1453. Christ the Preacher, with Faith in the Scriptures
Christ the Preacher, with Faith in the Scriptures
"And He began to say onto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luk_4:21).
When the Lord Jesus entered the pulpit in Nazareth and had read from the roll of Esaias the Prophet, He closed the Book, and He gave it again to the attendant (1911 Bible), and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears."
The Lord Jesus Christ not only read the Word, but He believed the Word. Not only did He believe the Word, but He believed the prophetic Word. He quoted a passage written by Isaiah, seven hundred years before, and He said, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled."
Not only do we need men in the pulpit who preach the Word, but we need men who preach it with a clear and a positive and an unmistakable note of faith.
Behind many a sacred desk (sacred, because it is dedicated to God), are men standing as wolves in sheep's clothing. They speak that which they do not accept.
Paul said, "We also believe and therefore speak" (2Co_4:13). We need men in the pulpits who bring a message, not as a parrot, speaking the language of another without any conviction concerning its intent; we need men who speak with authority, not as the scribes. We must have men whose hearts are aflame with conviction, men who are willing to pay for their testimony with their lives; men, who like Christ, can say: "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen" (Joh_3:11).
The namby-pamby, milk-and-water, knee-shaking, policy-ridden preacher who proclaims the faith of another, but has no faith of his own, is to be despised.
When we have preachers with the convictions of the Prophets, we will have preachers with the fire of the Prophets.
Then we have men crying out, "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel!" (1Co_9:16).
We need men in the pulpit with faith in the Word of God.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR