PROCLAIM!

The Evangelical Homiletics Society (EHS) had its annual meeting last week. This is an academic society promoting the cultivation, exchange, and development of ideas related to preaching and the teaching of preaching.

That’s the Executive Committee of the Society for 2009-2010 pictured at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, the location of this year’s gathering. From left to right: Communications Coordinator, Member-at-Large, Vice President (yours faithfully), Site Host (for the meeting in 2010, at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago), and President (our Secretary–Treasurer is not in the picture).

The first item in our Statement of Faith reads: “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.”

It is on that foundation that our burden for preaching rests. As the Word of God, the Bible is meant to be applied. Divine revelation, God’s Word, is not intended to remain simply as black marks on white pages in a book. It is intended to be lived out.

All Scripture is inspired by God
and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness;
so that the man and woman of God
may be adequate,
equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17

Because the Bible is held to be authoritative and intended for practice, we preach.

Preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort,
with great patience and instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2

For we grow by the Word into conformity to the image of Christ, becoming more like Him daily.

Like newborn babies,
long for the pure milk of the word,
so that by it you may grow ….
1 Peter 2:2

Therefore we preach, therefore we proclaim.

… for whoever will call
on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
How then will they call on Him
in whom they have not believed?
How will they believe in Him
whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear
without a preacher?
How will they preach
unless they are sent?
Just as it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news of good things!”
Romans 10:13–15

But these proud owners of beautiful feet are not only the members of the EHS; they are not only seminary profs, or pastors, or Bible study teachers, or small-group leaders, ….

No, God intends for all who would follow Christ as disciples to be proclaimers.

And He appointed twelve,
so that they would be with Him and
that He could send them out to preach,
Mark 3:14

Throughout, in Mark, the Twelve are portrayed as models (often negative). Christ would have us be what He wanted them to be when He called them—to be with Him and to be sent. What a paradox! To be with Him and be sent from Him. Perhaps to be with Him means to be sent from Him to preach and proclaim. We have our commission—we have been sent.

I solemnly charge you
in the presence of God
and of Christ Jesus, …
preach the word ….
2 Timothy 4:1–2

Never forgetting, of course, that we don’t just preach and proclaim in word alone. The Word of God has to impact our own lives—we have to preach and proclaim in deed as well.

But prove yourselves
doers of the word,
and not merely hearers ….
But one who … abides by it,
not having become a forgetful hearer
but an effectual doer,
this one will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22, 25

Proclaim … and be blessed!