Good preaching appeals to the senses.

Taste. Your mouth waters as you think of the luscious grapes from the vine in Canaan. You taste the fish and the bread when Jesus feeds the five thousand. You taste the bitter vinegar offered to Jesus in preaching the cross.

Smell. You smell the incense wafting a pleasant aroma in the service of the tabernacle. The olfactory nerves pick up the scent of lilies in the valley. The nose senses the awful smell of dung proclaimed by the prophets. Your nose turns at the very thought of the smell of Gehenna fires burning outside Jerusalem's walls.

Hearing. You hear Jesus walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Your ears hear the hoof beats and the wheels of chariots as God's people flee Egypt near the Red Sea. You hear the cry of baby Jesus at His birth. Your ears tune to the screams of mothers when Herod aims to kill all babies after the birth of Jesus. You hear the guttural sounds of groans and grunts on the cross.

Sight. You see the promised land as Moses looks from Mount Nebo. You watch giants as one of the spies from the wilderness. Your eyes watch Mary, Jesus' mother, at the foot of the cross. You shield your eyes as soldiers thrust a spear into Jesus' side. You cover your eyes as thunder booms and lightning flashes. Three days later you see the shining apparel of a resurrected Christ.

Preaching which appeals to the senses makes the Bible come alive!

Touch. What about touch? The Psalmist describes God's touch on our lives as a meeting, like a husband and wife holding hands as they tenderly care for their young. He pictures God's touch as a kiss, the cheek to cheek greeting of those who respect each other.

The Psalmist declares:

I will hear what God the Lord will speak

For He will speak peace

To His people and to His saints;

But let them not turn back to folly,

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,

That glory may dwell in our land,

Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed.

Psalm 85:8-10, NKJV

Preaching invites listeners to hear a word from the Lord. Obviously God uses human instruments through which to trumpet His Word. Preaching calms unsettled souls, delivering peace. The Word preached confronts those tempted to return to foolishness.

Preaching has a magnetic pull -- the metal of a hearer's soul drawing near to the heart of God. Salvation connects the metal of a soul with the magnetic force of God's heart. God's glory arrives in splendor when the Word connects. Splendor introduces mercy and truth. Righteousness kisses peace.

For believers to grow spiritually, preaching must balance tenderness with toughness, a mother's tender touch with a father's disciplinary touch. Balanced preaching combines smoothing rough edges with touching to heal, the carpenter's touch with the soft touch of a doctor. What is the touch of preaching?

A Mother's Touch

When a baby enters the world a mother cares for her. She caresses the child. She feels the child's soft skin. She applies Baby Soft to diaper rash. A mother affectionately nurtures her child with a gentle touch.