Preaching With Unction

I have heard a pastor say quite often, "The preacher is the man of God and the Bible is the word of God" (Rev. Nelson Price, Pastor Emeritus at Roswell Street Baptist Church, Marietta, Georgia). These very words have been echoed and reinforced by many godly men throughout the history of the church. The preacher is in a unique position to influence people as he holds for the eternal word of God (John 1:1,14,17), the word of life itself (Phil. 2:16; 1 John 1:1-3). To preach with unction (having a powerful, positive, godly influence on others) the preacher must:

Be in a right relationship with God;
Demonstrate his faith through obedience to God's word; and
Faithfully preach God's word to the people.

The character of the man precedes power in his preaching. Likewise, a flawed character precludes power in preaching, not to mention a position of leadership in God's church. It is to this premise that I desire to align my own life and ministry. This message will address the three areas noted -- a right relationship with God, faith-driven obedience, and the preaching of God's word -- and their necessary connection to pastoral ministry.

The Preacher's Relationship with God

The man of God who would preach with unction must first have a personal relationship with God through faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. It is impossible for one to proclaim God's word with the power and anointing of God's Spirit without having experienced salvation in Christ. Sadly, there are men who, in spite of an earnest desire for doing the good work of a pastor (1 Tim. 3:1), have never put their personal faith and trust in our Savior Jesus Christ. Popular bible teacher and former pastor Steve Brown revealed that he had gone through seminary and preached at a small church for several years without having been converted. He had never experienced the new birth that Jesus said was required to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3). He had no power in his preaching. And his people knew something was wrong. One night in his study, he realized that Jesus really did rise from the dead; that meant that all he said was really true. There in his study he trusted in Christ who died for his sins and rose from the grave victorious over all the forces of darkness. This was the point at which he began to experience God's power in his preaching. The people in his congregation began to grow spiritually as his now sincere words from the pulpit rang true in their own souls. His ministry became purposeful and focused as he was guided by God's word rather than his own desires or opinions.

So the preacher must first be a born-again Christian. This requires his own knowledge of the gospel as well as his personal faith in it. The people in his congregation who are faithful followers of our LORD Jesus Christ will quickly discern if the preacher does not really know Christ. The pastor cannot have the impact on his people that God requires of a pastor if his people sense something wrong in his life. God's blessing of the preacher's ministry requires his connection to God through his personal acceptance of Christ. Based on this acceptance, God can effectively use and develop the preacher in the gospel ministry. People's lives can be impacted for time and eternity when the preacher has a personal relationship with Christ and, therefore, proclaims the gospel with confidence to his congregation.

The Preacher's Obedience to God

Obedience is not a popular word in Christian circles today that seem to be overly obsessed with teaching grace. Obedience is looked at scornfully as "legalistic." Legalism results from the misguided notion that I must be perfect in order to please God or I will lose his favor. The key to discerning godly obedience from legalism is the motive behind it. Grace produces a humble, grateful heart that desires to please God. It was our LORD Jesus Christ who said clearly "A new commandment I give you: love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another" (John 13:34). His grace ("as I have loved you") produces obedience ("so you must love one another"). One cannot separate the two as though the concepts are contradictory. Again, our LORD told His disciples, "You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:14, NIV). So, popular or not, obedience is critical for one to be a follower of Christ.

Given this, how much more important is it for the preacher to be obedient to God's word? In such a position of spiritual authority, moral influence, and community-impacting leadership, the preacher must ensure that his life reflects a character and faith commensurate with his position in God's church. Dr. Hunter suggests that the preacher examine his priorities, his heart, and his ministry on a regular basis.¹

In the area of priorities, Dr. Hunter sets a personal relationship with God as first and foremost in the preacher’s life (Col. 3:1-3). Following this, family relationships are second, work relationships third, and church relationships are fourth. Of course, for the vocational minister work and church relationships are the same. But his point remains that family relationships cannot be sacrificed on the altar of ministry (1 Tim. 5:8 refers specifically to financial support but certainly applies to the entire family relationship).² The preacher who keeps his family first while dealing with difficult people and stressful ministry gives a wonderful example to his flock of right priorities. His congregation will pick up on the importance of one's family and begin to follow his example. Such a practice will enrich the lives of everyone in the church -- creating stable families in the community and a strong spiritual heritage for future generations.

