This is very serious and greatly disappoints Jesus.” We could go on and further explain this to Johnny, but my point is, we need to preach Christ and not morality. Jesus needs to be central in all we preach.

The same is true from the pulpit. Many pastors tend to preach a self-help message that is more focused on morality that the person and word of Jesus Christ. When we preach on marriage, it’s easy to give three points on how we are to communicate, love, and be committed to one another. Instead, let’s preach that when we communicate, love, or are not committed to one another that our relationship with Christ is first and foremost not right – it’s called sin. We need to then repent and make our relationship with Christ right and honor and glorify Him. Then we are to obey His command and remain committed to one another as He is committed to us. We will love one another as He first loved us and gave His life as a ransom. We will communicate in a loving and respectful way as our marriage is a picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So let’s “sanctify the Lord God in [our] hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

May that answer be centered on the person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.