The Power of Preaching (Episode 20)

Most religious people know or have heard of the story of the Old Testament prophet Jonah in the belly of the big fish. Initially, Jonah did not want to preach to the people at Nineveh, as God had told him to. What ultimately happened is a reflection of the power of preaching. Accordingly, this episode focuses on how lives can be impacted by a word from the Lord—when those who hear it open their heart to God.  

When Jonah finally went and preached to the people at Ninevah, they believed his preaching. They repented and covered themselves in sack cloth and ashes. When God saw how they repented and turned from their evil ways, He changed His mind, and did not destroy the city.

From what we can see in the Scriptures, Jonah’s sermon was only one verse long. He said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4, KJV). The power of his message was not in how long or how short it was. Rather, its power resided in whose message he proclaimed and in who was with him when he preached it.

Contrary to the thinking of many today, the power of preaching is not rooted in the length of one’s sermon or the communication skills of the minister. Neither in how loud or how energetic the message is delivered. But its power is rooted in whose message the preacher proclaims and in whether or not the preacher has been sent by God. Only by the latter can one’s preaching have power to impact and change lives.

Anyone who preaches the gospel should find much encouragement in Jonah’s preaching experience. Similarly, God has given us His Word to reach the lost. Through the preaching of the gospel, we can change the world, one life at a time. That’s if we dare to believe in the power of preaching.