The godly ones felt it was to be a top horizontal priority.
We are to witness for Jesus and preach Jesus in a non-pushy or preachy sort of way where people feel pressured.
Preaching Must Be Our Horizontal Priority As Well, Believer.
This message must first be heard - those who preach it will have “beautiful feet.”
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
For over forty years, I have had the privilege of ministering God’s Word—in a couple mega churches and in humble classrooms and living rooms. I'm a grayheaded guy now, but I pray and do my best to encourage people in the Lord.. and to come to the Lord.. or come back to Him. I want people to be edified by the Holy Spirit from the Scriptures.
One truth becomes undeniable: it is the preaching of God’s Word that changes lives. This is how He chooses to make Himself known.
God left behind a preaching church and not a chain of restaurants or law offices. Nothing more.. a church.
God could have come to us in endless ways. Jesus could have painted the skies up with clear images of His glory. I love all the colors he puts accross our skies!
Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Nature whispers of God and His truth, yet it is preaching the gospel that God has prioritized for His people, it's the channel through which His Spirit touches hearts most powerfully and God gets all the credit for that.
Paul affirms this: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
Stirred to Use Your Gift and Speak What's True.
Have you ever felt righteous indignation at sin in your life on in the life of another who is hurting others? That holy unrest, the grief that grips your soul when you see a world drifting farther and farther away into lies and darkness.. should be there!
Paul felt it when in Athens. Acts 17:16 says, “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” Some translations call it “provoked in his spirit,” ..“exasperated” by the sin, or even “hot and mad” ..not at people. This was holy zeal, not anger, a divine stirring that compelled him to good actions.
Does it grieve you to see generations ripped off spiritually? To see them repeating the same old destructive paths their parents or forefathers did? To see people buying so many lies the previous generation believed? That grief is of God. It's part of His call as he calls each of us closer and closer to Himself: “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). Without a burden (a genuine heartfelt concern) for the lost, no amount of professional training or memorized verses will matter, or amount to a hill of beans (and I am not against good education or training. Hundreds around me have much better education than I have had. So many around me are very effective fishers of men and women).
John Wesley once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”
What's your prayer life like? Do you pray for opportunities to witness and preach or teach the Bible to people who are willing to listen? You have not because you ask not. Could that be said of you regarding your prayers? The urgency to proclaim and minister God’s Word must rise from deep within us--from the indwelling Holy Spirit cuz that's His passion to see us preaching Christ without watering it down.
The Power of the Preached Word is Unmeasureable -- God Can Do More With It Than We Think He Can
On Mars Hill, Paul could have relied on drama skills or music more—the Greeks loved a public spectacle. But he preached the gospel in a creative way. He built a bridge and didn't burn a bridge. He had an understanding with them, reasoning, so they would fail to have a misunderstanding.
Could you preach through song if you were gifted to sing? Man, I think you could. Nothing rivals the power of God’s Word bodly proclaimed. Herr Martin Luther called music the “handmaiden of theology.” This could be an aid to help it, this is beautifully illustrating the point: worship can inspire people, but clear preaching can be used of God to regenerate and transform them. Pray, don't just say what others have said. You want God to bless others through you with anointed preaching or witnessing.
I confess: I never wanted to preach. I wanted to surf until I was too old to surf. As a religious altar boy in the Roman church, I didn't have anything to say in regards to public speaking and winning souls. Religion says do good, be good and hope you get into heaven one day.
I'm not interested in religion anymore. Yet the first times I preached on a beach and a Jamaican street and then in their churches for a summer, God’s Spirit moved, not just in others, but in me too. Lives were touched (I was told) and they responded to the gospel message. This is the power Paul described: “It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
You might not be called into a full-time career ministry (like on some far away mission field or here in the USA domestically), but all Christians are called to minister the word and witness for Jesus. Everyone whom Jesus called, He called openly and publicly. I've enjoyed doing both far away in Eastern and Western Europe, in South America full-time, and as a tent-maker minister domestically. All Christians are to be full-time, yes full-time ministers. It's mostly fun to serve the Lord and it's hard work as well. There are times when the Lord might lead you to preach and teach, or teach and preach some with the same message.
Daily there is a time to live for Jesus and add words.
(I enjoy both types, verse by verse or on topics)
There are indeed people for each of us to minister to.
I enjoy much of the arts, not all that's call art. Yes, some have their place with real art. Some of it needs to go into the trash can. Some music lifts the heart, and some design inspires the eye, and I'm convinced that good creativity celebrates God’s glory. But preaching the Word opens ears, softens stony hard hearts, and saves souls (God blesses His Word to people, and uses it that way).
Be accurate, be compassionate, be saved! Don't preach until you are really saved and have an assurance of this. Come as you are to Christ in repentance and faith, so called reverends and ministers. Don't preach another time until the great preacher -- the Holy Spirit lives big on the inside of you. Good churchy works, titles, or "seniority" shouldn't give you an assurance inside.
People from every land matter. Charles Spurgeon was a preacher and he reminded other preachers, “A sermon is not a lecture, it is a message from God to man.” When you pray and deliver God's message as it is written, it carries God’s full authority; the Word is unstoppable.
