While a core group may not have the privilege of sitting under a qualified preacher for some months or even a couple of years as they develop, they should always be focused on the central priority of preaching as the church develops. Let me give you some reasons preaching must be the top priority of a church plant.
Preaching is Modeled as the Church-Planting Priority in the New Testament
The greatest church-planter of all time, the Apostle Paul, preached the Word of God in synagogues in whatever city to which he came. He preached sermons based in the Old Testament proofs of Christ as God and Messiah and proclaimed the gospel of repentance.
Whatever is Your Top Priority Will Be Why People Come
Just to use a silly example, if a church plant decides that its top priority is to plant flowerbeds as a service to their city, then this so-called “church” will attract amateur gardeners in the area. More seriously, if a church plant is focused on making sure unbelievers feel spiritual and welcome with confronting their need for repentance and salvation, then you can be sure to fill an auditorium with unbelievers who are playing church and feeling spiritual. Or if a church plant is focused on a negative priority: “We’re here to counteract all the lousy churches in our city,” then you can be sure of attracting malcontents and difficult people who like feeling they’re part of a rebellious group. But if your top priority is the preached Word of God, then those who come and those who stay are there to learn of our God and to grow in their Christ-likeness.
Preaching is the Most Easily Achieved Activity of the Church
Notice that did not say that preaching is the “easiest” activity of the church. I have been preaching for decades and it is anything but easy. But in terms of achieving preaching on a regular basis, when compared to a quality music ministry or children’s ministry, preaching is the most easily achieved. You need one thing: A preacher. For children’s ministry, you need materials, space, organization, volunteers and so forth. But preaching can begin immediately upon the arrival of a founding pastor and lives begin to change from week one.
Preaching is the Primary Spiritual Training of the Church
I use Colossians 1:28 as a guideline for my preaching. It needs to have four components.
- It needs to be Christological: “Him we proclaim.”
- It needs to be Applicational: “Warning everyone.”
- It needs to be Effectual: “Teaching everyone with all wisdom.”
- It needs to be Doxological: “Present everyone mature in Christ.”
In other words, all in the span of one sermon, the preacher can exalt Christ, apply the Scriptures to daily life, insist on wise living in light of salvation, and point the listener to living a life that glorifies Christ in obedience.
