Preaching: Putting Your Heart into the Sermon

[I borrowed the following entry from a post at the Puritan Board. It is entitled, Putting Your Heart into the Sermon].

In his book The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges writes, "The Minister, that does not manifestly put his heart into his sermon, will never put his sermon into the hearts of his people." How true this statement is. Every preacher should strive to preach to the hearts of his people with great fervency and love for them. The preacher should strive to be plain in his speech rather than eloquent with his words. He should strive to be useful to the lowest of men rather than seek praise by appealing to the highest of men. The goal of preaching is not to bring glory and praise to the speaker but rather to let the Word of God have its perfect work in the hearts of the congregation. The people need the living water and the bread of life not the fine delicacies of high minded, intellectual oratory. Preachers, preach it plain, preach it simple, preach it fervently and through your preaching always love your people as Christ first loved you."