0428. Preaching the Word of the Lord
Preaching the Word of the Lord
"And this continued by the space of two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks" (Act_19:10).
Our second theme shows Paul as a preacher of the Word of God. Paul was pre-eminently a "reasoner from the Scriptures." He preached the Bible.
The minister of Christ has no right to turn aside to fables. There are many outside themes pressed upon the pulpit to-day. Unto them one and all the minister should turn a deaf ear.
"Preach the Word" is the Spirit’s command. "He that hath My Word, let him speak it faithfully," is the voice of the Spirit.
What right has any one to turn the pulpit over as a public forum from which the "issues of the day may be discussed"?
What right has the Sunday School to turn the minds of the children away from the gracious truths of the Bible? Is the Sunday School to teach ethics and human morals and world schemes for the general good?
What right has the Young People’s Society of any church to turn its attention toward themes foreign to the Word of God? Why should young people, in their church gatherings, discuss Social Service and kindred themes which are fabricated by world men? Why not "search the Scriptures"? Why not build up the young in the great doctrines of grace as taught in the Word of God?
Our schools and colleges may teach the things concerning man,–how to read, and how to write, and how to transact business, or how to sew and to cook–but, the Church of God is set aside for the spiritual man. Its exclusive mission is the things concerning Christ.
Churches to-day have what some of them are pleased to call subsidiary service, side lines and lights, helps to the Gospel. They have their gymnasiums and swimming pools; their sewing circles, and cooking schools; their bowling alleys, and pool tables; they even have their "movies" and dancing. These things are being brought in, as supposed auxiliaries to the Gospel. The claim is made that the young people must be entertained and fed and feasted and frolicked, in order to be held to the church.
All of this is contrary to the call and the mission of the church. In churches where these things are being pressed, they are not helping the spiritual tone of the church. The supposed subsidiary service, becomes more and more, the main thing, the dominant thing. The result is, that the young people lose their esteem for the house of God. They sow to the flesh in church frolics, and are in no shape to sow to the Spirit. They get a passion for the carnal where they should get a passion for the spiritual. They cultivate the flesh in the church and then with a quickened appetite, they go to the world to get their fill of carnalities.
Paul knew nothing of these modern methods for holding young people. He recognized no need for the church to enter the realm of socialization; he preached the Word.
Let those churches who are seeking to do the will of God turn back to their real mission; let them refuse all of these worldly-wise methods and means which hinder, instead of help the Gospel.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR