Preacher—commit yourself to faithful exposition of the Word of God. Set the standard for the new year by standing with a Bible in your hand and speak the truth in love. Here a Roman soldier experienced a miracle by exhibiting faith in the spoken Word of Christ! Perhaps your church is sick—even to the point of death. Do you believe in that life-giving Word?
Jesus sets before His audience a call for commitment. He is moving to the conclusion of His sermon, and had laid out the terms for His kingdom followers. Now, He brings the people to this choice: there are two gates—one broad and the other narrow; two roads—one broad and the other narrow; two groups—the many and the few; two destinations—destruction or life. There is no middle ground—no third option. Everyone reading these words has made a choice.
The thing about this choice, is to be in one classification, you need do nothing except choose to remain where you are. We are all born with a depraved nature. When we reach an age of moral responsibility, we choose to remain as we are with the crowd we belong to and bound for hell.
The preacher must do as Jesus did. He must call on people to repent. It is a call to commitment. He is to present the Gospel in such a way as to shine the light on that narrow gate. In fact, it is a singular way—a Person, Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” (John 14:6). The Path is a Person. It is a call to follow Jesus, and that is the Calvary Road.
That is the invitation the preacher must give—to come and die. It is Christ’s appeal, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,” (Matt.16:24). Few are wanting such a life, and yet the most important thing about a road is not how many have chosen it, the ease of access, and smoothness of travel, but the destination. The way to hell has a wide access ramp, it is well marked, it is the popular way, and easy—just shift into neutral for it is all downhill. But the end of the road is a fatal, fiery crash.
The good news the preacher presents is there is another road. It is narrow and uphill all the way. Not many are on it. Yet, it ends on the mountaintop of glory! Man of God, summon people to Christ. Give the Gospel invitation. Do not be discouraged when few respond. It is not your task to try to make the invitation easy—to broaden the appeal—to gain decisions rather than disciples. Getting someone to walk down an aisle and sign a membership card is not the same as getting them to walk to the cross and sign their life over to Jesus. Yet, because some have resorted to emotional manipulation does not mean we abandon the invitation. Just make it plain as Jesus did. You are calling them to come and die, but it is dying that we gain eternal life.
In Matthew 6, we have the heart of the Sermon on the Mount and it deals with the matter of the heart. We can group these warnings of Christ around three dangers for any believer: pride, prayerlessness, and possessions. Yet, these are especially perils for the preacher.
There is A WARNING ABOUT PRIDE. Jesus warns in several places about “hypocrites,” who in their giving (v.1-3), praying (v.4-15), and fasting (v.16-18), do so with great public fanfare. Their intention is to have the applause of men. A pastor may do the right thing, yet for the wrong reason, and it then be wrong. Such may have the appreciation of humans, but not the approval of heaven! It is not that a preacher can or even should always keep his service secret, but if motivated by self-promotion, we try to steal that which only God merits—His glory! How many will find their lifetime “achievements,” go up in smoke at the Judgment Seat as hay, wood, and straw?
There is A WARNING ABOUT PRAYERLESSNESS (v.4-15). There is extensive teaching concerning prayer. We already have addressed the motive for prayer, but Jesus goes on to speak to the manner of prayer and furnishing a model for prayer. Jesus assumes we will pray. He says, “when you pray,” not “if you pray.” Now, the preacher will pray publicly, yet he is not to simply be the professional pray-er. There is the danger that in volume of sound and verbosity of speech, he thinks he is reaching heaven, while his words rise no higher than the ceiling. There will be no power, nor fruitful ministry, if it is not rooted in a private prayer life that connects us to God. Impotent preaching is often due to inadequate praying!
There is A WARNING ABOUT POSSESSIONS (v.16-34). Many a minister has been shipwrecked on the shoals of materialism. Obsessions for possessions have ruined many a preacher. A man who serves the church for money is a hireling, rather than a shepherd. It is not that a vow of poverty is required. If we do not provide for our family, we are worse than an infidel (1 Tim.5:8). To have possessions is one thing, but they must never possess us. It is not just a matter of what is in the bank, but what is in our heart. We may not have wealth, yet covet it. We may have little financially and correspondingly little faith—worrying about tomorrow rather than trusting God today.
Satan has these three traps set for you preacher! Watch where you step lest you be ensnared!
Matthew 5-7 contains the greatest sermon ever preached. It was preached by the greatest Preacher, the Lord Jesus, and is called the Sermon on the Mount. While we may never be elevated to the status of a great preacher, we can strive for great content—and know that the Spirit of Christ indwells the servant of Christ who has given is this subject matter. Let’s learn from Him, though we will certainly fall short of the standard the Perfect Preacher set.
He CARED FOR THE MULTITUDES, “seeing the multitides.” His message was evangelistic. Jesus never neglected the masses of humanity. They were lost in sin, and He would call them to repentance and faith. His compassion for sinners was communicated with an invitation to enter the Kingdom of God. Every preacher should have a heart to evangelize the sinner and proclaim the Gospel in each sermon.
Jesus COMMUNICATED WITH GREAT CLARITY. “He went up on a mountain.” Whether using a mountain for a pulpit or sitting in a boat where He employed the acoustics of the lake to carry His voice—the content needed to be communicated with clarity. What He said needed to be heard and so Jesus would employ the laws of nature to amplify His voice to speak the laws of the Kingdom of heaven. Preacher, pronounce your words and proclaim the truth with clarity. Don’t let how you say it obscure what needs to be heard.
