Preaching, Its Good For You!

1 Thess 5:20 Despise not prophesyings

God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save the lost. Indeed, the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish. So says I Cor 1:18, 21.

Indeed, preaching does seem a little crazy at times. A guy mounts the pulpit, delivers the Word with passion to groups of people, some very large groups, and they respond with “Amens!” Sometimes they stream to altars for prayer following said screeching. Then they shake the ministers hand on the way out of the church and tell him what a fine message it was. Most of the time, he actually gets paid for his holy rants, replete with hyperbole, poetry, tears and amateur comedy.

It is no wonder non church types just don’t get it. Hey, I am a preacher and sometimes I am baffled by God’s preferred method of deliverance of the Bread of Life.

In I Thessalonians, the Apostle, in 3 short words, warns that we not deride, despise or deny the process of God’s man thundering forth God’s Word.

Two of the commentators are worth reading on this verse:

JFB - - Do not suppose that ye have no need of continual instruction; without it ye cannot preserve the Christian life, nor go on to perfection. God will ever send a message of salvation by each of his ministers to every faithful, attentive hearer. Do not suppose that ye are already wise enough; you are no more wise enough than you are holy enough. They who slight or neglect the means of grace, and especially the preaching of God’s holy word, are generally vain, empty, self-conceited people, and exceedingly superficial both in knowledge and piety.

Matthew Henry - - Despise not prophesyings (1Th_5:20); for, if we neglect the means of grace, we forfeit the Spirit of grace. By prophesyings here we are to understand the preaching of the word, the interpreting and applying of the scriptures; and this we must not despise, but should prize and value, because it is the ordinance of God, appointed of him for our furtherance and increase in knowledge and grace, in holiness and comfort. We must not despise preaching, though it be plain, and not with enticing words of men's wisdom, and though we be told no more than what we knew before. It is useful, and many times needful, to have our minds stirred up, our affections and resolutions excited, to those things that we knew before to be our interest and our duty.

With that, we pray that each reader finds a Bible preaching church this coming Lord’s day and soaks in the Word as it is preached in passionate sincerity.