One might ask the question, “why preach?” I'm sure many preachers have been asked that very question by family members, friends, and members of church, even those in the community. To some preaching my seem foolish, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1Co 1:21) But to God it serves the purpose He wants it to. We Preach because:

First to Please God and to show God's Power To Save, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10); “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” (1Th 2:4) When we preach the Word of God, we do so not to tickle the ears of men but to the glorification of God. When man puts feelings before God chaos ensues, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2Ti 4:1-4) We also preach God's Power to Save, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Rom 1:16) Paul says the Gospel is God's Power to Save, he also later penned, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” (1Co 15:1-2) We need to take what Paul and the other apostles delivered to us and stand in it, in other words keep the commandments of the God, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (Joh 14:15)

Second to Reconcile Man To God, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2Co 5:18-20) We have left God, God did not leave us. Because of our sin God has turned his face from us, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isa 59:1-2) Since we have sinned, we have to turn away from sin and turn back to God, thus repentance. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luk 13:3,5)

Third to Edify, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph 4:15-16) We preach to build the body up, one needs only to watch the evening news to see the world around us and the condition it is in. The pressures that the Christian must face in everyday life in the world are hard. Preaching from God's Word can help bear the weight of those trials and tribulations. We can take heart that Jesus has said, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Mat 28:20)

Fourth because we are Authorized to, Jesus tells us to preaching in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Also we see that we preach by the authority of Jesus Himself. Through preaching one may believe and obey God's Word, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mar 16:15-16) Preaching again is merely teaching, teaching that needs to be passed on, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2Ti 2:1-2) We see God's Plan to bring salvation to man, by using man to deliver it.

Fifth to Convert Souls, The Word of God is able to convince and convict people of their sins. Peter when preaching to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost was able to convince and convict the people, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Act 2:37-38) Peter further states, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Act 3:19) Through the Word of God man is able to be converted from a world of sin to a world of righteousness, from a world of darkness to a world of light, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1Pe 2:9) And by converting one you help cover a multitude of sins, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” (Jas 5:19-20)

Finally to be Heard, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (Joh 6:44-45) To have or to build faith we must hear the Word of God, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom 10:16-17) So by hearing, belief and faith are produced. In Acts 2:36-38, the hearing of God's Word produced repentance and baptism. We again see the same results later in the Book of Acts, “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” (Act 18:8)

Why Preach? To: Please God, Reconcile Man, To Edify, Authorized To, Convert Souls, To Be Heard.