A beautiful example of Bible preaching is found in the eighth chapter of Nehemiah. There all the people were gathered together in the street that was before the water gate and Ezra the scribe brought the law of Moses. There Ezra stood upon a pulpit of wood and opened the Book in the sight of all the people. Then a number of godly preachers helped to explain the Scriptures. "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading" (Neh. 8:8). That was Bible preaching. They read the Word of God and explained the sense and caused the people to understand the meaning. And it was not dry-as-dust preaching either. For the people were so moved upon that they mourned and wept and repented of their sins. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 132-133]
So, preacher, start with the Scripture. Find the theme, the real subject itself, in the Scripture. Find the outline in the Scripture, or if the outline itself is just logically deduced, then find Scriptures to back up every statement and quote them. Use many Scriptures to make clear the point and use Bible illustrations whenever possible. There is living power in the Word of God. The Scripture itself brings conviction to people who are not convicted, brings light to people in darkness, brings salvation to those who are lost. We need Bible preaching. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 133-134]
It is no honest preaching of the Bible that does not preach Hell. Man is a sinner. If he does not repent he will die unconverted forever away from God. Men ought to be warned of the horrible fate of dying without Christ. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 138]
God's wonderful plan of salvation would never have been planned by men. All the false religions of the world put the emphasis on man's goodness or man's works or human ceremonies, or human institutions or merits, instead of on the unmerited grace of God for Hell-deserving sinners. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 155]
There is something shocking to human wisdom and human sense of propriety in God's drastic statement in Romans 4:4,5, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Read those verses and see how they go against all human wisdom. Who is it here that gets saved? "Him that worketh not." Who is it here that gets saved? It is the ungodly! God saves people who do not deserve it, ungodly, wicked people who do not do anything to deserve salvation! So the Scripture says. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 155-156]
How are people saved? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." People are not saved by works. People are not partly saved by works. People are not kept saved by works. Every person who ever got saved, got saved without deserving it. I did not deserve salvation when I got it. I have not deserved it since. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 157]
Somebody else will stand to testify and say, "I am determined to go through. I am resolved to make Heaven my home." Poor, deluded soul, it takes a lot more than determination to get to Heaven. It takes the blood of Jesus Christ and the mercy of God who saves unworthy sinners not fit to be saved! - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 158]
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