Preaching is the chosen means of God to save our souls from the misery and penalty of our sins. (Romans 10:17) It is through “the folly of what we preach”, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:21, that God is shaming the wise of this world and drawing the elect to himself. The God of Israel declares in his word that his foolishness in the gospel is wiser than all the wisdom of the unbelieving world. Indeed, the wisdom of this world is vain because it is mute regarding the only knowledge that saves from death and hell and brings meaning, joy, and purpose to our lives; that is, the knowledge of who God is.
In the preaching of the Word, God speaks to his people. It should therefore be considered a discourse of a Father to his children. Our Father speaks to us. He is not silent. He gives to us consolations, warnings, threatenings, promises, instruction, and all of it comes from divine, immutable love. In the Proverbs we see something of the manner of this sort of discourse:
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you…
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments…
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive…
My son, be attentive to my wisdom’ incline your ear to my understanding…
My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you…
My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
Proverbs 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 7:1, 23:26
None can fail to see the warmth and earnestness in this father’s pleading with his son. Nowhere does God plead with us as he does in the preaching of the Word. He pleads that we would listen. That we would come and drink. (John 7:37) He gives us bread and wine of the highest cost. (Luke 22:19) He declares to us his great and precious promises. (2 Peter 1:4) Above all, he exalts the firstborn among his children. (Romans 8:29) This is not only the purpose of God in preaching, but the purpose of all God’s redemptive acts. Ian Hamilton has said “our salvation is God’s proximate purpose. His ultimate purpose is the glory of His Son.”1 In the sermon, we see something of the Father and the Spirit’s love for and pleasure in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is eternal, majestic, ineffable, indescribable love! He is commended to us by our Father as one most worthy of our trust and devotion.
The heart of a father toward their child is warm and aglow with love. It burns with sincerity and blood earnestness. We see this in the sermon; first, toward Jesus Christ; then, toward us as we are united to him through faith. This is why many Pastors refer to their congregation as “dear ones” or “beloved”. The preacher is reminding themselves of the task before them. To address God’s people in God’s Name. Surely through Jesus Christ God is our Father and we are recipients of Divine overtures of love in all things but especially in the preaching of his Holy Word.
- Ian Hamilton, The Beauty and Glory of the Reformation, 72; Reformation Heritage Books
