SHARE IT - CONNECTING WITH EACH OTHER:

Pass out sections of a newspaper to everyone in your group. Ask each person to read through their section and pick out one sentence that uses words in a powerful way. The sentence could be encouraging, biting, sarcastic, or hopeful—it doesn't matter, as long as the words communicate powerfully.

When everyone has chosen, ask for volunteers to read their sentences out loud. As a group, discuss the ways in which each set of words demonstrates power.

Follow-up questions:

From what source do you most often encounter powerful words? When was the last time you wrote or spoke words that you considered to be

powerful? Why is it important to write or speak words without apology?

GO DEEP - CONNECTING TO SCRIPTURE, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2 Timothy 4:2

Preaching Defined:

o In the Greco Roman world a herald or preacher was a person of the royal court commissioned by the ruler to get out a message with a strong and resonant voice. What he did, which was termed, “kerysso”, stressed the gravity and authority which must be listened to and obeyed. “Because I proclaimed it you must listen and do it!”

o This word, when used in biblical text and in classical Greek literature, emphasizes not the proclaimer but the manner and content proclaimed.

o A second word, “evangelizo”, gave the idea of heralding but the message of the gospel is explicit in the word rather than implicit in the content as it was in the word “kerysso”.

o In the use of both terms, God’s message is concerned only with faithful transmission of the message so the intended audience hears it. Biblical New Testament Preaching, then, is much less about the person or place it happens and more about how God wants His message given.

The New Testament gives us incredible clarity on exactly how God expects His message to be given and it warns us that the focus is not to be on the preacher but on Christ Himself! To be absolutely clear we learn:

1. If You’re Not Heralding, You’re Not Preaching! 2. If You’re Not Heralding THE BIBLE, You’re Not Preaching! 3. You’re Not Preaching If You’re Not Heralding The Bible WITH AUTHORITY! 4. You’re Not Preaching If You’re Not Heralding The Bible With Authority And WITHOUT

APOLOGY! 5. Above All We Unapologetically Preach JESUS!

“Don’t back off, preachers—

do your job with passion and

in the power of the Holy

Spirit. You are not making a

Mary Kay presentation or

engaging in reflective

dialogue on the set with

Oprah or Dr. Phil—you are a

man with a message from a

King.”

~ Dr. James MacDonald

“Preaching is theology

coming through a man who

is on fire. A true

understanding and

experience of the Truth must

lead to this. I say again that a

man who can speak about

these things dispassionately

has no right whatsoever to be

in a pulpit; and should never

be allowed to enter one.”

~ Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones

“Preach with authority. The

authority for us is the Word

of God. Preach with

simplicity . . . Preach with

urgency . . . heaven and hell

are at stake. Preach for a

decision.”

~ Billy Graham

“When intimidated by who's

sitting in the audience, we

should remember the King of

Kings is also here, and it's his

message – preach it!”

~ Chuck Swindoll

October 16, 2016

Unapologetic Preaching

January 22, 2017

UNAPOLOGETIC = not feeling or showing regret or shame

Unapologetic Preaching…Preaching the authority of God’s Word without apology, in the power of the Holy

Spirit, thus bringing glory down in the church! Dr. James MacDonald

NEXT STEPS – APPLYING SCRIPTURE

2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

What should you look for in the Unapologetic Preaching of the Word?

Clarity - you should be able to see where the teaching comes from in the passage before you.

Simplicity - you should be able to understand the words that are spoken. When a theological term is presented, it should be explained.

Urgency- when you understand what the Word says in every message you hear, you are supposed to apply it to your life.

Six Directives to the Preacher: 1) Preach the Word - not politics, not self-help, not positive messages, not funny stories, not the culture, but preach

the Word! It is that simple. Every time someone preaches, the Word is supposed to be the star!

2) Be ready in season and out of season - there will be times when people receive it and times when they will not. Preach it anyway!

3) Reprove - convict by clear teaching 4) Rebuke - this is to stop with words, and it can be a much more direct use of the Word 5) Exhort - to come alongside with encouragement and direction, to “keep going” 6) With complete patience and teaching – the preacher is to trust the Lord to do the work of changing people

because God’s Word is life changing, it is powerful, it is alive, it is active, and it is SHARP (Hebrews 4:12). Jeremiah 15:16 states, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” God doesn’t need us to change people; that’s His job! PTL!

Six Application Questions:

Are you delighting in God’s work in you? How do you view the Word of God? What does your attitude toward the preaching of the Word have to say about your view of God? Do you feed yourself the Word? How many days can you go without reading the Word? Do you share what you are learning with other people? Do you get excited about Sunday mornings because you know that you are going to hear

from God through the preaching of the Word? How does this affect your Worship-Walk-Work?

PRAYER – TALK IT OVER WITH GOD

MEMORIZE – COMMITTING SCRIPTURE TO HEART

As we continue preaching through God’s Word please spend time committing these passages to heart from week to week. Consider writing the texts on postcards and placing them where you will see them often (e.g. bathroom mirror, car, office desk). Use the Bible translation that you use the most.

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5

As you pray, ask the Lord to increase your love for Him by getting you in His Word and then ask Him to remind you that every time you open God’s Word you are hearing the voice of God.

O Lord God, I humbly bow before You and Your Word in order to hear from you. Let no corner of my heart be untouched by You. Eradicate my sinful tendencies so that I will be more like Jesus. Help me to not take for granted your Word and apply what I learn to my heart. I also thank you for the soul stirring Unapologetic Preaching of Your Word that I hear every Sunday at Harvest Bible Chapel Des Moines. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, Amen.