Jesus CONCENTRATED ON HIS DISCIPLES, “His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them…”. As previously noted, Jesus cared for the sheep wandering on the mountain, who needed to be summoned into the fold with a Gospel clarion call. Yet, He had a special concentration on the men who would be trained to be shepherds and extend His ministry after His departure back to glory. The preacher must also be a teacher. Edifying disciples must be the concentration of our communication. The Great Commission goes beyond the need to reach the world, to then teach the Word.
In these ways, we can be like the greatest Preacher who proclaimed the greatest sermon ever!
This world is not a playground, but a battleground. If we seek to be in God’s will, then we will run head on into the devil. The only perfect Man—the Lord Jesus—had to face and fight the devil. Yet, He was victorious each time. Hebrews 4:15, states Jesus was, “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” He sets the standard for successful spiritual warfare. He did not defeat the devil as God. Being fully God, He could have cast Satan into the abyss by a command. Yet, Jesus was also fully man, and overcame Satan as a man can—with the Word of God! This displayed His flawless nature, qualifying Him as the spotless Lamb to die in our place.
Further, by wielding the Spirit’s sword as a man, he showed us how we also may overcome the wicked one. That divine weapon is available to us! Paul described the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6, and the one offensive weapon, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” (v.17b). Each time, Christ met the Tempter with, “it is written,” three times beating back the thrust of temptation and putting the devil to flight.
That Word must be committed to memory. The ingestion of God’s Word is essential. David underscored that winning the war depended on wielding the Word, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you,” (Ps.119:11).
The Word must be communicated in ministry. The proclamation of God’s Word is non-negotiable. The teacher in the classroom and the preacher in the pulpit must believe in the Word as their authority and proclaim the Word with all clarity. This will enable those sitting under the Word to experience victory!
It is the power of the Gospel message that summons sinners to salvation (cf. Rom.1:16). It is the power of God’s Word that breaks strongholds and sets saints free. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
On Monday through Saturday, I will study God’s Word, store it in my heart, and submit to it with my life. Then, I can stand with a Bible in my hand on Sunday morning before God’s people and by that sword see lives transformed with truth. “It is written!” is my conviction and my communication!
Jesus is our model for ministry. Of course we will not be perfect, but we should make progress in following His example, as we yield to His Spirit within us. From start to finish, let us fulfill God’s call and pursue all that is right!
Joseph provides an example of how those in church leadership should be led by the Lord. We can only be effective if we are directed by Him. Unlike Joseph, we may not expect an angel to guide us, but we have God’s Word to speak to us and the Spirit of God to specifically apply the principles revealed in our current context. The issue in much of our leadership is not so much a failure of knowing what to do, but knowing it and failing to do it! Certainly, we must ask God for clear direction, but my problem has often been knowing more than I have been doing!
The three responses of Joseph, as underscored by Olford here are vital in being led that we might lead. Preacher, stand fast, shun fear, and show faith! In these days of doctrinal and moral compromise, may God give us a backbone of steel—clarity and courage of conviction!
Eschatology is the doctrine of “last things.” About 1/5 of the Scriptures are prophetic in nature. A preacher who avoids preaching about the second coming of Christ is not following Paul’s example who said, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD,” (Acts 20:27, emphasis added). Faithful exposition of the BIblical text demands an eschatological emphasis.
As we come to the last chapter of the Bible, we find another Apostle—John—commanded to preach with urgency, as if Christ were returning soon. Three times, in Revelation 22, Jesus declares, “I am coming quickly.” What if your next sermon would be your last one before Christ comes for His church? It could be!
Eschatological exposition is a call for rejoicing. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev.22:7). This is our happy hope! It is the ultimate joy for the child of God—to be with Jesus forever in glory! Read Revelation 22:1-6 concerning the wonder of heaven. This preaching stirs the soul to worship.
Eschatological exposition is a call to reward. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Rev.22:12). We are reminded that even though our redemption is not by our works, our reward is determined by our works. The entrance to heaven is a matter of our faith in Christ, but the enjoyment of it is in measure of faithfulness to Christ (cf. 1 Cor.3:11-15). This preaching summons the servants to work.
Eschatological exposition is a call to readiness. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev.22:20). An even stronger word is used to introduce consideration of Christ’s return: “surely,” and not just “behold.” There is coming a day when the die is cast and those who are not prepared to meet God will have no further opportunity (Rev.22:8-16). But for now, the Gospel invitation is extended (Rev.22:17). This preaching sets the saints to watch.
Adding to the prophetic Scriptures with sensationalism or subtracting from them by neglect are deadly serious. There are eternal consequences for the preacher and his people (Rev.22:18-19). May God strengthen us to stand and speak with urgency, so we may say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Preacher, may “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev.22:21).
Preachers are to be heralds of hope. A herald in John’s day was a messenger of the king who went ahead of his lord’s arrival to prepare for his coming. That is what preachers are and what we do. Our announcement is that, “The King is coming!” We are to prepare the people. Their destiny is glorious. No matter their struggle now, despite the situation today, the promise is that some golden daybreak Jesus will come. John beheld this incomparable glory in Revelation 21.