The heart of the preacher is another facet of his calling which must be kept on target. As Solomon wrote, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Prov. 4:23, NIV). Dr. Hunter presents the process of a calling heart (Jer. 33:3), a confessing heart (1 John 1:9), a cleansing heart (2 Cor. 7:1), and a circumcising heart. The question he asked which touched my own heart was this: do you get right with God but fail to get right with one another?³ The preacher, of all people, must endeavor to keep his relationship with God pure. And he must also endeavor to make things right with people who have offended him or those whom he has offended. It is simply not enough to ask God's forgiveness without attempting reconciliation with the wounded party. The preacher's example in this regard will set the pace for a congregation that needs to see forgiveness and reconciliation in action. Such an example will stimulate the faith and practice of his congregation in the one area where more congregations are broken than any area -- the need for reconciled relationships. People can be very hard to get along with causing anger, bitterness, envy, and strife. Knowing the heart of the preacher that desires forgiveness and reconciliation provides no recourse within the church for the wounded parties but to do the same.

The preacher's ministry needs regular attention also. "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it" (Col. 4:17, NKJV). It is possible and happens all too often that a preacher tries to "coast" through the ministry. Rather than give his best to God, he conducts the ministry as a "duty" or a "job" rather than his divine calling from God. The LORD has called each of us to do whatever work is ours heartily as though the LORD was present as the supervisor -- for it is the LORD Christ we serve (Col. 3:23). There is no room for laziness, lethargy, or half-hearted efforts. The minister who pours his life into his ministry will find himself drained but satisfied for having served the LORD with his best. Dr. Hunter emphasized a critical point in this: "God never called you to build a ministry; He called you to minister."⁴ This is a key question the minister needs to examine to be sure he is doing God's work God's way. The objective of his ministry is to bring eternal, abundant life to his people through the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. If the minister steers his messages and his ministry toward building a following and a large church, the blessing of God will not be with him. He will lose the unction in his preaching and his ministry.

Obedience in the preacher's life will be obvious to all -- and so his life should reflect an unswerving devotion to Christ. In my studies of the Pastoral Epistles, this is why Paul lists in his qualifications for a pastor that he first of all be "blameless" or "above reproach" (1 Tim. 3:2, NKJV). All will witness the pastor's life and conduct. The most striking character trait I see in my own pastor is his consistency and faithfulness in ministry. His example is one that I and many others in the congregation admire and strive to follow. Were he to falter in his obedience to Christ, he would damage more than his own walk with God; he would harm the faith of countless believers who look up to him as the man of God. This strikes holy fear into my own heart as I consider the gospel ministry. My prayer is that the LORD be faithful to mature me in His grace and truth that I might be counted faithful and consistent, never causing any shame to the name of Christ.

The Preacher's Message from God

Perhaps there is not a more visible part of the preacher's ministry than his preaching. Every week he must stand before the people and expound the great truths of Scripture. His appearance, delivery, gestures, facial expressions, as well as his words all contribute to the effectiveness of his message. More importantly, his life and ministry prepares the hearts of his people to receive the word he delivers. As has been stated, the preacher's relationship with God and obedience to God are critical prerequisites to preaching with unction. They lay a fertile soil in which to plant the seed of God's word.

In this course, much has been made about believing the Bible is the word of God with full authority to define and delineate every area of life. And so it should be. For there are too many "preachers" who have gotten off track by moving away from the Bible as there foundation for preaching. Personally, I began this message on Preaching with Unction with a firm conviction after years of teaching the Bible that it is God's holy word and it is profitable for everyone who will hear and obey its message (2 Tim. 3:16). This truth resounds with approval in the heart of every believer in the LORD Jesus Christ since it is imbued with the Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11-12; 2 Peter 1:20-21,3:2). Any preacher who desires unction must first have this firm conviction about God's word. Without such a conviction, there can be no passion, persuasiveness, or power in the message he proclaims, however biblical it may be.

