ChosenRebel's Blog

Tuesday is for Preaching

⁴² And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, ⁴³ but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” ⁴⁴ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
(Luke 4:42-43)

Notice:

• Jesus has preached and there has been a good response. They want more. (vs. 42)
• Jesus is going to preach in other towns. It is his purpose to do so. (vs. 43)
• He is not afraid to tell them what his purpose is and why he is going to leave them. There is urgency to his task. (vs. 43)
• But before he goes to the synagogues of Judea (vs. 44), he “went to a desolate place” (vs. 42).

This language of Jesus going to a “desolate place” is repeated in different ways throughout the gospels. He goes to “a lonely place”, to “a mountain”, “a stone’s throw away”. Jesus was constantly buttressing his preaching ministry by devoting himself to prayer and seeking the face of the Father.

Pastor, make sure that you are taking time to be away from people and with the sovereign God. Preaching is more than knowing what is in the text. It is knowing the Living God with such intimacy that your passion for the text is worthy of the God you serve.

Cultivate an inner life with God. You will be much more valuable to your people if you do and you will bring great glory to the King.