We must preach THE HOPE OF OUR DELIVERANCE, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” (Rev.21:1). John was isolated on a prison island. Surrounded by stormy seas, those waters shut him away from his church family. To think of that barrier removed was cause for rejoicing! Captive to our challenging circumstances can get old. Yet, God will make all things new!
We must proclaim THE HOPE OF OUR DWELLING, “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev.21:2-3). We must continually remind our congregation not to settle down in this world. If people are comfortable with their status, we are to remind them that it is passing away. God has infinitely better prepared. On the other hand, if people seem captive to their situation in the world, we are to reinforce that relief is coming. We are not home yet!
We must herald THE HOPE OF OUR DELIGHT, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev.21:4). All that brings sorrow and suffering here is caused by sin. The delight of a world of absolute holiness and its happiness awaits God’s people! Let us be faithful as God’s preachers to remind our members to live for eternity!
Paul told the young pastor, Timothy, “do the work of an evangelist,” (2 Timothy 4:5). The gift to the church of the pastor-teacher is not the same as the gift of the evangelist (cf. Eph.4:11). Seeking the lost may not come as freely to the pastor as shepherding the flock, and the effort in evangelism may not be as fruitful as those gifted in it, but this does not absolve us from trying. The truth is that if the pastor-teacher does not stir a passion for evangelism by his model and equip the saints in his teaching, then few souls will be reached by the local church. God has put us here to offer hope to the hell-bound.
Consider the GRAVITY OF OUR EVANGELISM, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire,” (Rev.20:15). What a dreadful day for the damned! Hell is a reality, and those who do not receive Christ as Savior are doomed to spend eternity in the flames! May they have to climb over us to get there! This is an awful future, and yet an avoidable fate. Our witness may be the only impediment to their everlasting suffering!
So, there is the URGENCY OF EVANGELISM. John records, “And the dead were judged,” (Rev.20:12c). Scripture is clear, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” (Heb.9:27). We do not know when that appointment is set for an individual, we only know that it is a certainty. What if it is today for someone we know or meet along the way? God puts people in our path that we might warn them of the judgment to come and offer them hope in Jesus Christ, “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many,” (Heb.9:28a).
I am ashamed at opportunities I have missed. I am alarmed at the prospect of souls I have not warned—of those hell-bound who were not told of the hope in Christ! All I may do is grieve those missed opportunities and resolve by God’s grace to be a better watchman (cf. Ezek.3:16-19). I am sick to my soul that as I type these words there is blood on my hands—stained from the sinners I failed to warn. May God have mercy on them, and send someone to share before it is too late, and have mercy on me for shirking soul-winning!
DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST!
The church is the Bride of Christ. There is coming a day when the Bridegroom claims His Beloved and we are joined with Him forever! Until that day, the Bride is to be getting ready. The wedding garment is “fine linen, clean and bright…the righteous acts of the saints.”
It is the pastor’s task as part of the Bride to prepare himself. It is easier to preach it than to practice it, but sanctification to God and service to Him is paramount, if we are to help lead the church to get ready for Christ’s return.
In this sense, the pastor has a specific role beyond his own preparation—to help the local congregation dress up with righteous deeds. His practice is to exemplify the standard, and his preaching is to expound the standard.
How do we do this in our preaching? That is the thrust of Revelation 19:7-10.
Observe, THE SUBJECT OF PREACHING, “the testimony of Jesus,” twice mentioned here. Our preaching that prepares the church to meet Jesus is rooted first, not in the principles of action, but in the Person of adoration. The why precedes the what. Wherever we take our text, we are to make a beeline to Jesus. He is the subject of the Scriptures. The more we know Him, the more we love Him, and the more we love Him, the more we serve Him, and the more we serve Him, the more we know Him, and the cycle expands and deepens.
A Christ-centered message produces a burning heart of devotion. Recall the Bible lesson the risen Christ gave to two disciples on the Emmaus road, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” This was the result, “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:27, 32).
Next, consider THE SPIRIT OF PREACHING, “the spirit of prophecy.” We can preach with accuracy—and we must—yet also preach with anointing! Paul put it this way, “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
The message of the Old Covenant was one of the letter—commandments of God, engraved, as it were, in stone by the finger of God. There was no problem with the accuracy of the message. The problem was in the people who would not obey it and were thus condemned by it. The message says,”Do this and live,” but we do not, and are sentenced to death. Sadly, this characterizes a lot of preaching that tells people what to do and what not to do (and mostly the latter), yet has no power to equip them and so they leave the sermon with condemnation weighing them down. This breeds hypocrites who are legalists and wear a mask of religion or dropouts who are discouraged and carry the burden of failure. Vance Havner put it this way, “You can be as straight as a gun barrel theologically, but as empty as one spiritually.”
Our ministry is one of the New Covenant. It is one of the Spirit—the Spirit of prophecy—who imparts life. It does not call for reformation that is superficial, but for regeneration that is supernatural! The Spirit of God calls the elect into real life, as He changes us from the inside out. Our dress is not one of the filthy rags of self-righteousness, but the wedding garment is the beauty of Christ—the righteousness that comes by faith. This preaching, anointed with the Spirit is one of life and liberty. It yields joy! The Apostle Paul confronted legalism in Romans 14, “For the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (v.17). Four times, “Alleluia” rings out in Revelation 19. The shout of praise will accompany the Spirit of prophecy!
