What was supposed to be central to the health and sanctity of the church is now out of season. I have seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears on numerous occasions: true Christian preaching is being neglected in the Church. I know what I’ve just said may be a bit far-fetched, but I say this while trying to be as nice and gentle as I possibly can, for I have experienced the famine and drought that is in land and amidst His body.

I am frustrated, angered and pretty much pissed off at the state of preaching that we have allowed our North American church to fall into. All over the country, in numerous church pulpits and platforms, at conferences and retreats sanctioned by local churches and various para-church organizations, preaching is being forfeited in favor of “talks” where the so-called pastor or preacher yaps away for a short 30 minutes about the obvious state of Western culture, interspersed with countless pop-psychology references and statistics, and with a few biblical stories analogies mentioned as side remarks. Opening the Bible is something that is long forgotten, never mind reading it publicly or explaining Scripture or doing a biblical exposition. Listeners are somehow supposed to be edified and spurred on towards a new kind of Christianity from a new kind of preaching: non-preaching, powerless talking.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25

Here is an excerpt from an article by C. J. Mahaney at The Gospel Coalition titled,Joy in the Gospel:

Good News

The gospel, of course, is the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became man, lived a perfect life, and suffered the wrath of God on the cross for sinners like you and me. By his substitutionary death everyone whom God calls will enjoy forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and deliverance from his just and righteous wrath.

Given the ultimate importance of this message, our efforts as pastors are often directed primarily at proclaiming the gospel or protecting the truth of the gospel. Certainly, these are vital acts of stewardship that demand our constant attention. Yet the gospel is not only news to be believed and proclaimed, it is truth to be treasured and enjoyed. We must never become so consumed with proclamation and protection that we fail to apply the gospel to our own lives. For only then will we experience an intended effect of the gospel: “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Pet 1:8). Truly, God intends for the gospel to bring a joy beyond words and overflowing with the glory of God.

The key to such glorious joy is the consistent application of the gospel to one particular place that we as pastors can easily overlook: our own hearts. But as we meditate upon the gospel, its truths will unerringly produce joy—without fail, no question about it. Do you lack joy? Meditate on the gospel, the only stable ground for our joy.

Pulpit Magazine is posting a series of articles by John MacArthur on the relationship between biblical inerrancy and expository preaching:

The mandate is clear. Expository preaching is the declarative genre in which inerrancy finds its logical expression and the church its life and power. Stated simply, inerrancy demands exposition as the only method of preaching that preserves the purity of Scripture and accomplishes the purpose for which God gave us His Word.

Read Part 1 here.

The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ. — That world of misery, that take of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but do not see the hand of God in it; but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.