In preaching through books of the Bible, we must realize that our aim is not to just get through a book, but to get through to the people. We are not just giving out Scriptural information, but aiming for spiritual transformation. In feeding the flock, the sheep need a well-balanced diet. They may be lacking in a particular area, where a weakness needs to be addressed. How can a good shepherd know unless he is regularly among the sheep in ministering to them. His pastoral care informs his preaching choice. Weigh these words:
“A good preacher should know the flock intimately and have a consciousness of both their immediate circumstances as well as their characterizing values, idols, strengths, and challenges. For example, a church made up of people who are very confident in their salvation as a result of a robust understanding of justification, but who at the same time lack care for one another, might need to hear a series on James. On the other side, a congregation that has a very legalistic approach to being Christian might need to consider Galatians or Romans.
Just as each week’s sermon ought to be preached with an awareness of these things, so too should the entire preaching program be shaped with them in mind. This highlights for us again that the work of feeding Jesus’s lambs with his word is intensely pastoral and missional, and that it requires the local overseer to be walking closely and sharing life with his people. An internet preacher cannot do this for a congregation, and an internet preaching plan cannot serve them well either.” (The Whole Counsel of God, Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid, Kindle edition, location 791).
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