If you’re ever discouraged in your preaching and teaching of God’s Word, John Webster provides a strong dose of encouragement. In his book, The Domain of the Word: Scripture and Theological Reason, Webster writes,

“But in acting as the ambassador of the Word, the preacher enters a situation which already lies within the economy of reconciliation, in which the Word is antecedently present and active….The preacher…faces a situation in which the Word has already addressed and continues to address the church, and does not need somehow by homiletic exertions to generate and present the Word’s meaningfulness. the preacher speaks on Christ’s behalf; the question of whether Christ is himself present and effectual is one which–in the realm of the resurrection and exaltation of the Son–has already been settled and which the preacher can safely leave behind.” (p. 26)

I purchased this book in order to continue to explore the theological interpretation of Scripture, but was pleasantly surprised to see sections like this on the relationship between God, preaching, and the church.

Be encouraged in your ministry because you preach and teach in an environment where God is already at work. We do have work to do in preparing clear words from God from His Word, but the hardest work of God bringing creatures back in fellowship with Himself is something He’s already doing when the sermon/lesson begins.

And that’s why our Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus each Sunday (Ephesians 3:21)!

Randal