Preaching

1 Corinthians 1:23 (NIV)

But we preach Christ crucified.

Faithful preaching emphasizes the importance of the Lord Jesus Christ being crucified as the savior of all mankind. Everything else is simply teaching. Nowadays, churches often share inspiring stories about figures like Daniel in the lion's den, Abraham's rescue of Lot, David slaying Goliath, Moses parting the Red Sea, etc. However, none of that qualifies as preaching. While these stories offer valuable lessons on faith and obedience to God, they do not constitute preaching. All of these saints, whether from the Old Testament or the New Testament, had their flaws and committed sins. For instance, David, despite being described as a man after God's own heart, was also a murderer, adulterer, and violent man. Moses displayed arrogance and disobedience when he struck the rock (symbolizing the Lord Jesus Christ) instead of speaking to it. Abraham's faith was unstable when he lied about his wife being his sister and took her to Egypt during a famine. While these narratives can be seen as inspirational, none qualify as preaching. Faithful preaching exalts the crucified and risen Christ and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Instead of fixating on the imperfect saints in the Bible, churches and ministers should focus on preaching the only message that truly matters: the perfection of Christ and His crucifixion for the sins of the world.