The Power Behind the Words
Understanding What Makes Preaching Truly Effective
What distinguishes preaching that transforms lives from speaking that merely entertains or informs?
For over 40 years, I have visited different churches and heard different degrees of communication effectiveness from the pulpits. At a two week church conference, about 20 years ago, I witnessed a striking contrast that left me deeply thoughtful. I heard various speakers with different styles, backgrounds, and approaches to presenting spiritual content.
At one particular service, I heard a sermon from a highly educated minister with impressive rhetorical skills. His presentation was polished, his illustrations clever, his theological knowledge extensive, and his delivery smooth and professional. The congregation seemed engaged, many took notes, and people complimented the sermon afterward. By all conventional measures, it was a successful presentation.
The following day, a simple pastor delivered what could only be described as a very basic message. His grammar wasn't perfect, his illustrations were common, and his delivery was somewhat awkward. From a technical standpoint, it was far inferior to the previous week's polished performance.
However, something deeply spiritual happened during that simple sermon that I hadn't witnessed the day before. As the pastor faithfully opened Scripture and spoke honestly about humanity's need for Christ, I noticed a palpable change in the atmosphere. People weren't just listening—they were being moved. I saw tears, heard quiet amens, and witnessed what appeared to be genuine conviction settling over the congregation.
After the service, instead of polite compliments about the pastor's speaking ability, I overheard conversations about personal spiritual needs, commitments to lifestyle changes, and requests for prayer. Several people approached the pastor with serious spiritual concerns, and one individual made a decision to be baptized.
The contrast was evident and puzzling at the same time. Then I realized what had made the difference. The first sermon, despite its technical excellence, had relied primarily on human skill and knowledge. The second sermon, despite its technical limitations, had been accompanied by something the first one lacked—the obvious presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
This event perfectly illustrated something I had been studying. Wherever the word of God has been faithfully preached, results have followed that attested its divine origin. The Spirit of God accompanied the message of His servants, and the word was with power.
The key phrase is "faithfully preached." This doesn't refer to perfect delivery or sophisticated theology, but to honest, sincere proclamation of God's truth with dependence on divine power rather than human ability. When God's Word is presented in this way, something supernatural occurs that no amount of human skill can replicate.
Sinners felt their consciences quickened. The "light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" illumined the secret chambers of their souls, and the hidden things of darkness were made manifest. This describes the Holy Spirit's work that accompanies faithful preaching—not the work of human eloquence or persuasive techniques.
I've observed this pattern in various settings. Speakers who depend on their education, charisma, or rhetorical skills may impress audiences, but they rarely produce lasting spiritual transformation. However, when someone faithfully presents God's truth while depending on the Holy Spirit's power, hearts are penetrated in ways that human ability cannot achieve.
Deep conviction took hold upon their minds and hearts. They were convinced of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come. This kind of conviction cannot be manufactured through emotional manipulation or psychological techniques. It comes only when the Holy Spirit takes God's Word and applies it directly to human hearts.
The simple pastor I observed wasn't trying to impress anyone with his knowledge or skills. He was simply opening Scripture, explaining its meaning clearly, and trusting God to make it effective. His obvious dependence on divine power rather than human ability created space for the Holy Spirit to work in ways that polished presentations often prevent.
They had a sense of the righteousness of Christ and felt the terror of appearing, in their guilt and uncleanness, before the One Searcher of hearts. This describes conviction that goes far deeper than intellectual understanding or emotional response. It's the Holy Spirit's work of revealing spiritual reality in ways that demand response.
I realized that faithful preaching isn't about perfect delivery or impressive credentials—it's about honest presentation of God's truth with complete dependence on divine power. When preachers trust in their own abilities, they limit what God can accomplish through His Word. When they humble themselves and depend entirely on the Holy Spirit, they create conditions where supernatural transformation can occur.
In anguish they cried out: "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" This is the cry that comes when the Holy Spirit convicts hearts through faithful preaching—not just intellectual curiosity or emotional excitement, but desperate recognition of spiritual need that only Christ can meet.
What makes preaching truly powerful isn't human skill but divine presence. When God's servants faithfully present His Word while depending entirely on His Spirit, ordinary messages become extraordinary instruments of transformation.
Are you more impressed by polished presentations or by obvious spiritual power? When you communicate spiritual truth, do you depend primarily on your skills or on the Holy Spirit's work? How might greater dependence on divine power enhance the effectiveness of your witness?
"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4)
