Preaching with Confidence

Speaking the Word of God confidently is the obligation of the preacher, insists James Daane, for the Word is not merely advisory; it is efficacious. When God speaks, the world does more than listen - it changes. But in far too many contemporary pulpits, Daane charges, the mysterious power of God's word is no longer proclaimed with confidence and authority. Too often the person in the pulpit functions only as a discussion leader; too often sharing has replaced the sermon. In this brief but pointed essay on the theology of preaching, Daane calls ministers back to their fundamental task as proclaimers of the Word. The comfort and strength of those who preach and those who believe the Word of God, he writes, is rooted in the fact that God has identified his name and his reputation with the power of his Word. There can be no better reason for preaching with confidence.