In conclusion, note THE SWORD OF PREACHING, It is said of Jesus, “out of His mouth goes a sharp sword,” (Rev.19:15a). When Paul uses this analogy, he says we are to wield this “sword of the Spirit which is the word of God,” (Eph.6:17b).
When Jesus is the focus of our preaching and the Spirit gives the force to our preaching, then change will be the fruit of our preaching. Someone may ask the pastor in a Monday morning ministers’ meeting, “Was there any response to your preaching yesterday?” The faithful messenger may say, “Yes! 100%! Some responded in repentance and some in rebellion. Some said yes to God and left better, but some said no and left worse.” This is the two-edged sword of the Word of God. We see the element of judgment here when Christ returns (Rev.19:11-21).
This is the promise, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isa.55:11). There are those who sit under our preaching whose hearts will be tender and they will respond in obedience and become even more sensitive to truth. Others will have hearts that are toughened and they will respond in callousness, exiting even more dull toward truth.
The preaching of the Word will separate the wheat from the chaff. In the end, those who are truly the Bride will be dressed in white, yet others: “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matt.22:11-13).
There is a type of separation from the world that is unbiblical. It is isolation, as we seek to remove ourselves wholly from the world. Yet, Jesus has sent us into the world to seek the lost. We cannot cloister with a monastery mentality and carry out our mission. Yet, there is Biblical separation. While Jesus has sent us into the world, we are not to be of the world. That is sanctification, and we cannot make a difference in the world unless we are different from the world.
In Revelation 18, we see in Babylon a description of the world system—ecclesiastical Babylon marked by false religion and economic Babylon characterized by financial gain. That Babylon is doomed to destruction. Hence the urgent warning, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” (v.4).
In this context, we will weigh the role of the preacher and Biblical separation.
Consider then, THE CALL TO SEPARATION, “Come out of her, my people.” The voice comes from heaven, and it is with that voice that the preacher speaks, as he proclaims the Word of God from the pulpit. Our message must be clear and compelling. All through the week , the church members have been living in this world that is seeking to shape their thinking and conduct according to its call to compromise and conform. They hear the siren song of deception and dollars, and we must warn them to resist! Preach on eternity, so that the people will consecrate their lives upon the altar, holy and acceptable to God, being transformed by the truth as it renews their mind. They will either be transformed by the Word or conformed to the world (cf. Rom.12:1-2).
Importantly there is THE COMMITMENT TO SEPARATION. The warning is, “lest you share in her sins.” The preacher’s model must support his message. The congregation needs to see it in the man of God if they are to be convinced as we speak of it. Compromise with Babylon is a peril for the pastor as well as the people. How many men have diluted and deviated in doctrine and devotion, craving prestige and possessions? We begin by avoiding uncomfortable truths. We claim to believe them in private, but do not proclaim them in public. This begins the path into the abyss of compromise.
Further count THE COST OF SEPARATION. Babylon is judged, “And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints…” as the final verse of Revelation 18 (verse 24) relates. The pressure to compromise for religious prestige and material possessions is but one dimension—the flip side is the peril of resisting the forces of evil. On the one hand we are enticed with gain and on the other the threat of loss. Ultimately, the world system is willing to eradicate those who expose their deception and expound their crimes. Prophets are not popular. Sadly, it has been said that the church today is a non-prophet organization!
The cost of conviction is great, but the cost of compromise is greater. In the former, one may suffer earthly pain, but will have everlasting reward. In the latter, one may have earthly gain, but will have eternal retribution. The warning is to come out of Babylon, “lest you receive of her plagues.” Carnal, compromising preachers will find the fires of hell exceedingly hot, for they have not only gone astray, but have caused many others to stumble into the pit. Their own agony will be accompanied by the screams of many of their past congregants!
I read the obituary of what I fear was such a preacher last evening. His church was near the one I served. The times I was around him, I can say he was more noted for what he did not believe than what he did. Here is what he wrote about his legacy:
“I seek no Heaven, nor Hell to shun When this my earthly life is done.”
Although the final disposition of his soul is not mine to decide, I am concerned the heaven he did not seek has not been gained, and hell he did not care to shun, he has now begun to experience. There is no joy in saying this. May God give us grace to pay the price of conviction, rather than the cost of compromise!
[The pictures portray Christian and Faithful from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, in Vanity Fair, resisting the allure, and are placed on trial, with Faithful being condemned to death—a fitting illustration of the truths of this post].
Mystery Babylon has been with us since the flood and will be until the final days. Out of the polluted fountain of her false religion, every abominable belief system has flowed. It will consummate in a global religion in the last days.
Although its form has manifested itself in varying ways, it is ultimately about deception versus truth, and thus, an assault on Him was is the True and Living God. The war is waged against Truth Incarnate—the Lamb of God. Yet, we are confident that He will prevail and so we, as His followers, must persevere.
Not only must His preachers hold the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—with firm grip, standing on the solid Rock of truth, but wield it against error. It is the theme of Spurgeon’s great call to arms in, “The Greatest Fight in the World.” If you have not read it, you should get that book and immerse yourself in it today. It was the final manifesto from the “prince of preachers.”
