TURNED BY TRUTH

 

How did we ever get anywhere without GPS?  I get in my car and tell Siri where I want to go, and directions are spoken me. I am told of hazards to avoid, and navigated to my destination.

Preachers are to be like that. We are meant to navigate people accurately through this world and into the world to come. Zechariah is told by the angel Gabriel that his son John will be such a messenger of God.  He will turn them with truth. 

The problem is that we are all headed the wrong direction. Sin has brought darkness and we cannot see the way. To continue on that path is to end in the wreckage of wickedness—a fiery crash. People must be turned by truth. John would do that. Truth would turn me to God, and now it is my job to direct others. 

We turn the hearts of sinners to the Father. This is the basic course correction required. Gospel truth has the power to do so. John would minister in that spiritual power, as had the prophet Elijah. You recall that Old Testament man of God and how he called a depraved culture to turn from paganism to the Living God. Sadly, many would not, but some did.  For most it made no difference, but for those who responded it made all the difference. John the Baptist would point people to the Lamb of God—the Lord Jesus. Preacher, are you confronting sin and calling for repentance?

Further, we turn the hearts of fathers to their children. The home is the discipleship factory. When fathers turn to God, their hearts are directed to evangelizing their children. I cannot imagine a dad who is right with God who would not have a passion to bring his children to heaven with him. Yet, fathers must be encouraged and equipped. That is the church’s role, and it begins with the pastor in the pattern he sets and the principles he shares.

Thus, like John, we turn people from being disobedient to being justified. This is accomplished by the truth of God’s Word faithfully proclaimed. We prepare people to meet God.

WORSHIP WITH THE WORD

There is a reason why evangelical church buildings have the pulpit and its lectern centrally located. The Word of God is meant to direct attention to the God of the Word. The preaching of the Word is central to worship. Since worship is meant to point us to the Lord Most High, there is no better way than via the avenue of Scripture.

We must see to it that our praise is Scripturally grounded. Music is an important way we express this. Yet, if the lyrics are merely meant to arouse emotions without communicating truth through sacred melodies, then we may leave the building feeling inspired, but without offering acceptable worship in Spirit and truth. While the melody is important, it is the message that is fundamental. Nor, are we to spend most of the hour singing and then a brief sermonette. As has been said, “Sermonettes produce Christianettes.”  We show his fallacy when we speak of the singing in this way, “First, we have worship and then the preaching.”  Singing is only a part of worship, not the sum of it.

We must see that our prayers are Scripturally directed. Prayers are almost treated as filler—a necessary start and finish to the worship. Yet, our Lord demanded that His Father’s house be a “house of prayer,” (Matt.21:13a). Prayer must be more than a mindless repetition of pious phrases. The Word of God is to be the launching pad for lifting holy hands to God in prayer.  Scripture directs our language and develops our faith. Biblical threads should be woven into the very fabric of all our prayers.

We must see that our preaching is Scripturally saturated. We do not casually read a text and then quickly move on to what we want to say. The text is to drive all that is said from the pulpit. The Word of God is to be central. This begins with the honor shown in the way it is read. Look at this passage from Nehemiah 8:1-12:

Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. (NKJV)

It is one reason I have chosen across the years to have people bring their Bibles, open their Bibles, stand for the reading of the Bible and read the Bible clearly and emphatically.  Throughout the message, the stress is upon what God has to say, and then what we need to do about it. The conclusion is a call to action, resting on the authority of the Word of God. Preaching is an act of worship—all that the Man of God is offered on the altar as a sacrifice in presenting the message of God.

These thoughts were inspired from reading Appendix A in Stephen and David Olford’s book, “Anointed Expository Preaching.”  For a fuller understanding, I commend it to you. 

THE PROMISE OF POWERFUL PREACHING

There is a puny, pitiful, punchless, powerless preaching that is pointless!  It is tragic and worthless. Concerning this, Paul spoke of God, “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). “Letter” preaching may be “by the Book.”  That is, the content is Biblically based and doctrinally sound—as it should be—yet, is dry and deadening to the hearer. Old Vance Havner said, “You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically, and empty as one spiritually.”  It is the Spirit who gives life. He is the promised power in our preaching. Remember how in the vision of a valley of dry, dead bones, Ezekiel was told to preach to them—and this we must. But, it was when the Word of God was accompanied by the Wind of God—that same Divine Breath of Pentecost—coming into them, that they had life, (cf. Ezek.37:1-14). 

