Charles Westley preaching to the people the gospel of Jesus! |
Don't get me wrong. I'm not questioning cosmetic issues such as styles of worship, ambiance, lighting and mood. I'm challenging the dangerous practice of removing foundational principles; Spirit-empowered preaching is foundational.
I'm also not suggesting that we never converse with people. Quite the contrary, we must be slow to speak and quick to listen, but when we are called to preach, a whole new dynamic takes place: The Spirit of God speaks, convicts, draws, heals, breaks, restores, wounds and rebuilds. In the book Spirit empowered preaching, the author said, "It must be understood that the preacher does not share, he declares." Preaching is not a little talk. It is not a fireside chat. To substitute sharing and discussion for preaching is to risk the integrity of the gospel itself."
"What does this have to do with me; I'm not a pastor, or a preacher", you might ask. It has a great deal to do with any Christian regardless of his or her calling. Let me explain. There is a very troubling trend in the evangelical church, as a whole. Foundational doctrines such as the cross, sin, judgment and repentance were declared openly in the early hours of church history, as well as in American history when revivals and awakenings spread across our landscape.
Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of God |
"To convince the world of the truth of Christianity, it must first be convinced of sin. It is only sin that renders Christ intelligible" (Andrew Murray, 1794 - 1866). In other words, the crucifixion only makes sense in light of the consequences of sin. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15), yet, we're not suppose to mention sin, repentance or judgment?
Again, the good news about Christ can only be appreciated with the bad news as the backdrop. There are times when the saints must be fed, and there are times when the sinners must be warned (Charles H. Spurgeon). Preaching, witnessing, teaching, and so on must be done with God-given authority to truly be effective. "When we fail to proclaim God's Word faithfully, we run the risk of encouraging sin and perverting the words of the living God." (cf. Jeremiah 23). *
* Should we preach with authority? By Shane Idleman
If your not preaching with authority then your just pontificating.
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