More than just a conviction regarding the authority of God's word, the preacher must also develop his message from the Bible. "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:2-3, NKJV). Paul exhorts that the preacher preach God's word AS God's word. The preacher with unction is one that believes, obeys, and proclaims the word of God. His conviction of the authority and reliability of God's word will be reflected in the messages he proclaims. The life-change required in the members of his congregation will take place as they hear and respond to the preacher of God's word. It has been noted by many leaders in the body of Christ that perhaps 90% of the counseling required by the average congregation could be eliminated by the preacher if he would just proclaim the whole counsel of God. This includes calling sin "sin" rather than redefining it in the terms a culture will accept:

If God says marriage is for a lifetime (Gen. 2:24), then don't affirm the choice of people to do violence to their one-flesh union through divorce (Mal. 2:16) because of "irreconcilable differences"; teach them to show unconditional love for one another (John 13:31-34).
If God calls adultery a sin (Exo. 20:14), then don't excuse it as something "everyone does"; teach them to be faithful to their mates (Heb. 13:4).
If God equates lust in the heart with the sin of adultery (Matt. 5:27-28), then don't say it as a private matter for an individual; teach them to flee from all sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18).
If God calls lying a sin (Exo. 20:16), then don't call it a miscommunication or misunderstanding of terms; teach them to speak the truth to one another (Eph. 4:25).
If God calls homosexuality a sin (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:27), then don't redefine it to your congregation as an "alternate lifestyle" and ordain one to the ministry who practices it; teach them the holiness of God and power of His grace (1 Pet. 1:13-16).
If God calls drunkenness a sin (Eph. 5:18), don't excuse it as an "addiction" that permits it to continue; teach them to put unholy spirits aside and seek the filling of God's spirit instead.

If the man of God proclaims the word of God, in particular the counsel of God's word that explains what sin in and how grievous it is for the individual and to God, then the hearts of his congregation will be turned away from it. God's word has that kind of relevance and power because God has made it that way (Isa. 40:8,55:11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12).

There is general agreement that expository preaching meets the challenge of the preacher to proclaim with authority the goodness of God, the horror of sin, and the power of the cross. People today have been raised without the knowledge of God or His absolute truth. One who preaches a "be good" message has no more authority or power than Buddha or Joseph Smith. Yet one who uses expository methods to preach the Bible has a message that is not just his opinion; it is the opinion of God. After all, whose opinion carries any weight in this world? Certainly, people have a low opinion of preachers these days. But just as the people could not refute God's prophets of old, they will not be able to refute the wisdom of God's preacher today who prepares an expository message. It will provide God's truth with specific application for the issues of life today. Expository preaching speaks to the heart of people in whatever culture it is prepared.

This is the technique that I have chosen to use and it has proved fruitful in my ministry. People yearn to know what God has to say to them personally. Dr. Hunter pointed out a specific technique that I realize has been lacking in my own preparation. It is the need to "mature" the sermon message. Prepare it well ahead of time so that you can get alone with God in prayer over it. Through this, Dr. Hunter notes, you can find a peace about the message, authority in preaching it, a boldness in proclaiming the truths in it, and a sense of urgency that your congregation needs it.⁵ The preacher may need to alter his schedule to ensure that enough time is allowed for the sermon to be a "well-seasoned" message.

The exciting part of God's ministry is that there is always more to learn, more development that can take place, and more effective use God can make of a teachable man of God. My prayer and my passion is to boldly proclaim the word of God with all the power of His Spirit working in me and through me. I am confident that God will be faithful to answer this prayer -- not because I am worthy but because the needs of His people are so great. The people of God and the lost people of this world all require preachers who preach the word of God with unction.

End Notes

Hunter, Harold Dr. Regional Seminar: Preaching With Unction. Trinity College and Seminary: Asheville, North Carolina. November 5, 1998.
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