It Takes A Preacher!

Today many believe that preaching is outdated and ineffective. The pulpit is being de-emphasized in many churches, while drama and other forms of entertainment are gaining more prominence. There are two points I want to make about this trend and attitude toward preaching.

First, to minimize preaching in our worship services is to minimize God's plan for our worship. Preaching has been practiced in our worship from the very beginning (Acts 20:7). The pulpit is invaluable to the life and growth of a congregation. It sets the tone, encourages, warns, and informs. When the pulpit is de-emphasized, the members of that congregation will certainly suffer from shallow teaching.

Second, the pulpit is not the real answer to church growth. The pulpit is not going to reach the masses. It is simply too limited. It is limited in scope because it is not primarily designed as an evangelistic tool. The main purpose of the pulpit is directed to the church and not specifically to those outside of Christ. If we used the pulpit only for outreach, we would never be able to deal with the meat of God's Word(Hebrews 5:12-14). It is also limited in range. By its very nature, pulpit preaching is limited to the confines of a building. Most of the lost are outside our buildings without any desire to enter.

There is another unfortunate assumption often made today. Namely, the way to reach the lost is to invite them to worship services. This practice is not wrong; using this practice as an approach to personal evangelism is wrong. As we have seen, worship services are really for Christians, not those outside of Christ. If we are going to reach the lost, we must realize it doesn't take a pulpit, it takes a preacher. When Jesus sent Saul to Damascus to wait to learn what he "must do" (Acts 9:6), He also sent Ananias to give Saul that instruction. In the conversion of Saul, it took a preacher! Why didn't Jesus tell him what to do when He had Saul's attention on the road to Damascus? The only answer I have to that question is that Jesus did not want to do it that way. He must have wanted a preacher to talk to Saul. Consider the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Lord sent Philip to "chase him down." When Philip caught him, he "preached to him Jesus" (Acts 8:36). Again, it took a preacher! It is the same with the Philippian Jailor (Acts 16:31-34).

The fact is, all Christians are called to be "preachers." If we are to grow as we ought to be growing, we must all go out and "preach" or talk to others about Christ, His grace, His word, and His Church. While there may be a very few exceptions (those who are self-taught), the general rule is that everyone who becomes a Christian did so because someone cared enough to talk to him or her. It still takes a preacher. Are you preaching today?

Obey God, Not Men

There have always been pressures on those who preach the gospel to twist or change it in some way to make it more palatable for the world. Some go as far as simply remaining silent where the Bible is not silent. The recent advent of "Hate Speech" laws have been used by some to silence the preaching of the Bible. In Canada, it is no longer "legal" to call homosexuality a sin. A lawmaker in Oregon recently tried to pass a similar law for that state. Australia's "hate speech" laws were used to stop two denominational preachers from quoting the Quran when they were lecturing on Islam . However, the two are now allowed to quote the Quran once again.

Preaching is not always an easy thing to do. God told the prophet, Ezekiel, "Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house" (Ezekiel 3:9). John the Immerser (Baptist), lost his head for speaking out against the sin of Herod and Herodias (Mark 6:16-18). Of course, the apostles were often warned against preaching Jesus, but their response was, “We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

These examples may seem far removed by either distance or time, but this still happens anywhere the gospel is preached. It may be extremely subtle, but it happens. May we all, as Christians, lovingly and bravely stand unflinchingly on the Word of God.

The Church of Tomorrow?

Tonight, three of our young men in Doniphan did the preaching. They did such a wonderful job. They were Logan, Donald, and Caleb. Their lessons were extremely well prepared, and delivered with great poise. Last week, Adam Faughn held an outstanding gospel meeting for the Church here, and he is a young preacher as well. These young men are not only the Church of tomorrow, but the Church of today!

When you hear the kind of preaching I heard last week and this evening, it gives us hope and assurance that there are already men who are going to be there prepared to fight the spiritual battles of tomorrow. They will be able to do a glorious work for the Lord in a world that is becoming increasingly dangerous. They are the proverbial "bright spot" of the future. But, isn't that what all of us should be (Matthew 5:16).

Also, I want to commend the parents of these young men. Sometimes a young person can rise above the obstacles of indifferent or even ungodly parents. Yet, faithful Christian parents serve as a key ingredient in rearing the Christain leaders of tomorrow. There may be a young person who can overcome the circumstances of having parents who are less than a positive Christian example. But, just think of how much higher they could have flown if they had parents who nurtured, instructed, and encouraged them in the way of the Lord. Logan, Donald, Caleb, you all did a great job. Thank you, and may God continue to bless you in His service.