The preachers responsibility is sound doctrine. The Bible says that we are to preach sound doctrine. Sound doctrine in the Greek is hugiaino didaskalia meaning that which has not been corrupted, healthy, not diluted or distorted. Guardrails are to help the preacher not stray into dangerous off-limit areas and to keep the preacher on the right road when it comes to preaching and communicating sound doctrine.
Here are 7 Basic Guardrails for Preachers that will help define how you preach and why you preach.
The Guardrail of Knowing Theology in the Text
Acts 6:1-4, Joshua 1:8, 2 Timothy 2:16
A preacher must know what the scriptures teach, know the basic theology of the subject that forms the sermon that you are about to bring. The authority for the sermon is in the Scripture, not the story, not the experiences and not the personality.
The Guardrail of Resisting Popular Opinion
1 Thessalonians 5:21, 2 Peter 3:18
A preacher must not be swayed by popular opinion, even the opinion of a friend or other thinkers. You must have convictions within the Scripture and to do that you must have good hermeneutics.
The Guardrail of Making Culture Fit into Scripture
The preacher must be careful not to modify scripture to fit cultural disposition. To suite the listeners taste, to be relevant at the cost of Scripture. Relevancy is a good thing, but not at the cost of Scripture.
The Guardrail of Building on the Absolutes
Preach the Word. The Scriptures have absolutes in them. You cannot bend these absolutes and have both feet planted in mid air with no absolutes.
The Guardrail of Confidence in Your Calling to Preach
Because you’re called to preach, you have the Holy Spirit to help you preach. The feeling you get about being wrong, or but I want you to take this on, that you have a calling and you can preach. And you can be someone who preaches sound doctrine. I want to encourage you that you are a person who can preach ALL of Scripture. Wait on the Lord, allow the Holy Spirit to study, read, prepare and move forward.
The Guardrail of Mastering a Jesus Centered Pauline Theology
Preaching is Bible centered, which is more than just the Gospels. You have to become a Pauline reader and Pauline thinker. Preachers have to preach the Kingdom of God and Christ and the church in a theology and a pneumatology and a Christology that is represented in the Pauline Epistles.
The Guardrail of the Scriptures are always Relevant & Right
Go to the pulpit with this in mind; The Scriptures are right, the Scriptures are trustworthy, the scripture have authority, it is my guardrail. I might not understand what everyone is feeling about this issue but I’m going to preach from Scriptures because doctrine is relevant, Scripture is relevant, I’m going to stay in the Scriptures, I’m not a psychologist, I’m not a politician, I’m not a great speech giver, I’m a preacher, a preacher of the Scriptures.
Get your theology intact, get your convictions down deep, go to the pulpit with confidence and let’s put some theology into this generation.
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