Do you not know that men of God still suffer and are martyred for their faith? In America, we may not have faced such, but the ominous storm clouds are gathering—a storm is at hand.
Will we stand, if it breaks in our generation? How often have we stood before our congregations and sung the invitation chorus, “The cross before me, the world behind me…no turning back.” Are those empty platitudes, or do they express the conviction we hold?
May the Lord give us grace to stand! Victory is assured!
Stephen Olford reminds us in his book authored with his son, David, of the discipline required to finish our service for the Lord victoriously:
“If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2:5). The key word in this example is nominos, which must be interpreted in light of the Olympic games. These rules extended not only to the race itself but also to the prescribed training. Indeed, one authority cites the fact that athletes had to state, on oath, that they had fulfilled ten months of training before they were eligible to enter the contests. The three objectives of an athlete were energy, honesty, and victory. First, there was energy. The whole point of disciplined training was to develop stamina, speed, and style. Even more important was the matter of honesty. Severe penalties were imposed on anyone who infringed the rules. Such honesty is also demanded in our day when it comes to competing in sporting events. The delightful and brilliant professional golfer Paul Azinger tells in his autobiography of an occasion when he was well on the way to winning a tournament when he inadvertently infringed a rule. The penalty for this was not one stroke or two strokes, but the entire tournament!1 What would happen to men in the ministry if the same standard of honesty were strictly applied. The apostle Paul took the athlete's type of discipline so seriously that he wrote, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). He carried this holy fear right through to his final days on earth: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). A preacher needs both physical and spiritual energy; and for this, he has to work out on his feet and on his knees!” (Anointed Expository Preaching, p.51).
There may be someone in your congregation who is designated as a worship leader, but pastor—you are the lead worshipper! Someone may have the duty to direct the music, but the preacher needs to inspire others by his model of participation.
Heaven will be a place of praise. Songs of worship will fill the air. We see it in Revelation 15:2-4. If we will do it in eternity, then why not tune up on earth?
The pastor should plan for worship. Spontaneity is fine to an extent. Yet, we are not perfect; we are not in heaven, yet. Now, we deal with time and space, so to be most proficient, we ought to plan. Whoever directs the music ministry, the pastor needs to meet with them and be involved. I loved coordinating music with my message.
The pastor should prepare for worship. Our hearts should daily delight in God. If personal worship is the order of our week, then we will have no difficulty worshipping God with the congregation on the Lord’s Day.
The pastor should insist on principles in worship. We are reminded here of the principle of the glory of God. Those who lead and sing are to magnify God, not seek applause from men. Another principle is the Word of God. These sang the songs of Moses and the Lamb. This suggests songs that are filled with truth from the Old and New Covenants—the entirety of Scripture. If the lyrics are not thoroughly Biblical and theologically sound, then it does not matter if they are popular or emotionally stirring—they are not worthy of being in the worship of God by His people. No one is better positioned to give this oversight than the one designated overseer of the church—the elders who are called to promote sound doctrine.
Pastor, sing joyfully, enthusiastically, loudly. Before a sermon is spoken from your mouth, may there be a song that is sung from your heart!
The preacher is to be a man of God—a man obsessed with the person of God and possessed by the Spirit of God. He is intent on proclaiming the Word of God and pursuing the will of God. Stephen and David Olford make this point, commenting on 1 Timothy 6:11, in chapter four of their excellent book, “Anointed Expository Preaching,” pp.43-44.
I think of the words of the old hymn that call us to faithfulness:
This anticipates the new song—the song of victory in glory mentioned in Revelation 14:2-3. This celestial chorus arises in consideration of the faithful witness of the 144,000 and anticipates their heroic welcome to heaven at the end of the age. When the Lamb returns to earth and establishes His reign, these 144,000 will stand with Him on Mount Zion (14:1).
Our purpose in this devotional is not prophetic, but practical. While I interpret these 144,000 to be Jewish evangelists during the seven years of tribulation—following the rapture of the church—there are principles that apply to every generation of Gospel preachers. The reality is that during the first century and down to our twenty-first century, there is a message for us in a call to readiness and faithfulness. So, let me share some of these timeless truths to those who proclaim the Gospel as a model for to follow.
Note THEIR SALVATION, “These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” (Rev.14:4c). Now, one might assume that every man in the pulpit has been to Calvary, but that assumption would be inaccurate. Judas Iscariot was a preacher, but a fraud who is in hell today. Demas gave appearance of being a true disciple, but he departed from the faith (2 Tim.4:10). Others could be named. Every Gospel preacher must look at his spiritual birth certificate and make sure God is his Father!
It is good “to make your calling and election sure,” as Peter puts it (2 Pet.1:10). We should make regular trips to Calvary, even if assured of salvation. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a regular reminder. Sadly, we can get to a place where we are so familiar with the Gospel that it becomes a presentation without a passion. You are convinced of your conversion? That is well and good. Does it still stir you? Are you still amazed at the price Jesus paid to purchase you?
Then, we see THEIR SANCTIFICATION, “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.” (Rev.14:4a). This cannot be used to promote celibacy among clergy as Rome’s false system does with its priesthood. It is likely that these 144,000 will be single, however, fully consumed with the work of witness in that future day. Yet, there are spiritual applications for us, whatever our marital status.