I Respectfully Challenge You To Witness And Preach The Gospel.. To Win Souls
Statistics during these last days remind us that our world is increasingly indifferent to truth. George Barna reports that fewer than one in four Americans regularly read the Bible, and only 1 in 10 share their faith with non-believers. Yet every generation needs the gospel anew.
Every heart needs the living hope that only the living Word (Christ) can bring. There is not spiritual growth for anyone apart from the Word of God.
You mission is clear, and my mission is clear: 1.) Live the life in relationship with God through Christ and 2.) Proclaim the Word boldly, lovingly, tactfully, respectfully, and persistently for decisions so that people will start wanting to get saved. That's who Jesus saves. Let your heart be stirred by the serious plight of the lost, really moved by righteous indignation at how sin and Satan rip people off, and filled with holy zeal to see God's churches planted -- yes, Kingdom expansion. Ask God to use you. Ask Him to ignite a fire within you -- that same passion that drove/compelled Paul to preach under the shadow of dumb idols.
Sadly, some preachers love a big crowd, but they don't love individual people. That's just wrong.. even if the prep and delivery of a message can be more pleasurable (it's like an art) than hearing their painful problems. It's true, see how they do one one-on-one before or after the service. Do they always quickly ditch individuals? Shepherds are to love and feed God's sheep, not fleece, beat, or ditch them. They are not to be competitive or mean with each other.
“All the world is awake with the sound of music, but the Word of God alone awakens the soul.” ~ Fanny Crosby
“Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” ~ Billy Graham
Christian, you are to be a tool in God's hand, a vessel to pour through. And words are the vessel too, but the Spirit is the power.
Need a takeaway from all my peachiness here?
Preaching the word (all the counsels of God) is not optional for the local church. It is central to God’s plan for making Himself known around the world. It is the heartbeat of the church, the lever of soul-winning transformation, and the conduit (God uses for) salvation. Whether we stand on grand stages, street corners, or in intimate lecture rooms, the call remains the same: God and His promises haven't changed, and proclaiming God’s Word with courage, with love, with accuracy, with care for His people, and with unwavering faith is imperative.
Let us give and commit ourselves anew to Him, to His Book, to trusting that the Gospel we preach is alive, is powerful, and is sharper than any two-edged sword. Cuz that's what God says:
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
Help us Lord, to be faithful and fruitful in witnessing this way. I know that's what you expect freom us believers. Let our lives be a testament to Your truth and Love, our preaching a spark that lights a big blaze of faith in lonely hearts longing for hope.
“There are over 190 Bible verses that refer to preaching” — thus preaching is a core biblical phenomenon, not optional.
Preaching across the ages has held both warning (judgment) and hope (kingdom of God)
I. Old Testament Preachers — Heralds of God’s Message
1. Noah – “A preacher of righteousness.”
Verse: 2 Peter 2:5 – “[God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others…”
Message: Warned of judgment and preached repentance before the Flood.
“Noah preached for 120 years and saw no converts—yet he obeyed God.” – Unknown
2. Moses – Proclaimed God’s law and deliverance.
Verses: Deut 32:1–3; Ex 3:10–12.
Message: Declared God’s covenant, redemption, and warnings to Israel.
“Moses was not eloquent, but obedient—and God made his rod mightier than Pharaoh’s sword.” – Charles Spurgeon
3. Samuel – Called Israel to repentance and holiness.
Verse: 1 Sam 7:3–4 – “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart…serve Him only.”
“The preacher’s task is not popularity but purity.” – Vance Havner
4. Elijah – Bold prophet confronting sin and idolatry.
Verse: 1 Kings 18:21 – “How long halt ye between two opinions?”
“Elijah’s sermons were short, sharp, and straight—thunder before the rain.” – R.G. Lee
5. Elisha – Preached God’s power and mercy.
Verse: 2 Kings 6:17 – “LORD, open his eyes that he may see.”
Message: Demonstrated the living God through miracles and truth.
6. Jonah – Preached repentance to Nineveh.
Verse: Jonah 3:2 – “Preach to it the message that I tell you.”
“God can take a reluctant preacher and bring a city to its knees.” – Billy Graham
7. Isaiah – Preached holiness, judgment, and hope.
Verses: Isa 6:8–9; Isa 61:1–2.
“Isaiah preached with the grandeur of heaven and the gravity of eternity.” – J. Vernon McGee
8. Jeremiah – Weeping prophet proclaiming judgment and renewal.
Verse: Jer 1:7, 10.
“Jeremiah had fire in his bones; may every preacher have the same.” – Leonard Ravenhill
9. Ezekiel – Preacher to exiles, warning and restoring hope.
Verse: Ezek 2:7 – “You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or refuse.”
“The true preacher speaks whether men will hear or not, because God has spoken.” – A.W. Tozer
10. Amos – Shepherd-preacher declaring justice.
Verse: Amos 3:8 – “The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”
“A man with a message from God cannot remain silent.” – John Wesley
11. Micah – Preached against corruption, calling for mercy and humility.
Verse: Mic 6:8.
