Cause them to understand

WORDs of Saving Grace - cause them to understand

Nehemiah 8:8  So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Not only is the role of a preacher to exhort or encourage others to come to Christ and follow Him, but also to help others "understand" what God's scripture means. To simply regurgitate facts and words is neither from the heart nor is profitable to the hearers, but is instead vain rhetoric and bombast.

1 Timothy 1:5-6

5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

Jesus made it a critical part of His ministry to "cause" people to understand the scripture, not only repeat what it said.

Multiple times He said "but i say unto you", and this means you may think the answer is one thing, but what "i say unto you" is what this really means.

Matthew 5:22, 5:28, 5:32, 5:34, 5:39, 5:44, 11:22, 11:24, 12:6, 12:36, 17:12, 26:29

Jesus would even say "this day is this scripture fulfilled". In other words this is what the Old Testament was referring to and what it means...

Luke 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

And no doubt the men of God Paul, Peter, Jude and James all wrote and explained the Old Testament scriptures ("as it is written") in relation to the power of Christ's death, burial, resurrection and His return.

Next time you hear preaching - is it causing you to understand who our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is and His will? Or is it man's purpose and agenda?

2 Timothy 2:14-15

14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.