Cutthroat Preaching

[Regarding Heb. 4:12-13] “As worshippers, we are laid bare before this Word, and the Greek word describing this (trachelizo) is a word that refers to exposing the neck of a sacrificial animal just before the throat is cut. It is the Word that slays us, cuts us apart, assembles us on the altar, and sends us up to God in the smoke. Consequently, preachers need to learn to preach as though this is what is happening. First, we must handle the Word like a sword. And secondly, we must learn to handle the Word as though it were alive and has a mind of its own — because it does” (A Primer on Worship and Reformation, p. 41).