Don’t preach at me. Whether you’ve heard it, seen it, said it, or thought it, chances are you’ve encountered this sentiment in the 21st-century West. How should churches respond to our culture’s allergy to preaching and preachiness? Is there a wiser, more effective alternative to the old-fashioned pulpit monologue?
In this new video, John Piper, Voddie Baucham, and Miguel Núñez discuss the place of preaching compared to other forms of communication today. “Preaching will always be relevant because there is no higher or better opinion than the voice of God,” Núñez contends. “As long as we are creatures and he is the Creator, we’re going to be in need of what he has revealed.” Okay, Piper says, but why preaching? Is it not possible to honor the Bible’s authority and necessity another way? The answer, Baucham suggests, has to do with the differences inherent between preaching and teaching. For example, preaching isn’t just about speaking forth, he explains; it’s about calling forth. It uniquely demands a response.
To be sure, the one in the pulpit must submit to the authoritative weight of Scripture every bit as much as the one in the pew. “I don’t preach what God says to them,” Baucham remarks. “I preach what God says to us.” As Núñez adds, “We are just servants, stewards—microphones in his hand.”
Watch the full 11-minute video to hear these seasoned gospel heralds discuss the problem with eisegesis, the title young pastors no longer use to describe themselves, the humility of exposition, and more.