12. John the Baptist – The voice crying in the wilderness.
Verse: Matt 3:1–2 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
“John the Baptist was a burning and shining light; may God make us the same.” – D.L. Moody
II. New Testament Preachers
13. Jesus Christ – The Supreme Preacher
Verses:
Mark 1:14–15 – “Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.”
Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach…”
“Jesus Christ was the greatest preacher who ever lived; He spoke as one having authority.” – Charles Spurgeon
14. Peter – Preached boldly after Pentecost.
Verses: Acts 2:14–41; Acts 3:19.
“The fisherman became a fisher of men through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – R.A. Torrey
15. Stephen – The first martyr-preacher.
Verse: Acts 7:2–60 – A powerful sermon recounting Israel’s history and pointing to Christ.
“Stephen’s sermon was his death sentence—and his crown.” – John Stott
16. Philip the Evangelist – Preached in Samaria and to the Ethiopian.
Verses: Acts 8:5, 35.
“True preaching always leads souls to Jesus, not to the preacher.” – Vance Havner
17. Paul – The apostle-preacher to the Gentiles.
Verses: Acts 20:24; 2 Tim 4:2.
“Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” – (1 Cor 9:16)
“A prepared preacher is better than a polished one.” – Charles Spurgeon
18. Apollos – Eloquent preacher mighty in the Scriptures.
Verse: Acts 18:24–28.
Quote: “Apollos was mighty in Scripture before he was mighty in the pulpit.” – John MacArthur
19. Barnabas – Preacher of encouragement and faith.
Verse: Acts 11:22–24.
20. Timothy – Paul’s son in the faith, called to preach faithfully.
Verse: 2 Tim 4:2 – “Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season.”
Quote: “Timothy was to preach the Word, not opinions, not fables, not trends.” – John Stott
21. Titus – Preacher on Crete establishing sound doctrine.
Verse: Titus 2:1, 15.
III. Great Christian Quotes on Preaching
“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God.” – Martin Luther
“It is not a sermon if it does not make the devils tremble.” – John Knox
“Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“If you have no passion for souls, you have no business preaching.” – Leonard Ravenhill
“The pulpit is never to be used to display the preacher, but to exalt the Redeemer.” – Charles Spurgeon
“Preach as a dying man to dying men.” – Richard Baxter
“A sermon born in the head reaches the head; a sermon born in the heart reaches the heart.” – John Wesley
Preaching Passages & Statistics
| Passage | Content | Insight/Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus Christ – Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Wikipedia+1 | The commencement of Jesus’s public preaching ministry. | Shows that preaching is central to His ministry from the start. |
| John the Baptist (Luke 3:3) – “He went into the whole region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus Everyday+1 | Example of preaching of repentance and the coming kingdom. | A model for the preacher’s call to declare God’s message. |
| Apostle Paul the Apostle – 1 Corinthians 9:16: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” Sarata+1 | The sense of urgency and obligation in Christian preaching. | A strong reminder of our responsibility in proclaiming the Word. |
| Preaching-verses overall – There are over 190 Bible verses that reference preaching (not counting all instances of proclamation in narrative) propreacher.com+1 | Indicates the weight of preaching throughout Scripture. | Useful for sermon-preparation: we are well-grounded in the biblical text. |
| Sermon topics usage (2021 data) – According to analysis of more than 91,000 sermons: the most popular passages were John 3:16, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 1:8 etc. Lifeway Research | Insight into what pastors are preaching on now. | For your teaching/concierge role this helps align with current Christian conversation. |
* Preacher Profiles – Key Figures & Their Messages
Here are a few selected from the exhaustive list, refined for teaching use:
| Name | Preaching Passage(s) | Key Message | Distinguishing Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noah | 2 Peter 2:5 – “Noah… a preacher of righteousness.” | Preaching in advance of judgment; righteousness before God. | “Noah preached for 120 years and saw no converts — yet he obeyed God.” |
| Moses | Exodus 3:10-12; Deuteronomy 32:1-3 | Deliverance, covenant, law and mercy. | “Moses was not eloquent, but obedient — and God made his rod mightier than Pharaoh’s sword.” |
| Isaiah | Isaiah 61:1-2; Isaiah 6:8-9 | Holiness, judgment, hope, the coming Messiah. | “Isaiah preached with the grandeur of heaven and the gravity of eternity.” |
| Jesus Christ | Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15 | The good news of the kingdom, repentance, God’s reign. | “Jesus Christ was the greatest preacher who ever lived; He spoke as one having authority.” |
| Peter (apostle) | Acts 2:14-41 | Arrival of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s resurrection, call to repent. | “The fisherman became a fisher of men through the power of the Holy Ghost.” |
| Paul the Apostle | 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Cor 9:16; Romans 10:15 | Evangelism, the gospel of grace, necessity of preaching. | “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” |
| Apollos | Acts 18:24-28 | Eloquent in Scriptures, ministry of doctrine and boldness. | “Apollos was mighty in Scripture before he was mighty in the pulpit.” |
