"In the last analysis, preaching to the heart is preaching Christ in a way that reminds people of Christ, but also manifests Christ to them, and draws them to Him. If, among other things, preaching is (as Phillips Brooks' famous description claims) 'the bringing of truth through personality,' then the personalities of the preachers of the cross must be marked by the cross. So we are called to be cruciformed (shaped by the cross), Christophers (bearing the Christ of the cross), and Christplacarders (setting Christ and Him crucified on display, c.f. Gal. 3:1) in our preaching as we 'try to persuade men' (2 Cor. 5:11).
"Perhaps such preaching of Christ is less common than we assume. If so, it is because we do not yet know Him nearly well enough.
"Let us then resolve, above all other ambitions, to know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10). Let is also be determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2), so that, as we preach to the heart, God Himself will speak to His people heart to heart."
Sinclair Ferguson
Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching
2 comments:
"Let us then resolve, above all other ambitions, to know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10). Let is also be determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2), so that, as we preach to the heart, God Himself will speak to His people heart to heart."
Awesome quote.
Spot on.
Thank you.
Thanks Steve! And thanks for following the blog!
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