“God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center - Christ on the Cross - be trivialized into mere words.” (1 Corinthians 1:17 MSG)
The verb ‘preach’ is often used pejoratively to describe tedious moralizing. Thus, media-savvy pastors have learned to entertain the masses by delivering motivational and humorous sermons. While this may fill the church and its coffers, it pushes Christ to the margins.
Preaching and prayer have a lot in common. Preaching, in its purest form, is lifting up Jesus so others can understand and experience Him. Intercessory prayer is lifting people and their concerns up to Jesus. Whether you bring Christ to the people or the people to Christ, the results are the same. Being in the presence of God allows us to know and experience Him.
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