Dr. Zen Hess of Baylor inquires about the telos, the end goal of preaching. Preaching, he says, has many proximate goals: instruction, encouragement, comfort, exhortation and so on. But taking a step back, these results are expressions of a singular end, the activation of the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.
He takes as his primary example the sermon of Peter in Acts 10. From the article:
It is the timing of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring that catches my attention. The Gentiles received the Spirit not after Peter concluded his sermon but “while Peter was still speaking” (10:44). The timing of the Spirit’s arrival undercuts the conclusion that preaching is about persuasion or explanation. (Of course, Philip’s one-on-one teaching with the eunuch in Acts 8:26–40 cautions us against underestimating the value of good theological exposition.) Instead, the end of preaching in this story is transformation as the Spirit graces those who listen, preparing and prompting them to die and rise in the waters of baptism. Said differently, this story suggests that the end of preaching is union with and participation in Christ’s own life as empowered by the Spirit.