What Stands At the Center of A Healthy Church?

What affect does the preaching of the Word have on a congregation? Preaching is God's primary means for converting sinners and bringing them into the knowledge of the truth (Rom. 10). Preaching is also the main vehicle for discipleship in the life of a congregation. But preaching is not the only spiritual food that is in the life of a congregation- although it is the main course. Preaching that is nutritious as well as delicious, will cause the congregation to go out and feed others, spread the Gospel, have Bible studies, prayer meetings, and other good spiritual things. A Spirit Filled congregation is the result of sitting under the Word of God in joyful submission. God's people will go out! Joel Beeke says it like this,

Preaching is the hub of all the means of grace. It's the center of it all. And where there's good preaching, you know what you'll discover? You'll discover that your church will get active and your church will start this means of grace and that means of grace, bible studies will spring up, literature distribution will happen, Sunday school, discipleship, pastoral visitation will be multiplied. Where there is good preaching, where the hub of the wheel is there, then spokes will begin to go out, and the means will be used, and the people will want to know what they can do to spread the Gospel.