Why the Church Must Care About Preaching

Reflections on BCO 53

The preaching of the Word is not merely a tradition we observe or a professional speech delivered once a week. According to the doctrine and practice of the church set forth in the Book of Church Order (BCO) Chapter 53, it is an ordinance of God for the salvation of men. It is a serious thing—a divine appointment that sets the stage for God to speak to His people. When we approach BCO 53, we are reminded that the pulpit is a place of weight, requiring a high view of the Word and a sober view of the minister’s responsibility.

A Divine Ordinance for Salvation

The BCO begins with a staggering claim: “The preaching of the Word is an ordinance of God for the salvation of men”. This is not motivational speaking or theological commentary; it is an appointed means of saving grace. It echoes the historical Reformed emphasis that God uses the preaching of the Word to convince and convert sinners and to build up believers.

Because preaching is tied so directly to salvation, the BCO demands that “serious attention should be paid to the manner in which it is done”. The minister must apply himself with diligence, proving himself a worker who does not need to be ashamed. This introduces a profound sense of accountability. The preacher does not own the pulpit; he is entrusted with it. He stands before God first. It is a serious thing to stand in the midst of God’s people in a service of worship and proclaim the Gospel from the Scriptures. We must exert ourselves in trying to be better at it, never treating it as just another teaching moment.

The Subject and Object of the Sermon

What makes a sermon a sermon? The BCO is clear: the subject must be “some verse or verses of Scripture”. Its object is to “explain, defend, and apply some part of the system of divine truth”. There is a specific rejection here of what we might call “motto preaching”. A text should not be a mere launching pad or a catchy title for a message the preacher already wanted to give.

Instead, the text must “fairly contain the doctrine proposed to be handled”. The sermon is not built around an idea the preacher prefers; it is drawn from what the text actually says. This protects the congregation from the particular whims or “soap boxes” of the minister. The authority of the sermon is derivative; if the doctrine does not come from the text, it does not carry Christ’s authority.

The BCO also encourages that “large portions of Scripture be sometimes expounded”. This systematic exposition guards the church from “hobby-horse” preaching. Whether we are moving through short chunks of a letter like Romans or larger narrative chapters in a book like Judges, the genre and the subject should dictate the length of the passage. The goal is always the same: that the instruction of the people is grounded in the meaning and use of the Sacred Scriptures.

The Cost of Preparation

Faithful preaching requires “much study, meditation, and prayer”. The BCO explicitly warns ministers not to “indulge themselves in loose, extemporary harangues, nor serve God with that which costs them naught”. This is a reference to King David’s refusal to offer a sacrifice that cost him nothing.

A sermon should be “costly”—not in the sense of being theatrically impressive, but costly in the time spent wrestling with the text, praying through its implications, and repenting of one’s own sins before asking the congregation to do the same. We must be careful in our preparation that we are not “serving God with that which costs us naught” by plagiarizing or using material we did not expend ourselves creating.

However, this diligent study is not for the sake of intellectual showmanship. The minister is called to “keep to the simplicity of the Gospel” and use language that can be “understood by all”. If we cannot explain a truth simply, we may not understand it ourselves. A lifelong Christian will never be disappointed to hear a clear and simple presentation of the Gospel. Finally, the preacher must “by their lives adorn the Gospel which they preach”. Personal holiness matters; the preacher’s life must not contradict the message he delivers from the pulpit.

Preaching in the Context of Worship

While preaching is central to our gathered worship, it is not solitary. BCO 53-4 reminds us that the primary design of public ordinances is to “unite the people in acts of common worship”. Therefore, ministers should not make their sermons so long that they “interfere with or exclude the important duties of prayer and praise”.

There must be a “just proportion” in the several parts of public worship. Worship is not a lecture event; it is a corporate encounter with the Living God. If a sermon is so long that it sacrifices the congregation’s opportunity to pray, sing, and offer themselves to God, the balance has been lost. While there is no “hard and fast” rule for minutes, 30 minutes is often a good guideline in our modern context to ensure the sermon doesn’t dominate to the exclusion of other ordained elements.

The Call to Response

Explanation without summons is incomplete preaching. BCO 53-5 authorizes and encourages the preachers to “urge his hearers by commandment or invitation to repent of their sins, to put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and to confess him publicly before men”.

This is not a call for revivalistic techniques or emotional manipulation. Rather, it is the necessary application of the Gospel. We must call people to believe and repent. Having encountered the text, the hearer needs to be told to turn away from old ways or to trust Christ more deeply. We should present people with a Savior they can trust in and be saved. This pastoral warmth in application ensures that our preaching is never purely academic, but always aimed at the heart and the will.

The Guarded Pulpit

Finally, BCO 53-6 establishes that “no person should be invited to preach... without the consent of the Session”. This reinforcement of Presbyterian polity reminds us that the pulpit is not privately owned by the minister.

The Session guards the pulpit because the pulpit shapes the flock. This oversight protects doctrinal purity and guards congregations from unauthorized or unvetted teachers. It is a collective responsibility to ensure that what is heard from the pulpit is indeed the Word of God, rightly divided and faithfully applied.

Concluding Reflection

The beauty of ordered worship is that it provides a stable, reverent structure where God’s voice can be heard clearly through His Word. When we take the principles of BCO 53 seriously, we aren’t just following a manual; we are honoring the glory of God in our gathered worship. We are ensuring that the “ordinary means of grace”—the preaching of the Word—is treated with the dignity it deserves. May we never grow complacent in this work, but always strive to advance the craft of preaching for the sake of Christ’s kingdom and the salvation of His people.