Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 8, 2009
The Rev. Charles Henrickson
“Preaching Is God’s Great Emancipation Proclamation” (Mark 1:29-39; 1
Corinthians 9:16-27)
In the Holy Gospel for today, Jesus says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that
I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” And then it says, “And
he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues.” Likewise, in
today’s Epistle, St. Paul says, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
Both of these readings emphasize the importance of preaching. It was a top
priority for Jesus. It was a top priority for Paul. Why was it so important
for them? And why is preaching still important today? Why is it important for
you?
After all, preaching has gotten a pretty bad name in our day. “Don’t preach at
me!” people say. Or they’ll say, “That sounds too ‘preachy.’” Like preaching
is a bad thing. Some people stay away from church because they don’t think
they need preaching, they don’t want to be “preached to.” So we should
probably ask, Just what is preaching? What is it, really? Not, what is it
according to the common stereotype, but rather, What is preaching according to
the biblical point of view?
Let’s start with what preaching is not. Preaching is not mere “Bible-thumping”
or “hitting people over the head with the Bible”--although preaching must be
thoroughly biblical. It is not just a matter of piling up Bible passages. You
could have a sermon full of Bible verses, pulled out of context or applied
improperly, and it would not be true Christian preaching. Every cult and
heresy uses the Bible.
Preaching is not moralizing, just telling people what to do and how to live,
without giving them the power to do it. Telling people they need to be driven
with purpose, or giving them ten steps on how to live their best life--that is
not Christian preaching. Giving speeches on social-political causes, whether
from the right or from the left--even when the social-political cause is a just
one, one that we as citizens ought to be concerned about--that by itself is not
distinctively Christian preaching.
Preaching is not primarily educational, learning facts or information,
acquiring knowledge to store in your head--although preaching invariably will
involve learning and growing in knowledge. That comes in the process, but it
is not the primary goal of preaching.
Preaching is not entertainment. It does not consist of stringing together a
bunch of cute stories or funny jokes to keep the customers satisfied. That
kind of preaching is what’s called a “skyscraper” sermon--one story stacked on
top of another. But that is not true biblical preaching. Preaching does not
rely on gimmicks or flashiness or compelling personality for its power. It’s
not a TV show or a performance.
It’s not entertainment. It’s not information. It’s not moralizing or
advice-giving. And it’s not Bible-quoting without Bible-understanding. Those
are examples of what preaching is not, even though you can find lots of
preaching like that in every town, from many a Plexiglas podium, and on many a
TV and radio station. And those cheap imitations of preaching can be extremely
popular. A preacher can be very successful selling that kind of product. It’s
just not right, not in God’s sight.
What are you looking for in the preaching you listen to? The better question
is, What is God looking for in preaching? What is his standard for success?
Or the better word would be “faithfulness,” since God-pleasing preaching may
not be very successful or popular according to the world’s standards. What is
faithful, God-pleasing preaching? Simply this: Preaching is the
authoritative, effective proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ for the
salvation of the hearers. That is what you should be looking for and listening
for in the preaching you hear.
Preaching is authoritative. It comes with the full authority of God behind it.
Christ himself sends out his preachers to preach. “He who hears you hears
me,” Jesus tells his preachers. The called preacher is Christ’s ambassador,
speaking his words, preaching in his name. When you hear your pastor preach to
you, you should know that it is as good as if Christ himself were here speaking
to you. That is the authority of the pastoral office, and it is for your good,
so that you can be absolutely sure and certain of what you are hearing.
Preaching is authoritative.
Preaching is proclamation. It is not just information about Jesus or about
forgiveness or about salvation. Rather, it is the proclamation of Jesus, of
forgiveness, of salvation. It is proclamation; it is a herald proclaiming an
official decree. The king sends out his heralds to announce, to declare, to
proclaim an official message to the citizens: The war is over! Peace is
declared! Peace has been made by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are forgiven.
You have been set free.
