Jonah 3:1, 2 “and the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee”. All this talk about preaching, what is it? How does a minister preach? What should they preach? When should they preach? Who should Preach? Do we know anything? Maybe this dissertation will be able to answer some questions.
Just in the two verses that is quoted we see several things. One is that the word of the Lord came to Jonah. In other words Jonah is being called by God. I don’t believe just anybody can be a preacher. I believe you must be called by God. Second Jonah is told here to go and to preach. Now Jonah must have been giving the knowledge of what preaching is because he was told to preach. I don’t think God would tell somebody to do something that they don’t know how to do without giving them the understanding on how to do it.
So what is preaching and how did Jonah know what to do? Again if we look at the two verses it says that this is the second time the Lord came to Jonah. So what happen the first time? The first time Jonah was told to arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry [preach] against it: for their wickedness is come up before me. Jonah was to speak against the city telling the people that they were doing wrong. He was to warn them of the coming of the judgment of God. This would be their opportunity to repent of their sins, to turn from their evil ways. Maybe God would not punish them. So we see that preaching is God’s message to his people delivered by his messenger.
In Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and say, repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. In this we see the messenger is Jesus, the message is to repent, and the reason is because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This must be important because Jesus is delivering it.
In Matthew 5:2 “and he opened his mouth, and taught them” so preaching may also be teaching. It is not just teaching about anything but about God’s way and yet all things. It is for teaching us about how to live as children of God.
In the 10th chapter of Matthew the twelve disciples are sent and told what to say. Verse 27 says “what I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops”. So now you see that the person is being sent, not just anybody. God [Jesus] must send them. I don’t think me sending somebody somewhere constitute the person being a preacher. Maybe he would be considered a messenger but not a preacher. Also they are told what to say. If you noticed he said what you hear in the ear not what you feel it should say. Don’t make up what you think it should say just preach what God wants you to preach.
In Mark 1:4 “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”. Also in verse 7 he preached “there cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose”. You may notice that John was preaching just about repentance and Jesus. He wasn’t preaching the deep mysteries of God. The people were not at the stage where they could understand the deep mysteries of God. You take small steps at first and than bigger ones later on.
In Luke 4:18, 19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord”. Again Jesus is the messenger, but the message has increase in size. The message is pointed to the poor [the poor in spirit], those that are hurt, in captivity, blind, and bruised. Preaching than is a healer. It releases those that are in bondage. The scripture says “if the word set you free you are free indeed”. It is more than just words it has an effect on the person that is able to hear it.
In Luke 9:60 it says “Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God”. Here we see that we are not to be en tangled with the world but to preach the kingdom of God. In other words when he calls his ministers they should go and do what he says. They are not to turn back to their old ways, their old traditions.
Acts 10:40-43 “Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets’ witness, that through his name whosoever, believeth in him shall receive remission of sins”. A long opening but we see that the preachers are chosen by God and also shown things for the people to see and hear so that they can get relief. If you had pain and did not know about pain medicine why would you go to the store for your pain? Likewise if you knew nothing about what God can do for you why would you go to him? Those that know they are sick go to the Doctor. You tell people about Jesus and God so that if something does happen to them they know where to go. People are always telling me where to go. Let’s tell them where to go.
In Romans 10:13-15 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Again we see the same thing why would they go to Jesus if they never knew about him. How do they hear about him? It is by a preacher preaching about Jesus. Can they preach on their own? It says “how shall they preach, except they be sent?” So they can not preach on their own. In finishing it says in verse 17 “so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. [added note here: we did not say that the children were saved by the hearing of the gospel.]
Can I get faith without going through all that? In 1 Corinthians 1:20, 21 “where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”. Schooling won’t help! Debating won’t help! Writing your own directions won’t help! God set up the way and that is that. It is God’s way or nothing.
Can other denominations preach? In 1 Corinthians 15:11 “Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed”. I think this is saying as long as God and his way is preach, God calls the preacher, God sends the preacher, God gives the preacher the word, how than can we question God in his knowledge or way? So I believe there are preachers in other denominations. I believe there are children of God in other denominations. God has never said the Primitive Baptist is the only way. The Primitive Baptist are the ones that say that. God choose his people not because of their background, not because of their social organization but because he wanted to. God’s children are tied together because of the blood that runs in them [the blood of Jesus Christ].
Do I have a problem with them preaching? Philippians 1:15-18 “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel. What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice”. Why talk about other people and other religions as long as Christ is preached. He is the best so why shouldn’t everybody be talking about him? People talk about movie stars and rich people and we listen so why not talk and preach about Jesus. There is no other healer! There is no other Savior! Bill Gates is not the richest man on earth. All the children of God are richer than he is!
So when should we preach? II Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine”. To me it is saying every chance you get. The children of God are out there and they need to know about Jesus and what he can do so that they will turn from their evil ways.
By Elder Michael a Pitney
Milford, Indiana