SWEET AND SOUR

 

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.

THEY DID NOT REPENT

 

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.

THE URGENCY OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL

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!