Lots of discussion on preaching

These days it's good to see some of my favorite bloggers posting on preaching. Among them are Peter Bogert, John Telfer Brown, Dan Edelen, J. A. Gillmartin, John Schroeder, and Adrian Warnock (and we know it must be a popular topic when Mick Porter takes up the subject). David Wayne has once again offered some good reminders in "The Power of Spirit-Less Preaching." The power of preaching, he asserts, comes not from the preacher's own power (even his Spiritual power), but from the Word itself:

It is true that preachers need to be prayed up and Spirit-filled, but I think the reason for this is not so much to make the preacher more effective in and of himself, but simply to make him more effective as a conduit for the clear proclamation of the Word of God. If a preacher's message is powerful, its not because he himself is so powerful and Spirit-filled, it is because the Word of God came through loud and clear.

The good news of this is that no preacher ever comes to the pulpit without carrying a heavy weight of sin with him. Even on his best day, the most Spirit and unction-filled preacher has enough sin in his heart to disqualify him from the Spirit's blessing. But, if it is the Word of God he is preaching, if it is Christ he is preaching, the Spirit will attend that Word about Christ, even in spite of the preacher's sinful heart.

That's good news indeed.