[The] work of preaching has a nasty way of getting one into trouble. It seems that the more faithful one is in preaching, the more trouble one encounters. You preach the Word, you speak the truth of the Scriptures, and the next thing you know, you are on the front page of the newspaper, or sitting in front of a group of agitated deacons or elders; even the youth group is up in arms about whatever you said…<\/p>\n
\u201cIt cannot be a fierce determination alone that strengthens us for the lifelong work of preaching. The stakes are much too high and the perils much too deadly for that. Instead, our perseverance in the task of preaching must be based on God\u2019s promise that He will, by His own power, make the preaching of His Word effective…<\/p>\n
\u201cWe preach, not because we have come to the conclusion that preaching is the most rational or most effective means of reaching the lost, but because God has commanded it–and because He has promised to take that which the world would say is foolishness, and use it to save sinners.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n