We live in a time when preaching is being depreciated and it is being set aside in favor of other

forms of communication, but the essential reality for the church that which basically dictates its strength or weakness is the character of its preaching and teaching teacher. Do an internet search for churches in your area.

And what do they say is their purpose?

You'll probably find priorities like building relationships,

addressing emotional needs, having a contemporary style, and those things are

fine for a community center or a support group, but have they found too high a place in the church? Bottom line, what is the role of the church? And what is the role of the pastor?

How can a church and its pastor make sure they're honoring the Lord every Sunday?

The title of John MacArthur's current study gives more than a little hint. Join him now on Grace to You as he continues his

series titled Why is is Preaching Worth Fighting For?

Here's the lesson.

There are five reasons why the Lord has designed that the center and heart of the ministry of the church is preaching and

preaching the word, the word of God, the revealed scripture.

Reason number one is because of dangerous times.

Dangerous times. Look at chapter 3 verse 1. But realize this, he says, that in the last days, difficult times will come.

He says, preach the word because of the dangerous times, the dangerous seasons.

It is a time of all times to preach the word.

Here we are, getting further down the line accumulating more and more danger and at the same

time a diminishing of the proclamation of the truth to meet that danger rather than an escalation of it.

We ought to be doing exactly the opposite of what we are doing.

Instead of setting preaching aside, we ought to be increasing the preaching and the preachers because of the increase

in the dangers.

Serious dangers exist today in the church, threatening the church.

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