Although a typical worship service is made of different activities, preaching remains the heartbeat of it. It is not unlikely that many people will like to see the emotionally charged atmosphere associated with singing praises carried over to the preaching slot. Those who have this frame of mind will most likely look forward to hearing sensational things – words that tickle the ears and stimulate the mental faculties. While nothing may be wrong with this, it must be stated that sensational presentation does not guarantee divine encounter. Peter could not have been accused of anything sensational when he delivered his sermon on the day of Pentecost. As a matter of fact, his sermon could hardly be assessed favourably by a modern-day seminarian. However, the impact of his words was undeniable. When the crowd heard him, they were pricked in their hearts; so much so that three thousand of them embraced Jesus as Saviour that day.
“Preaching is not the manifestation of a man’s oratory or humour. It is not the clever ability of man to hold people spellbound. It is giving out the very word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. “
Our text gives a classic definition of preaching. It is the manifestation of God’s word. Preaching is not the manifestation of a man’s oratory or humour. It is not the clever ability of man to hold people spellbound. It is giving out the very word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. How then can we test the effectiveness of a preaching session? Charles Simeon had three tests that we will find helpful: Does it humble sinner? Does it exalt the Savior? Does it promote holiness? Sermons that meet these criteria are noteworthy. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost certainly met all three. Beyond using these criteria to assess preaching, they should guide us in choosing a place of worship. Any place promoting the three is a safe place for the soul.