The Power of Biblical Preaching: Why is Preaching Important?

A faculty blog written by Dr. Trent Lambert, the Director of the Center for Thriving Leaders and the Director of the Master of Arts in Ministry Studies. 

I never expected anything extraordinary to happen when I went to school on that particular morning. I was in elementary school at Leipsic Elementary. My dad was the principal at the time, and he made it his goal to get as many kids as he could to a revival service happening at a local church. Sitting down, I started listening to the preacher speak the Gospel very clearly.

I remember sitting in that service feeling uncomfortable, rocking back and forth. I was uneasy with the words the preacher was saying. The preaching was convicting and spoke to my heart like never before. I am a sinner, and I am forgiven by Jesus Christ, who gave His life to save me. 

I remember knowing I had to do something about it. When the altar call came, I gave my life to Christ with nearly 300 other teenagers. The power of preaching changed me.

People’s lives are changed by influential speakers that God uses through biblical preaching. This speaks to the testimony of the power of proclaiming God’s Word and preaching the Gospel.

Preaching the Gospel

I have now served as a pastor for more than 20 years and have preached hundreds of times. I have seen the power of clearly preaching the Gospel change people’s lives. 

In Romans 10:14, Paul emphasizes, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

But what is preaching? 

The goal of biblical preaching is simply to communicate the Gospel. This is done in a powerful way to allow the preacher’s audience to hear the voice of God.

I would define preaching as the ability to hear from God, to have the right tools to apply text properly, and with confidence, proclaim God’s Word to a group of people with the hope that their minds will be changed, hearts will be transformed, and that they leave better than when they came in. That’s preaching. If we can do that, we can change our culture and we can change our country.

The Proclamation Project

Changing the culture and country seems like an impossible task. That’s why Grace Theological Seminary, through the Center for Thriving Leaders, created the Proclamation Project. The Proclamation Project is a grant supported by the Lilly Endowment to help people who are effectively preaching the Gospel in today’s culture.

How does the Proclamation Project practically support this goal? It offers many tools and resources for ministry leaders to share the Gospel. This includes several events on and off the Grace College campus, pilgrimages across the country and the world in places of spiritual revival, a preaching club coming for students this fall, and so much more.

I often hear from students that they are drawn to the program at Grace because we have not moved away from our biblical values. GTS has a conservative biblical stance that has not wavered since we began in 1937. 

The Great Commission

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” 

We, as believers, are commanded to make disciples by showing and sharing the love of Jesus Christ. 

Preachers do this through biblical preaching of the Word, because the Word is powerful. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit.”

In my own experience, I have seen people you would not expect to give their lives to the Lord. For example, a satanist gave his life to the Lord once when I was preaching. The Word transcends the hardest people and situations, and brings life, transformation, and change.

As a believer in Christ, we are called to preach the Gospel. Ministry shouldn’t stay in the church building. It should be present in everyday life.

Want to be equipped to preach the Gospel? Check out the Center for Thriving Leaders & Proclamation Project’s offerings and resources!

For more content from Grace Theological Seminary, read Dr. Sprankle’s article on six ways to see how God is working in your life. 

Or discover how Pastor Dan Allen was called to vocational ministry!

Dr. Trent Lambert serves as the Director of the Center for Thriving Leaders and the Director of the Master of Arts in Ministry Studies at Grace Theological Seminary. Lambert has 20+ years of experience teaching and writing Bible, ministry, and leadership-related courses, as well as advising and mentoring students at both undergraduate and seminary levels. He also has 20+ years of pastoring and planting churches on the West Coast and in the Midwest, in addition to 15+ years working in college administration.