There is nothing more vital to the health of Christ’s church than faithful preaching. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 89, affirms that it is the preaching of the Word of God that our God especially uses for the salvation and sanctification of His people.
Nevertheless, in our current evangelical landscape, there are several views and practices that have distorted the preaching of the Word. Every generation of preachers faces subtle pressure to soften their message, to impress rather than instruct, or to build a following instead of building up their congregations. However, the pulpit is not a platform for self-promotion; it is the “sacred desk” for the exposition of Christ’s Word.
The minister of the gospel stands between heaven and earth, declaring the unchanging truth of God to people who desperately need it. Such preaching may not trend online, but it nourishes souls and strengthens churches. In my mind, faithful preaching bears five essential marks: courage, simplicity, plainness, pastoral focus, and application.
True preaching begins with courage. Courage is not arrogance or a confrontational personality, but the conviction of the preacher’s calling. The preacher stands as an ambassador of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). His authority does not come from eloquence, education, or personal charisma, but from the Word he proclaims. That Word must be declared in its fullness, whether or not it fits the spirit of the age.
Paul could say with clear conscience, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). That included both the comforting promises and the uncomfortable commands of Scripture. Jeremiah knew the same burden: “If I say, ‘I will not mention Him,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jer. 20:9).
Courageous preaching flows from a man who fears the Lord and has first trembled before God’s Word in his study. The preacher who fears God will not fear men. He is not reckless, but resolute. He speaks truth in love (Eph. 4:15), knowing that eternity is at stake every time he opens his mouth.
If courage gives preaching strength, simplicity gives it light. The goal is not to impress the listener but to make the truth plain. A sermon may be rich in theology, but if it is foggy in expression, it fails to feed the sheep.
Jesus taught with breathtaking clarity. “The common people heard Him gladly” (Mk. 12:37). He used illustrations drawn from daily life so that divine truth could be understood by ordinary people. He never diluted the message nor did He bury it under needless complexity.
Simplicity in preaching is an act of love. It takes hard work to make deep truth clear. As the Puritan William Perkins wrote in The Art of Prophesying, the preacher must “speak plainly and perspicuously” so that all might profit. Simplicity is not the absence of depth; it is depth delivered with clarity.
The best sermons are not those people remember as “brilliant,” but those they remember as understood. Faithful preachers aim not for his congregation to comprehend and apply the message.
Plainness is the moral integrity of preaching. It means saying what God says, without disguise or dilution. The preacher must never turn the pulpit into a stage for clever rhetoric or vague moralism. God commands His messengers, “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet” (Is. 58:1).
Plain preaching confronts sin and points to Christ. It does not flatter the proud or soothe the unrepentant. Thomas Watson called it “a key that fits the lock.” It unlocks the conscience and speaks directly to the sinner’s need and the Christian’s growth.
There is a pastoral tenderness in plainness too. It is not harsh speech, but honest speech. The preacher who truly loves his people will tell them the truth, even when it is unpopular. As Paul told the Galatians, “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16). Plainness keeps the preacher small and the Word of God big. When sermons are plain, the voice of God, not the voice of man, rings loudest.
One of the most subtle dangers of our time is the temptation to preach for a platform rather than for a people. With every sermon capable of being clipped, streamed, and shared, the lure of digital numbers is real. However, pastors are not called to build online platforms; they are called to build disciples.
I vividly remember a ministerial colleague who asked if he could offer a critique of my preaching. Even though I was taken aback by a unordained man wanting to critique an ordained Teaching Elder in the PCA, I told him that he could share his concern. His comment was, “You preach like you are preaching to a congregation in Dillon, SC.” What he meant as a critique, I took as a great compliment…I was preaching to a congregation in Dillon, SC!
A faithful preacher remembers that his congregation is the one before his eyes when he looks up from the sacred desk. His congregation is the people whose names he knows, whose stories he shares, and whose burdens he bears. These are the souls God has entrusted to his care (Heb. 13:17).
When a pastor shapes sermons for social media or online platforms, he often begins preaching at people instead of for them. He crafts lines to impress the internet rather than feed the church. But the pulpit is not a stage for a performance. Preachers have missed the mark if their goal is to become an online personality. Their focus cannot be “reformation” for the nations, but promoting faith and faithfulness in his congregation.
Faithful preachers preach for their people, not for their platform. Shepherds are not influencers; they are servants. Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents, not one post that trends.
The truest fruit of preaching is not engagement metrics but transformed lives. If your people are growing in grace, the Lord is pleased even if no one online notices.
Finally, faithful preaching presses truth into life. Faithful preaching moves doctrinal truths from the page to the heart. “By manifestation of the truth,” Paul wrote, “we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 4:2).
Application moves the scriptures beyond “what is true” to “what must we do?” Jesus did this constantly. He did not only explain the law, He applied it. He comforted the weary, rebuked the proud, and invited sinners to Himself.
A preacher who never applies truth leaves his hearers informed but unchanged. Application requires both conviction and compassion. Faithful preachers must know the Word of God, yes, but also know the people. It means preaching not only about Christ but unto Christ, calling every hearer to trust, obey, and rejoice in Him.
The church does not need entertainers, commentators, or content creators. It needs men who open their Bibles, open their mouths, and declare, “Thus says the Lord.”
When preaching is courageous, it confronts sin.
When it is simple, it enlightens minds.
When it is plain, it pierces hearts.
When it is pastoral, it builds up the body.
When it is applicatory, it transforms lives.
May every preacher pray as Paul did, “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).
For when God’s Word is preached courageously, clearly, plainly, pastorally, and applicatorily, God is glorified, the church is edified, sinners find grace, and Christ is exalted. That is success. That is faithful preaching.