The whole counsel of God must be expounded.

Preaching must be the main center piece of worship. When exposition is done correctly we not only hear from God but we are also brought into a closer relationship with God. Much of today's preaching is 'how to' sermons. Many are being taught to live like disciples of Jesus without actually being one. For example, we are taught to witness but witnessing must come from a heart that loves the Lord. (Witnessing is not just something you do, it is who we are. Jesus said you shall "be" my witnesses.) I'm not so sure evangelism is the most important thing as some say. It seems to me that if we have a dynamic relationship under the Lordship of Christ we would witness "as we are going." Preaching that is anointed will always point to the Lordship of Christ and our need to be submissive to Him.

An example might be helpful. I am preaching through 1Peter. In 2:18 we are commanded to submit to those over us such as employers. But this is not the American way. We demand our rights. And if you simply tell people to this they most likely will not. What is the preacher to do? I think we ought to tell them that it is unnatural submit. But our interests must be in God's glory. We want our relationship with Him to grow and therefore we must live by faith. That means that rather than do as we think best we will trust what God says. Since submitting is not natural we must ask God to grant us the ability to live under harsh circumstances. If we want preaching that ministers to us we must have the kind that exalts God. And God is exalted when we are taught to live in a way that clearly is against our nature but it is according to His word and empowered by His Spirit.

I believe all that we do should come out of our relationship with Him. And that is a relationship that is based on love. This is the reason we confront sin. It contradicts the love of God. And this is where much of today's preaching is lacking. The pastor must have a dynamic intimate relationship with the living Lord and out that he must exhort those he preaches to. If our people are not growing in their relationship with the Lord through our preaching then something is wrong with our preaching. Many pastors estimate the value of church members by their attendance, participation in activities and programs, and whether or not they tithe. I wonder how many are interested in whether or not they are in love with the Lord. Pastors should be asking such questions as: Do those I preach to speak often of Jesus? Are they displaying the fruit of the Spirit? Do they confess their sin? Are they in God's word? Do they genuinely demonstrate their love for others? Are they growing in Christ-likeness?

Much of today's preaching is geared at getting people to do something. While I'm in full agreement that we should preach for obedience, I fear we are not communicating the motive for what we are asking people to do. We have people who are involved in outreach and yet may not even love the Lord. They may be going because the pastor recognizes them or praises them. It's not to say that God will not use their message but He may not recognize the messenger (Matt.7:21-23).

This is why we must preach the whole counsel of God. We are not allowed to preach our pet peeves or what we think are people's needs. We are called to preach the inerrant, infallible word of God. That is why pastors must spend time with God and study and pray and seek what God has said and is saying. We are not permitted to pick and choose what we think is best. We must prayerfully and lovingly tell our people what God says and why He says what He says. This will require us to preach the whole counsel of God.