“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).
Public speaking, especially in preaching and teaching, demands the best one can give. Care about preparation, delivery and choice of words will always be vital to speaking effectively. While everyone has not had formal training on sermon preparation and delivery, there are important aspects to speaking as the Bible addresses that should be true of any man who tries to present God’s word. Consider three points concerning speaking that are found within the pages of the Bible.
- Power in the Word of God. The concept of speaking as the oracles of God (cf. 1 Peter 4:11) is to let the text of the Bible be the message presented. Paul stated of the gospel, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Paul wrote also to the Roman brethren, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Therefore, the faith that saves is not just any faith, but it is the faith that is tied to the word of God. Human interest stories and personal experiences have their place in conversation, but they do not have the power of the actual word of God. David wrote, “I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me” (Ps. 119:93). Truly, the word is living and powerful (cf. Heb. 4:12).
- Persuasion from the Word of God. Paul exhorted Timothy, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2). When Paul was questioned by certain ones at Rome about the nature of the church, Luke recorded, “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening” (Acts 28:23). Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God” (1 Cor. 2:1). His means of persuasion was from the motivation found through the crucified Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 2:2).
- Product out of the Word of God. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). If one is going to get the proper product from sowing, then the right seed must be used. Another kind of seed is reproductive seed to produce children. James wrote of God the Father (cf. James 1:17), “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). Peter wrote, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23). A TED talk may be eye-catching in its technology, entertaining in its content, and well designed in its form, but the word of God produces what the Lord has designed for it to do. Isaiah stated of the word, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa. 55:11). May such speaking abound.
Jimmy Clark