You know, this week Thursday will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of
Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809. One of the things for which
Lincoln is most famous is his Emancipation Proclamation. Issued in 1862, to
take effect in 1863, it reads in part: “Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln,
President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as
Commander-in-Chief . . . do order and declare that all persons held as slaves .
. . are, and henceforward shall be, free.”
Now by itself that proclamation on a piece of paper did not free a single
slave. To be effective, it had to be backed up by action. There were
victories that would have to be won, and they came at great cost, the shedding
of much blood. But as those costly victories were won, and more and more
territory was gained, the Emancipation Proclamation was being backed up with
action and filled with power, and slaves were indeed set free. President
Lincoln’s proclamation, when read aloud by those authorized to speak in his
name, had liberating effect.
The great educator and author Booker T. Washington, born into slavery, recalled
the day from his childhood when he and his family heard the news and were set
free: “Some man who seemed to be a stranger (a United States officer, I
presume) made a little speech and then read a rather long paper--the
Emancipation Proclamation, I think. After the reading we were told that we
were all free, and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was
standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy
ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the
day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never
live to see.”
Dear friends, this is a picture of what preaching does. It is not just empty
words. Preaching does something; it sets people free. It is backed up with
action and filled with power. It is authorized, effective, powerful
proclamation.
It is God’s acting that gives preaching its power. God acted when he sent his
Son to set us free. There was a great victory that needed to be won--victory
over sin and death and hell. For you and I were born into slavery, the slavery
of sin, and we could not free ourselves. Only God could do that. But that
freedom, that victory, would come at great cost, the greatest price that could
ever be paid, the shedding of the blood of the holy Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
Christ’s costly victory is all-availing. It covers all of your sins, the sin
of the whole world. It conquers death, defeats it, empties it of its power.
Christ’s victory sets us free from bondage to Satan. We are free to serve God
instead, with lives of righteousness, by the power of the Spirit. This is the
freedom, the emancipation, that Christ has won for us by his death on the cross
and his resurrection from the dead.
This victory, this freedom, this emancipation, is then delivered to us, in an
effective way, through preaching. Christ’s officer, his authorized
representative, stands here and speaks it aloud in your hearing, in the name of
Jesus. It is happening here again today. For you and I need this
gospel-preaching constantly, for as long as we live by faith and not by sight.
Every time your sins weigh you down, the preacher comes and declares, You are
forgiven by the blood of Christ. Every time the devil whispers in you ear and
tempts you to fall back into the old ways of selfishness and sin, Christ’s man
comes and tells you, Baptized child of God, you are free, free indeed, to live
as the new person you are now in Christ, to live for God and serve your
neighbor. Every time the prospect of death sends a shivering chill down your
spine, Christ’s messenger stands here and tells you, You have life, life
everlasting, because of your Lord Jesus and his
victory over the grave.
The preaching, you see--you hear--the preaching delivers the goods to you.
Preaching is God’s great Emancipation Proclamation, officially declaring
freedom, release from bondage, to the slaves of sin and death and the devil.
Now therefore I, Christ’s preacher in this place, by virtue of the power vested
in me as a called and ordained servant of the Word--I do declare that you are,
and henceforward shall be, free!
Preaching is precisely that proclamation, the authorized, effective, powerful
proclamation of the good news of Christ. It is so much more than those cheap
imitations that pass for preaching, things like moralizing, education, and
entertainment. No, God has something much better to give you than that.
Therefore we preach Christ crucified, for through this message that seems so
weak and foolish in the world’s eyes, God is doing something very wise and
powerful indeed--he is saving sinners like you and me. Amazing as it sounds,
preaching literally delivers to you exactly what it promises: freedom from the
slavery of sin, guilt, and death, and in their place, righteousness,
forgiveness, eternal life, new life. The very freedom the gospel proclaims is
given to you, for you to take hold of by faith, through this humble means
called preaching.
My friends, preaching--genuine Christ-centered, cross-focused
preaching--preaching is God’s great Emancipation Proclamation, for you!
Charles Henrickson
4749 Melissa Jo Ln
St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 845-8811 (home)
(314) 779-8108 (cell)
henricks...@yahoo.com
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