The Supremacy of God in Preaching

1. The Ultimate Goal of Preaching: God's Glory and Human Joy

The one who satisfies gets the glory; the one who gives the pleasure is the treasure.

Starving for God. People are deeply hungry for the greatness of God, though most don't realize it. This profound need for God's majesty is the "deepest need," far surpassing perceived needs like practical advice or psychological pep talks. Preaching that lacks the "aroma of God's greatness" may entertain temporarily but fails to address the soul's hidden cry: "Show me thy glory!"

God's grand design. The ultimate purpose of preaching is to declare that "Your God reigns!" This isn't merely about asserting divine authority, but about ravishing human affections with irresistible displays of God's glory. God's deepest commitment to be glorified and humanity's deepest longing to be satisfied are not in conflict; they find simultaneous fulfillment when we delight in His glory.

Glad submission. True worship and glorification of God come from glad, not begrudging, submission. When God's kingdom is perceived as an ultimate treasure, submission becomes a pleasure. Therefore, the goal of preaching is to reflect God's glory in the glad submission of the human heart, ensuring that God receives the glory as the ultimate satisfier and treasure.

2. The Indispensable Ground of Preaching: The Cross of Christ

The cross witnesses to the infinite worth of God and the infinite outrage of sin.

Overcoming obstacles. Two immense barriers prevent preaching from achieving its goal of glorifying God in glad human submission: God's unwavering righteousness against sin and humanity's unwavering pride. The cross of Christ uniquely overcomes both, serving as the objective ground for preaching's validity and the subjective ground for its humility.

Vindicating God's righteousness. The cross is God's designed solution to reconcile His righteousness with His mercy towards sinners. It took the "infinitely costly death of the Son of God to repair the dishonor that my pride has brought upon the glory of God." This act vindicates God's worth while offering hope, allowing a righteous God to be glorified in the gladness of sinful people.

Crucifying human pride. Beyond its objective work, the cross is a present force for executing self-reliance and the love of human praise in both preacher and congregation. Paul deliberately avoided "eloquent wisdom" in his preaching "lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power," aiming for faith to rest in God's power, not human wisdom. The cross ensures that God, not the preacher, receives the honor.

3. The Essential Power for Preaching: The Holy Spirit's Work

The one who sets the agenda and gives the power gets the glory.

Desperate dependence. All genuine preaching stems from a profound sense of desperation, recognizing human inadequacy for such a sacred task. The dangers of self-reliance are so great that God may humble preachers to ensure they rely "not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." This brokenness and trembling before God's glory pave the way for the "demonstration of the Spirit and power."

Relying on the Spirit's Word. The Holy Spirit's power in preaching is inextricably linked to the Bible, which He inspired. Preachers must believe that "all Scripture is breathed out by God" and saturate their sermons with its words, explicitly showing how their assertions derive from specific biblical texts. This manifest allegiance to Scripture is the source of a preacher's authority and honors the Spirit's work.

Relying on the Spirit's Power. Preaching in God's strength means acknowledging utter dependence, praying for divine help, trusting specific promises, acting in that confidence, and giving thanks for God's sustenance. John Piper uses the acronym APTAT (Admit, Pray, Trust, Act, Thank) to guide his pre-sermon preparation, emphasizing that the Spirit's power is not automatic but prayer-wrought, filling the heart with holy affections that then flow through the message.

4. Preaching Demands Both Gravity and Gladness

Gladness and gravity should be woven together in the life and preaching of a pastor in such a way as to sober the careless soul and sweeten the burdens of the saints.

Earnestness for eternity. Preaching is a weighty business, dealing with the eternal realities of heaven and hell. Jonathan Edwards exemplified "blood-earnestness," driven by an overwhelming conviction of these realities. This gravity is not moroseness but a deep, pervading solemnity that communicates the infinite importance of God's Word, contrasting sharply with the "triviality, levity, carelessness" often found in pulpits today.

Gladness as love. A pastor's joy in ministry is an "essential element of love" for his people. Joyless ministry is "no advantage to a people," as it transmits legalistic bondage rather than gospel freedom. A pastor who is "manifestly glad in God" glorifies God, making Him look magnificent. This gladness, however, is a "humble, brokenhearted joy," interwoven with the gravity of sin and God's holiness.

Stupendous responsibility. Gravity is appropriate because preaching is God's appointed means for:

• Conversion of sinners: Saving people from "everlasting ruin."
• Awakening of the church: Stirring spiritual seriousness.
• Preservation of the saints: Keeping them secure in faith.
  This immense responsibility means "heaven and hell are at stake every Sunday morning," demanding an intensity that rejects casual cleverness or humor that displaces repentance.

5. Jonathan Edwards: A Model for God-Centered Preaching

Above all, Edwards was a God-besotted preacher.

A life devoted to divinity. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was a profound theologian, a man of God, and a powerful preacher whose ministry sparked the Great Awakening. His life was marked by intense devotion to the study of divinity, rising early for study, and meticulously recording his insights. He sought to live "with all my might while I do live," channeling his passion into understanding and proclaiming God's truth.

A visionary's heart. Edwards possessed an extraordinary love for God's glory, evident in nature and in his profound spiritual experiences, often leading to "a flood of tears, and weeping aloud." This deep delight in God's greatness fueled his capacity to preach with power and vivid imagery, making him a "seer" and "visionary" for the church.

Enduring influence. Despite pastoral blunders and eventual dismissal from Northampton, Edwards's seven years in Stockbridge were immensely productive, yielding foundational theological works. His life and writings continue to inspire preachers, demonstrating how rigorous thought about God can mingle with warm affection for God, proving that "theology exists for doxology."

6. Edwards's Theology: Sweet Sovereignty and Holy Affections

God’s absolute sovereignty . . . is what my mind seems to rest assured of, as much as of any thing that I see with my eyes.

