The Power of the Word Proclaimed

Preaching has fallen on hard times.   Pulpits have by and large disappeared, making our sanctuaries look more like a Ted Talk than a place of worship.  But the changes are far more than just cosmetic, or the innocent pursuit of relevancy by way of stage furnishings and the latest display of technology.  Which makes the closing words of the Sermon on the Mount so important.  Matthew’s record ends not with the final words of Jesus’ sermon, but with the collective response of those who heard it.  It is one of those brief statements that we could easily blow right by, as nothing more than a convenient literary device meant to provide a comfortable transition from one section of scripture to another.  But, as we’ll see this morning, Matthew 7:28-29 records something quite profound and profoundly significant.  We’ll consider the meaning and significance of Matthew’s after-sermon report in a much needed message entitled, “The Power of the Word Proclaimed”.