Repetition in Preaching

There are some topics in Scripture mentioned more than others (i.e. salvation by grace through faith vs works). I always cringe a little when something I’ve already preached on, comes up yet again in the preaching calendar. I think “Won’t our people be tired of hearing this yet again?”

Well, I came across something so good recently that I want to share here that has set me free from the fear of preaching on a topic I’ve already preached on 2-3x.

The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:1, “…It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.”

Bible commentator, William Barclay, has the following to say on this verse:

“Like any good teacher, Paul was never afraid of repetition. It may well be that one of our faults is our desire for novelty. The great saving truths of Christianity do not change; and we cannot hear them too often. We do not tire of the foods which are the essentials of life. We expect to eat bread and to drink water every day; and we must listen again and again to the truth which is the bread and the water of life. No teacher must find it a trouble to go over and over again the great basic truths of the Christian faith; for that is the way to ensure the safety of his hearers. We may enjoy the “fancy things” at meal times, but it is the basic foods on which we live. Preaching and teaching and studying the side-issues may be attractive, and these have their place, but the fundamental truths can neither be spoken nor heard too often for the safety of our souls.”

I’m now of the persuasion that if a topic is mentioned a lot in the Bible, it’s probably because it’s really important. And if it’s really important, our people need to hear it over and over.

As one of my mentors once told me, “If it’s worth preaching once, it’s worth preaching a thousand times!”