The Preaching of God's Word (1)

Sin works destructively. It causes separation between God and man, so that by nature we are prone to hate God and our neighbor. In regeneration, the Lord not only renews the heart of the elect, but also restores him into His communion, and places him in His spiritual body, thus making him a living member of the church which He has purchased with his own blood.

In the Apostles’s Creed four characteristics of the church are mentioned — it is one, holy, catholic, and Christian. It is not my intention to write about these marks, as they are explained in the catechism sermons.

In addition to the marks we have mentioned, which refer to the essence of the church, its revelation is characterized by its special marks. The Belgic Confession of Faith mentions three marks by which the church in its revelation is characterized:

1. the maintaining of the pure doctrine of the Gospel,

2. the pure administration of the sacraments instituted by Christ, and

3. the maintaining of church discipline.

By these marks the true church can be distinguished from the false, although we never must think the church militant can be perfect. The true church can be known in its manifestation by its biblical characteristics, the first of which is the pure preaching of the Word. Not one of the church’s three marks can be missed, although preaching is so important for the church. Think only of the church of Rome where the preaching of God’s Word vanished and little of the truth is left; it has become a false church. Therefore it is of the utmost importance for us to examine closely the preaching of our days.

Do You Understand What You Read?

This was the well-known question of Philip to the Eunuch of Candace. No, he did not understand and, therefore, needed an interpreter. So there can be many questions among us also. On Sunday you do not see this so much: the church is more or less filled, dependent upon the weather.

In general people listen very attentively. You would think that they are all in spiritual unity with the preacher. But when you come on house visitation you often find the opposite. The two hundred sermons which they could have heard since the last house visitation did not change much, did not convince this hearer. Of course we all know that we are not able to convert one person as this is the work of the Lord.

It becomes evident that most sermons neither affect the heart, nor reach the mind. They did not comprehend what was preached to them. May I say it this way: the hearers are lucky they do not have to take a test on the sermons they have heard. The Lord Jesus Himself described the result of preaching in the parable of the seed, which fell on four different places. This was not to discourage the disciples that their labor would be completely in vain. No, but much of the preaching would not be fruitful to the hearers, although there will always be a remnant that will be called by the Lord through the foolishness of preaching.

Although we do not have to take a test on what we have heard here, once we have to give an account before God based on what we have heard and then no excuse will stand before Him. If preaching was unfruitful in our life we cannot blame the Lord, but we will be lost by our own fault, for we did not want to listen to the Word of God.

Think of the prophet Ezekiel, a famous preacher. The people did not want to miss one of his words, but what did the Lord say of the fruit on his work? Read Ezekiel 33:30–33 which I will paraphrase. The one says to the other: “Come and let us go and listen to Ezekiel, who has a message from the Lord.” After they have heard him, they will not practice what they heard.

Nevertheless, preaching will not be in vain; there will be a church to the end of this world that is called by the Lord out of free grace. Such persons begin to long for the pure preaching of God’s Word. What kind of preaching is this? They want to hear the ways of the Lord with His people; they begin to ask for the old paths.

Must the Emphasis in Preaching be on the Explanation of God’s Word or on its Application?

To Martin Luther is ascribed the following saying: “A preacher must be at home in three books: the Book of God, the book of man’s heart and the book of his time.” The better a preacher is at home in God’s Word, knows the encampment of his flock, the questions of man’s heart, and the spirit of his time, the better he will be able to preach the Word with the enlightening power of the Holy Spirit.

Preaching is neither telling a Bible story, nor only an academic explanation of Scripture, but a proclamation of what God has to say to us to our exhortation, instruction, or comfort. When God’s Word is explained, it must be applied to sin, and present needs and questions.

This means that explanation and application must go together. It forces a minister to study and to be on his knees before the Lord for light from on high. Material for application can be increased by speaking to young and old in the congregation about questions of faith and life. Those visits can have a double profit for the preacher: He learns to preach more pastorally and will be more easily understood. There must be an application at the end of the sermon, but the application must also be mixed through the whole sermon, which method is followed by the Apostles and Reformers. Someone said: “You do not sprinkle salt at the end of the meal, but it must be mixed through the food.” Thus, the application must be throughout the sermon. When the Lord gives light in preaching out of the explanation of God’s Word will flow experience for which Cod’s people are waiting so that they may examine their own life in the light of the Word. Are you also waiting for this in reading services or under preaching?

Preaching Experience

What is the meaning of the word, experience? According to the dictionary it is something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through.

What is then the preaching of experience? We can say it simply: It is the preaching of conversion. Has this always been preached or is this something of recent times?

God’s Word is an experiential book, wherein is emphasized that we must not only with our mind know about God and ourselves, but must live it in and through under the administration of the Holy Ghost. So the prophets, the Great Prophet and the apostles have spoken of the necessity of regeneration in our life, which is experienced. This word is literally used by Paul in his letter to the Romans, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Rom. 5:2–3).

Now it is possible you will ask, “Has such preaching always existed?” Yes, we can find in God’s Word how the Lord leads his people. This was taught by the apostles and later on by the church fathers. Unfortunately this has not continued as we can see in church history. In the first century in the midst of persecutions the church grew in number, spread throughout the Roman empire and the Word was preached even among barbarian tribes. A new era began for Christians in the year 313 with the Edict of Milan, which granted Christians the same rights as the followers of other religions. It even became an honor to be a Christian and it gave material advantages, so many became Christian in name only. Eventually the world invaded the church which had great influence on life-style, but gradually it affected preaching as well. Doctrine deteriorated more and more, so that nearly nothing was left of God’s Word, although there have always been men who defended the truth.

Much changed in the Reformation, but in the seventeenth century there was much “doctrine-holiness” in the church, as there had been “work-holiness” before the Reformation. The latter falsely rests on his good works. In the first case, people trust in the pure doctrine they confess and make it a ground of salvation. The church leaders were very careful that no false doctrine would come in the church, which is good in itself; we must be careful, for false doctrine can creep in so easily. When we make a ground of our pure doctrine we easily can become proud and do not feel the necessity of conversion. It does not result in a new relationship between God and our own heart, which is indispensable for travelling to eternity.

Rationalism came into the church, human intellect came to the foreground, the human mind decided what is good and bad about revealed truth and so God was dethroned. Happily this movement was resisted by the men of the second Reformation, also called the “old writers,” about which we hope to write more another time, D.V.

When the Lord gives light in preaching, out of the explanation of God’s Word will flow experience for which God’s people are waiting so that they may examine their own life in the light of the Word. Are you also waiting for this in reading services or under preaching?

Rev. A.M. Den Boer is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Sioux Center, Iowa.

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