INTRODUCTION THIS WEEKEND PREACHERS ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL STAND BEFORE PEOPLE congregated in churches large and small and attempt to fulfill Christ’s call to His undershepherds to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2). Their sermons will be delivered, their stories told, their cross-references referenced, and their illustrations carefully drawn. Despite their monumental efforts, much of their preaching will never be heard—at least not in a biblical sense. When Jesus spoke of “hearing the word,” He made