In one of John Piper's finest sermons on preaching he said this, “God did not ordain the cross of Christ or create the lake of fire to communicate the insignificance of belittling his glory. The death of the Son of God and the damnation of unrepentant human beings are the LOUDEST SHOUTS under heaven that God is infinitely holy, and sin is infinitely offensive, and wrath is infinitely just, and grace is infinitely precious, and our brief life---and the life of every person---leads to everlasting joy OR everlasting suffering.
If our preaching does not carry the weight of these things to our people what will? Veggie Tales? Radio? Television? Discussion groups? Emergent conversations?
God planned for his to be crucified (Rev 13:8, 2 Tim 1:9) and for hell to be terrible (Matt 25:41) so that we would have the clearest witness to what is at stake when we preach. What gives preaching its seriousness is that the mantle of the preacher is soaked with the blood of Jesus and singed with the fires of hell. That is the mantle that turns mere talkers into preachers..."
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