I've been giving this matter a fair bit of thought of late and here is my basic proposal:The Spirit's empowering presence enables preachers to proclaim the Lord Jesus with boldness, liberty and life-transforming effectiveness. His presence makes preaching an event where the God of the gospel is encountered in all the fullness of his grace and power.
"I am certain, as I have said several times before, that nothing but a return to this power of the Spirit on our preaching is going to avail us anything. This makes true preaching, and it is the greatest need of all today - never more so." (D.M. Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, Hodder and Stoughton, 1985, p. 325). I for one long to know more of what it means to preach with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.
Amen to everything you say on this, Guy. I love the Holy Spirit emphasis in Lloyd-Jones' approach to preaching. The notion of transaction and encounter is absent from so much of what passes as preaching today.
ReplyDeleteI could align myself totally with your working definition.
God bless,
Andrew