We are to be sanctified—set apart morally. These devoted disciples refused to hear the sensual Siren song of the age. May God keep us true and faithful, understanding that our culture is increasingly defiled. Many a preacher has stumbled here.
We are to be sanctified—set apart doctrinally. These 144,000 refused to bow to the Beast and be seduced by the deception of the False Prophet. They spoke the truth of the Word, “And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Rev.14:5). In our days of doctrinal departure, may we abide in sound doctrine! We are going to be subjected to increasing pressure from the anti-Christian world system to bow and bend. Voices are rising in evangelicalism saying, “We need to be careful how the world perceives us. Let us not emphasize certain truths in order to reach people.” This is folly!
Further, observe THEIR SERVICE, “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” (Rev. 14:4b). All God’s people have been called to follow Christ faithfully. God’s shepherds need to be out front showing the way and setting the standard. Wherever Christ leads us, we are to follow, and summon His lambs to do likewise. May we walk so close to Jesus, that others can walk in our steps and it be as following Christ! Paul said, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ,” (1 Cor.11:1).
Hear and heed the call to faithfulness as Gospel men. “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev.14:12). It may be at any moment Christ could summon His saints to glory, translated into heaven! We want to be doing His work should that be today. If that does not occur and we die, may we be as Paul, having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith with a crown of righteousness awaiting all who loved His appearing. Here is the promise, “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’” (Rev. 14:13).
“So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.” (Revelation 13:4, 11, 14 NKJV)
Satan is a counterfeit. He cannot duplicate the unequaled God, but he seeks to imitate Him. Our God is Triune—Father, Son, and Spirit. In the end times, a diabolical trinity of evil will arise: the dragon, who is the devil; the beast, who is the antichrist; and the second beast, who is the false prophet (Revelation 13). In this unholy trinity, the dragon is set over against the Father, the antichrist against the Son, and the false prophet against the Holy Spirit.
Although the final manifestation of the unholy trinity will occur, as I believe, after the Bride of Christ has been caught up, there will be those who have never heard the Gospel who will come to faith even in those darkest of days, and the unholy trinity will “make war with the saints…to overcome them,” (Rev.13:7a).
Yet, in every age, and increasingly so as we speed toward the consummation of human history, Satan, government, and religion has warred against the people of God. It was true of John’s day as he was facing these same foes.
The pastor is strategically set to prepare the saints to stand in this spiritual war. Let us dress in the armor of God and rally our troops.
We anticipate TEMPTATION, from the Dragon, as the world is said to have, “worshiped the dragon,” (13:4a). Moral compromise is ever enticing. Many of God’s men have been brought down by it. The sensuality of this age is pervasive in our culture and the church members are assaulted by temptation daily. May God help us to stand!
We expect PERSECUTION, from the spirit of the Antichrist, even now a spirit at “war with the saints,” (13:7a). Legal compromise that leads people to bow to government idolatry is coming. While the church in the West has had an unrivaled period of freedom from government tyranny, we cannot expect it to last. Even now, the government is ramping up its plans to eradicate those who oppose their despotic agenda. How long before a “soft,” persecution becomes a “hard” reality? Pastor, are you prepared to pay the price, and are you equipping your flock?
We fight DECEPTION, from the false teachers, whose zenith will be the False Prophet of the last days. Doctrinal compromise has been a battlefield for the church throughout the ages, and remains so. The antidote to the poison of false teaching is proclamation of the Scriptures. We must make a clear clarion call with the trumpet of truth!
I realize there may be some who disagree with my interpretation of end times events. Yet, there should be agreement with the underlining spiritual principles. Even those, who like myself, expect Christ to remove His bride before He pours out His wrath on a godless world, dare not think that the church will be sailing along on a calm ocean and suddenly be in the harbor of heaven. Rather, the storm that is brewing will intensify. We face ever stronger headwinds. The waves of wickedness will mount higher. Ominous clouds will be darker and descend about us.
Are you ready for what is coming, and in many ways already is?
There is the cancer of COMPARISON. One of the first questions you will hear at a Monday ministers’ conference is, “How many did you have in attendance yesterday?” The temptation then is to pout that we did not have more or to pride that we did. We may brand ourselves a failure and want to quit because others seem to be advancing while we are declining. Then, if we have the higher statistics in how many bottoms we put in a pew and how many bucks are placed in the plate, we may be headed for a fall that pride produces. Let us just be who God made us to be—the best we can be—where He has called us.
Further we face the cancer of COMPETITION. This is where comparison becomes a passion to see others fail and a desire to see ourselves succeed. In competition, there are winners and losers. The winners are adding to their attendance and the losers are seeing subtraction from their flock. While it is important to be used to grow the church, it is God who gives the increase. Truly, He uses us, but only the Spirit of God can birth new believers. But, it may not be that we are seeking the lost sheep but stealing the sheep from others! In a competitive spirit, we may profit by transfer growth while others are made poor from it. A test for us is, “How do you react when another church is reaching lost souls?” Can you rejoice with them? So long as the Kingdom progresses, we should be glad for we are on the same team!
