If Christ Didn’t Rise, Preaching is a Waste of Time

This Sunday is one of the biggest days of the year for churches. More people will attend church this weekend than any other time except maybe Christmas. Those of us preparing sermons for this Sunday know the pressure that Easter brings. Lots of people will be there who usually do not come. It will be a packed house, and we feel it.

But let’s not lose site of the main thing. When it comes to the things we preachers do… proclaiming the word of God, inviting people to follow Christ, communicating life-changing truths… If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, none of it matters. But if he did rise, it’s all that matters.

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

…if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. …your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. …If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 (ESV)

If Christ didn’t rise from the dead, then this whole thing is a sham. If the resurrection didn’t happen, our preaching is a waste of time and people should feel sorry for us.

But Jesus most certainly did rise from the dead. And since he did, your preaching is not in vain. Your preaching is not a waste of time. Actually, your preaching matters. It has eternal implications not because of you, but because Christ is alive!

So, this Easter as you stress over every detail of the service especially your sermon, remember that Jesus is alive and that is what makes your preaching matter. If Christ is alive your preaching is supernatural. Otherwise you’re just giving a speech.

So to all of you who read Preaching Donkey and listen to the podcast, this week I have no preaching tips, tricks or techniques. I’ll be back with more of that next week. What I do have this week is to remind you that your preaching matters because Jesus is alive.

Jesus is alive. He is risen indeed.

So preach well this Easter.