My Dear Friend,

Miraculously rescued, freshly revived, and newly recommissioned, Jonah perceived God's voice speaking in his heart. The divine directive was clear: he was to go to Nineveh and preach "the preaching that I bid thee" (Jonah 3:2).

This message is for ministers, Bible teachers, and all who share God's Word. We must preach to those who sit before us "the preaching Christ bids us." While possibly coming in many different ways, this crucial guidance usually comes by the Holy Spirit's still, small voice speaking quietly but distinctly in our hearts. When we're in God's Word. When we're walking in obedience. When we're drawing near Him in prayer and worship.

Spirit-led preaching and teaching rules out a number of options:

• We must not blindly preach what others are preaching, however inspired or successful their messages. That is the preaching of envy, imitation, and competition. It is carnal, not spiritual. Dare to be original and confidently use the gifts God has given you to share the biblical insights He has given you. Remember, if they bless you, they will bless others also.

• We must not simply preach whatever our congregation wants to hear. That is the preaching of appeasement. However well received, it will not challenge your sheep to grow spiritually by abandoning sin, searching God's Word, denying self-will, obeying the Spirit, and conforming wholly to God's will. Deliver the messages they need, not those they want. That will develop and mature them.

• We must not always preach topics our wealthy donors like - or avoid those they dislike. That is the preaching of fear of man. It breeds bondage and, ironically, financial insecurity. Our rich folks are not our financial source. Christ, and Christ alone, supplies our needs, whether through the rich, middle class, or poor. If we trust Him, we're spiritually rich, and will never lack. If we trust the rich, we're spiritually poor, and will always come up short.

• We must not always preach the material we already have prepared. That is the preaching of ministerial convenience. We always select the topic that's easiest for us to present, whether timely or not for our people. But the Spirit may want something else presented, and quickly and powerfully pour it into our open minds with minimum organization but maximum inspiration. True ministry is hard work. The pastoral "ox" ever labors to grind biblical grain "in due season" - grain sometimes given at the last minute. Will you prayerfully seek and diligently prepare Spirit-led messages every week - and remain open to the Spirit's spontaneity? Or just do what's easy?

• We must not preach debated doctrines regularly. That is the preaching of contentious intellectual pride. Mere theological debate rarely imparts spiritual life and power. Though we must occasionally "earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 3), excess polemics leave our sheep starving for less-complicated, more biblical messages that will power them through the challenges of their coming week: the wisdom of Proverbs; the ways of the Spirit; Jesus' marvelous teachings and deeds; the early church's inspiring miracles, growth - and persecutions - in Acts; the epistles' ever-helpful practical instructions; or the Bible's fear-destroying, hope-inspiring, End-Times prophecy.

• We must not always preach about our nation's current problems. That is nationalistic preaching. It is well-intended but distracting and despiritualizing. Our news-weary congregations need to look away from partisanship and ideologies and hear talks that point them to another King and His kingdom, a "better country" that is perfect, enduring, and coming sooner than we think (Hebrews 11:14:16).

• We must not simply preach whatever our ever-evolving pop culture is saying. That is the trivial preaching. One day Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook will pass as quickly and uneventfully as they came, while the important, eternal things of God remain. We must study, expound, and apply not our trivia but God's truth: the enduring, inspired, sure, unchanging, soul-saving, life-altering Word of God! "I solemnly charge you . . . proclaim the word" (2 Timothy 4:1-2, CJB)!

This "preaching that I bid thee" will always be biblical and herein lies its dynamic, life-changing power. God's Word is supernaturally "quick and powerful," sharp and piercing, and always effective when believed and received (Hebrews 4:12). God's Word that "goes forth from” His mouth through our mouths will never return "void" (empty, fruitless) but ever "prosper" and "accomplish" His will (Isaiah 55:11).

These Spirit-anointed, scriptural messages convict of sin, never condoning or celebrating it. They correct us, never leaving us straying or deceived. They sanctify us, never leaving us impure or unequally yoked. They encourage reconciliation, never creating or enlarging needless divisions. They nourish and develop us, never stopping or reversing our spiritual growth.

They inspire self-sacrifice, never self-serving. They are not spiritually light or shallow, but sober-minded, deep, rich. They woo us to devotedly seek Christ, our Life and Covering, and warn us enemies, invisible and visible, ever lurk (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Timothy 3:12).

They never pity us when we suffer, but ever stir us to overcome. They never speak false assurances that lead us into spiritual sleep, but ever "speak the truth in love" that exposes illusions, awakens us, reinvigorates us (Ephesians 4:15). They never tell us we have arrived, but ever direct us onward, upward, for more of Christ, His life, His power.

They never flatter us, but always affirm our great worth and potential in Christ. They never condemn us, but always condemn our sins and prompt us to forsake them. They never leave us worrying what evil people may do, but always release the awe of God that instantly dispels the fear of man.

These Spirit-led, Word-fed messages are also prophetic: God's genuine voice speaking through His genuinely anointed servants. Their genius is not the servants' human intelligence or skill, but the Spirit's marvelous, mystical work. And not one earthly soul, however close to Christ, experienced in ministry, or well-acquainted with the Spirit's gifts, fully understands this unfathomable mystery!

This is why Jesus urged us in Revelation not once but seven times: "Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22). And "what the Spirit saith" and "the preaching that I bid thee" are the same. Be encouraged! If even such a flawed servant as Jonah could accurately discern and faithfully deliver such preaching, so can you and I . . . with the Holy Spirit's same flawless assistance.

Pastor, teacher, exhorter, preach this preaching! Christian, seek this preaching!

Preaching this preaching,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES