Is preaching still relevant?  Do we really need it in order to love and live for our Lord?  Is there still a place for preaching in the Church?

I am certain that these are odd questions for you to ponder.  I know this because you love the Word of the Lord, and you treasure its exposition from the pulpit each Lord’s Day.  But, believe it or not, there are certain places in the Evangelical world where these very questions are answered in the negative.

I remember a conference for pastors that I attended back in 1999.  One of the guest speakers delivered a lecture on ‘The Death of Preaching,’ which he saw as a good thing for the turn-of-the-century Church! Turns out, his words were both prophetic and tragic.  He argued, quite passionately, that preaching is an outmoded form of communication for modern Christians.  As he stated, preaching is too ‘preachy.’  It’s too authoritative. It makes us uncomfortable. It drives ‘seekers’ away from the Church. It is too negative.  And, preachers tend to preach too long, interfering with the busy and demanding schedules of parishioners. In the many years since that conference I’ve encountered some fellow Christian pastors (whom I’m certain love the Lord more than I do) who never use the word “preach” because it has come to have very off-putting connotations.

Well, all of this brings us back to the prophet Ezekiel.  In the first three chapters of his prophecy, we encounter a man called to preach.  But what is preaching, exactly?  What does preaching do? What is to be preached?  Who is preaching for? Should we use a different word?  Is preaching optional for God’s people?

This Lord’s Day, we will begin probing these important questions together as we examine the inspired words of Ezekiel 2:3-3:3.   I can’t wait to preach on preaching!