Sovereignty as glory. Edwards's vision of God centered on His absolute sovereignty, which he saw as foundational to God's infinite power, knowledge, holiness, and all-sufficiency. For Edwards, God's sovereignty was not a cold doctrine but a "great part of his glory," appearing "exceeding pleasant, bright, and sweet," leading him to "adore him as a sovereign God."

God's self-display. All of God's actions flow from His infinite fullness, not from any deficiency. His ultimate goal is not to gain glory but to "preserve it and display it." This means God acts for "the sake of his glory," and His self-glorification is intrinsically linked to His self-communication, revealing and giving Himself to those who receive Him.

Delight as duty. Humanity's duty is to "delight in God's glory," understanding that "the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever." This delight encompasses "holy affections" like hatred for sin, hope in promises, and gratitude for mercy. True religion, for Edwards, "in great part, consists in holy affections," which are the springs of all godly action and essential for persevering faith and final salvation.

7. Edwards's Preaching Methods: Stirring Minds and Hearts

If a minister has light without heat, and entertains his auditory [hearers] with learned discourses, without a savour of the power of godliness, or any appearance of fervency of spirit, and zeal for God and the good of souls, he may gratify itching ears, and fill the heads of his people with empty notions; but it will not be very likely to reach their hearts, or save their souls.

Heat and light. Good preaching, according to Edwards, must both "burn and shine"—possessing both fervent heat in the heart and clear light in the mind. Affections not rooted in the mind's apprehension of truth are not holy. Therefore, preachers must "clearly and distinctly explain the doctrines of religion" with "strength of reason and argumentation" to enlighten the mind, ensuring affections are "reasonable persuasion or conviction."

Saturating with Scripture. Edwards's sermons were "saturated with Scripture," not merely "based on" it. He would quote "whole passages" and "verse after verse," showing his people exactly where his ideas originated. This practice stemmed from his deep personal delight in Scripture, where "every word seemed to touch my heart," and his resolution to "study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same."

Probing and pleading. Edwards used vivid "analogies and images" to make heaven irresistibly beautiful and hell intolerably horrible, believing the heart is most powerfully touched by vivid reality. He employed "threat and warning" as acts of love, urging people to flee hell, and passionately "pled for a response," demonstrating that Calvinism does not negate earnest appeals. His preaching also "probed the workings of the heart," exposing self-deception and sin with surgical precision, born from deep introspection and biblical insight.

8. Tethered Preaching: Anchoring to God's Authoritative Word

What I have learnt from your mouth (that is to say, from your Word) I will distribute faithfully to your church.

Bound to the Bible. After decades of ministry, the Bible remains the supreme authority and joy for a preacher. It tethers us to reality, preventing us from speaking "whatever might enter our minds or whatever might be pleasing to any given audience." This commitment to God's Word, as exemplified by John Calvin, is the foundation of authentic preaching.

Beyond entertainment. A "Bible-oriented preacher" is manifestly connected to Scripture, conveying that his words derive their significance from God's revelation. Unlike an "entertainment-oriented preacher" who might seem untethered and focus on self-standing interesting or fun content, the Bible-oriented preacher feels the weight and joy of delivering God's message, constantly showing the congregation that his ideas come directly from the Bible.

Lasting impact. People leave tethered preaching with a profound sense of the Bible's supreme authority, importance, and goodness. They are "struck by the greatness of God and the weighty power of his Word," rather than merely entertained. This approach counters the "addiction to entertainment" by offering a "steady diet of Bible-saturated truth and wonder" that "enlarges the soul and strengthens the heart."

9. Preaching as Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization

It may be that if we only use the thought structures our audience already has, some crucial biblical truths may remain unintelligible, no matter how much contextualizing we do.

Beyond existing categories. While contextualizing the gospel to an audience's existing thought structures is important, preaching also involves "concept creation." Many crucial biblical truths may be unintelligible if preachers only operate within pre-existing mental frameworks. This requires praying and preaching to cultivate new, biblical categories in listeners' minds.

Spirit-wrought transformation. Ultimately, creating these new conceptual categories is the work of the Holy Spirit, as "the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him." However, the Spirit uses human means, including preaching and teaching, to humble people and enable them to let go of ingrained, sinful patterns of thought.

Challenging truths. Preachers must be prepared to present biblical truths that may initially seem controversial or counter-intuitive to fallen minds, requiring new ways of thinking. Examples include:

• God infallibly ordains all choices, yet people are accountable.
• God's ultimate goal is His own glory, which is at the heart of His love for us.
• Sin primarily belittles God, not just hurts man.
• The Christian life involves daily killing the crucified flesh.
  This dual task of contextualization and concept creation demands the preacher's best effort and profound reliance on God.

10. The Unspeakable Privilege of Being a Pastor

It is a great thing to be a pastor.

Swimming in God's sea. Being a pastor is an immense privilege, allowing one to constantly engage with the greatest realities: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and the Gospel. Pastors "swim in that sea with ever-replenished joy," contemplating and commending Christ daily, and being driven to seek the Spirit's fullness.

Mediating sacred moments. Pastors are God's "ever-amazed midwives" in the new birth, holding sacred emblems of communion, enacting the drama of baptism, and standing with hope at funerals. They mediate "holy transactions" in hospital visits and put the "great, life-long joining together of man and woman" on display at weddings.

Holy war and wise counsel. Pastors are called to make "holy war every day" against the great enemy, the devil, and to sever the "great root of countless evils"—the love of money—in their own souls and their flock. They provide "wise, biblical counsel" that is "greater than much fine gold," making many rich, and humbly wear the mantle of leadership under the Great Shepherd, always striving for lowly servanthood as high greatness.

Last updated: February 10, 2026