The act of preaching was the high point of public worship. If Christ himself speaks through the mouth of the preacher, the worshiper must give due and careful attention. The church was not merely a religious organization gathered for the purpose of enacting cultic ritual. It was the dwelling place of the living God, and thus involved genuine confrontation between God and each participant.

Benjamin Keach

The reading of the Word is not a ho-hum point in any message nor is the exposition of it!