Comparison and competition are really the cancer of COVETOUSNESS. In the Mosaic code, expressing God’s fundamental laws, the sum of obedience to the other nine is in that of the spirit of tenth. Covetousness causes us to seek to supplant God with our own authority. We may covet our own ideas of worship that become idolatry. We want to promote our own name at the expense of bringing glory to His name. We covet the time for our own pleasure that should be devoted to the refreshment of worshipping God. You get the point. Preacher, do you speak against covetousness from the pulpit while harboring it in your heart? It is such a subtle thing, and therefore all the more deadly. It can lead a man to assassinate the character of another pastor, to open himself to immorality because of his egotism, to become a rustler of someone else’s sheep, to engage in slander of another brother. Let us repent of covetousness!
May the Great Physician heal us from this cancer if it has invaded and strengthen our spiritual immune system with grace to prevent its incursion! I pray that the scalpel of Scripture will cut out this malignancy from me and all God’s servants!
The Word of God is our spiritual food. In Revelation 10, John is handed “the little book,” and told to eat it. Its contents will taste as sweet as honey to the lips, but sour to the stomach—bitter to digest. The message of Revelation is one that is a sweet word for it speaks to the end of sin and the victory of God, with the new creation. It is about heaven and the saints being in a place where there are no more tears! Yet, it also presents a sour word for it reveals the end of sinners and the wrath of God, with the end of the old creation. It is about hell and the sinners being in a place where there are endless tears!
This is the double-edged sword of the Word. John was told to proclaim it, and every preacher has this duty. In so doing, there will be those who respond to the sweetness of its promises and rejoice in it. But, others will react with bitterness to its rebuke of their sin. Yet, the preacher is called to faithfulness in expounding that little Book as it is, and let the chips fall where they may.
Before we ever step into the pulpit, however, we must apply the Word personally. The message must be digested by us, before it is declared by us. The truth is that Word will be often sour as it sinks into our flesh and takes us to the cross. Our carnal nature will not want to swallow such a bitter pill. Preacher, take your own medicine, for you will find it also so sweet, as the Lord cleanses and comforts, raising you up to walk in newness of life and be joy to your spiritual nature. It is the road that takes us to glory, and we are privileged to preach it, that we might take others with us! Yet, with a broken heart, we also realize there will be those who reject it, to their everlasting regret.
Surely these are some of the most horrible words we find in Scripture. To think that so many would experience such pain—judgment due to their sin—and yet refuse to repent, chills us to the bone.
How often we may have shared the Gospel as plainly and powerfully as God’s Spirit enables us, yet sinners have resisted the message and turned away. In that turning, judicial hardening comes. The stab of the Spirit’s sword in the conscience, oft resisted, tends to callous the soul and such sharp conviction is not felt in the same manner—perhaps ever again.
The preacher may feel a failure at such point. His yearning is for sinners to repent. While it may be true that a preacher does not always bring his “A” game to the pulpit, the Gospel never fails. It is the sinner who fails—they hear, but do not repent.
Let us pray for the Spirit’s conviction to painfully prick hearts. Let us preach with passion and plead for souls to surrender to Christ. Let us present Jesus as clearly and convincingly as we may, yet know that many will reject the message, harden their hearts, and go to a place where there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Six seals of the scroll have been opened by the Lamb, and under each a judgment was revealed. Now, before the seventh is opened, a silence comes—a sacred pause—for opening the seventh seal will bring seven trumpet judgments. As each angel sounds a trumpet, intensified horrors will be unleashed on the sinners of earth.
That is the future God has decreed. But, for now we cannot be silent. The trumpet of truth needs to be placed in our mouths and its message urgently announced. We must warn the lost of the doom that is coming. Should they die before this fire falls from heaven, they will not evade a worse fire into which they will fall!
Paul commanded us to “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” (2 Tim.4:2). Preach when people are responsive—in season—and when they reject it—out of season. The Word of God is in season even when some think it out of season. Stephen Olford described this as preaching where we, “take opportunities and make opportunities.” Find a way to preach the Gospel. It is imperative!
There will come a day when the Gospel will be out of season. A silence is coming. The trumpets that sound will not be an appeal to good news, but an announcement of bad news. This brings an urgency to our preaching. The witness you speak today or the sermon you share tomorrow might be the final opportunity for some soul to be saved. Their eternal destiny hangs in the balance!
In the book, “Anointed Expository Preaching,” written by Stephen Olford with his son, David, it states:
Therefore, like Jehovah's Servant (the Lord Jesus Himself), we must be able to say, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (Isa. 50:4–5; see also Mark 1:35). Jesus never missed His quiet time. Dare we do anything less? It is estimated that the average pastor spends less than ten minutes per day in this devotional discipline. God have mercy on us!
To cram in study on a Saturday night for a Sunday sermon, as one might foolishly try to do before taking a big test the next day is as likely to fail! Our need to study goes beyond even examining the text that we are preaching. There is a need to feed—to take in from God’s Word that we might serve Him productively. Fervent devotion in seeking Christ on a daily basis will yield fruitful delivery in sharing Christ on a Sunday morning. Our cup will be filled to overflow, spilling out grace and truth to the congregation. Otherwise, our soul will shrivel from malnourishment and there will be no power in the pulpit. The ears of men and women might be tickled by a gifted communicator, but the heart of the people will not be transformed apart from one who has experienced that touch of the Spirit from His inspired Word, day after day.
Don’t be an emaciated expositor! Take in, so you may give out!
God has given His church one mission—what we call “The Great Commission.” Part of our duty as leaders in the church is to keep the focus and fuel the fire in the local church for world evangelization. It is easy to be diverted into many good things, and miss the great task.
Jesus said that before His return to earth to reign, all nations would hear the Gospel (cf. Matt.24:14). In this passage, we see the fulfillment of the promise. With or without us, the Good News will be proclaimed, but woe to the pastor and the church who fails in commitment to this assignment!
A church with no passion for evangelism and missions will be a church that declines and dies. The lights will be turned out and the doors locked for a final time—picturing the spiritual reality that happened long before. Such a church closed its doors to bringing in the lost. The members did not go into the highways and hedges, inviting people to the Bible banquet (cf. Lk.14:15-24). The house of God became empty, when He desired it full! The call came ringing over the restless waves, “Send the Light! The Blessed Gospel Light!” The church folk were too busy arguing about trivial matters, instead of proclaiming Jesus. The light was turned out in that church.
Preacher, you cannot do all the evangelism needed in your community, but you can be a model. Our Gospel-driven lifestyle can inspire others. In our preaching, we must continually exhort the people to obedience. You can equip them by training them and taking them with you in soul-winning. Do not allow the Great Commission to become the grave omission!
A faithful preacher of the Word is assured that, sooner or later, he will face opposition. It can become fierce. It will be painful. You may be fired. My grandfather’s life was once threatened by a man with a pistol after a sermon he preached at a tent meeting many years ago. He was not a man to back down. I pray that I will not.
What does the future hold for those who will hold fast to the Word of God? This text points to those who will seal their testimony with their blood. It may not be that we will pay the ultimate price, but we must be prepared to do so. Certainly, there have been our brothers across the centuries who have. There are those who are imprisoned, have been tortured, and facing execution in some places today. I am not a prophet, but it does not seem that things are going to get easier. The winds of this world system are blowing hard in our faces, and the current of our culture that we swim against is strong.
Preacher, you may not face that extremity right now, but some of us are encountering power brokers in the church—those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, seeking to devour us. We may know the sting of criticism and the lies of accusation. These dragon spawn haunt our dreams at night and make things difficult each day.
Do not take matters into your own hands. Do not allow the hurt to become hate. Bitterness will only harm your testimony. It will be a cancer to your ministry. What did these martyrs do? They cried out to God. Vengeance belongs to Him. Now, that does not mean such opponents in the church should not be confronted. Nor does it mean that church discipline need not be exercised—if the people are willing. All I am saying is that we dare not meet fire with fire, and act in carnal ways to achieve spiritual purposes.
God is sovereign. The text speaks of this persecution continuing until a divinely ordained number of these preachers died. Remember that ultimately God is in control. He may not remove us from difficulty, but he was reward us in eternity. A robe was given and a rest was granted.
Old Isaac Watts wrote this hymn:
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follow’r of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies
On flow’ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of vict’ry through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.
There are many good things a pastor may do, but surely one of the best is the ministry of intercession. Often, we do not see the immediate results and are tempted to busy ourselves in other matters that seem to pay quicker dividends. Prayer is spiritual and therefore eternal. While God can and does answer with immediacy in some instances, often it is like sowing seed which may yield a harvest much later. It may even be after our lifetime.
The prayers of the saints are described here as being bowls full of incense with their fragrance filling the atmosphere of heaven. I see them as stored up, and in God’s timing and according to His sovereign design, will be answered. So, dear pastor, pray for your family, pray for the church, pray for the community, pray for missionaries and ministries. Pray and pray some more. Invest in intercession and it will pay eternal dividends.
It may be that you die without seeing much fruit. Looking back over a ministry and judging it as largely unproductive can be a discouraging thing. But, God gives the final judgment—and it may be when we get to the other side, that we discover an abundant fruitfulness exceeding our wildest imagination. Those prayers that seemed to rise no higher than the ceiling—the continual pleading when heaven seemed silent—were working powerfully. Keep on praying!
What we do in ministry is important—a Biblically directed service is essential. The way we do it matters, also. The end does not justify the means. But, why we do Gospel work counts much, for God does not judge as man does—by outward appearance—rather the Lord looks at the heart The right thing done the right way apart from being done for the right reason makes it wrong!
Stephen Olford wrote about motives in, “According to Your Word.”
“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” – Revelation 4:11
I have been created, and am now living, for the pleasure (and by the will) of God if these three characteristics are true of me:
He is worthy to receive glory. My life should have as its first characteristic the glorifying of God. The Lord says in John 15:8, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit,” the fruit of character.
He is worthy to receive honor. Here is the second characteristic: to give God honor is to give Him His due. He is worthy of all.
He is worthy to receive power. Thirdly, power. Not only what He does in me and what I am, but also He is worthy to receive what I can do!
May all that I am and all that I do bring You glory and honor and power. Amen.
It is far too easy to seek the glory that only God deserves, to want the honor which rightfully only belongs to God, and to exercise power for the benefit we receive rather than laboring for the Lord. Yet such motives will eventually be exposed—if not on earth, then in eternity. At the judgment seat of Christ, we may find much of our ministry, when tested by fire, is incinerated—unworthy of reward. Ask the Holy Spirit today to shine his light upon your ministry and reveal if there be any iniquity in your motivation. Join with the Psalmist in praying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps.139:23-24)