With this in mind, consider the promise of our Lord in Mark 13:11. “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”  (Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬‬). In the context, where the preacher is arrested and will be indicted before a judge for preaching the Gospel, he will have no library, no Bible, no occasion of sermon preparation. Yet, there is no need to fear, for the Spirit will give the right message—an anointed one—in such an occasion. This does not mean under normal circumstances that we should not study and prepare, instead trusting spontaneity in proclamation. Should such need arise, God will provide. Yet, if we can prepare, we must. Do not be like the old boy that said, “Sometimes I preach from notes and sometimes I just talk out of my head.”  That is apparent from some sermons you hear! God does not bless laziness.  Study and have something to say.

Yet, there must not be reliance on preparation in your study, but dependence on the Spirit. He is the One who breathes life into dead bones. Preaching “by the letter,” is deadening. It may induce nodding heads of agreement as to content, but then leads to nodding  heads of slumber. It is promised, “the Spirit gives life.”  God’s man can claim the promise of the Lord not just when summoned from a prison, but when standing in a pulpit: “But whether is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” 

How does this happen?  I heard Stephen Olford say years ago, that there must be “emptiness, prayerfulness, and yielded-ness.”

There must be emptiness. God does not fill a man with His Spirit that is  full of himself. A glass cannot be filled with milk, if even a quarter of it is full of lemonade.  You must empty the glass and then you can fill it. Spiritually, this demands our repentance. We confess our sin and claim God’s forgiveness.  We head to the cross and die to all that we are in order to live in all He is.

There must be prayerfulness. James said, “Yet you do not have because you do not ask,” (4:2d). We must pray in faith, asking God to fill us. It is His will to do so, for He has commanded, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,”. (Eph. 5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬‬). 

There must be yielded-ness. This is the surrendered life of utter dependence on the Spirit of God. As being filled with wine means one is under the control of alcohol, so being filled with the Spirit demands we be under the mastery of God. When I stand to preach, I need to be gloriously intoxicated with God!  As alcohol will impact every dimension of my life—how I think, see, speak, feel, and walk, thus the one who is filled with the Spirit will find his mind directed by Scripture, his vision focused on eternity, his mouth declaring transformative truth, his heart full of love, and his walk aligned with the Word.

This is the promise of powerful preaching!  May the Lord bless us with preachers on this Lord’s Day who stand and speak in the anointing of God’s Spirit!

THE CONGREGATION OF THE COMMON

 

There were a relative handful of those who held the reins of power and abundance of possessions who followed Jesus. One thinks of Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and a few women of Herod’s household. Matthew and Zaccheus had been wealthy, but surrendered their status and substance to follow Jesus. There was an occasional ruler of a synagogue and Roman centurion, but that is about it.

The vast majority of those who received Christ’s words were common people. The peasant Prophet had a receptive audience in the poor, needy, outcasts, and such. Jesus had a message of hope to those who were the dregs in the bottom of society’s cup. The common people not only heard Him, but “heard Him gladly”!

One is reminded of Paul’s words:

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”  (I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭29‬‬)

There is an uncommonly great message for the common people.  

Notice it does not say “not ANY wise…not ANY mighty, not ANY noble,” but “not many,” so we need not abandon all hope of reaching those who are scholars, successful business leaders, and in positions of power. Yet, only a handful of the “upper crust,” will respond to the Gospel. It is a sad reality.

Yet, the preacher need not despair, for he will often have a listening ear among those who are struggling to survive from day to day. In almost a half century of preaching the Gospel my experience attests to this. I have embraced it and seen people lifted from the depths of depravity and despair to the glory of being children of God!

So, stop complaining if this is the makeup of your congregation. Jesus was not “too good” to preach to such a flock, though He was the King of Glory, and only perfect Man. I can be like Jesus in serving the congregation of the common. May I be found preaching in the nursing home, the prison, the homeless shelter, and in the little brown church in the wildwood.  I do not have to speak from an elevated pulpit in a massive cathedral or on a spot-lit stage in a high-tech mega church facility.  If God calls me to such, then it is grace, but wherever—it is for His glory.

Matthew West put it this way in song lyrics:

Why You ever chose me
Has always been a mystery
All my life I've been told I belong at the end of the line
With all the other Not-Quites
With all the Never-Get-It-Rights
But it turns out they're the ones You've been looking for all this time

'Cause I'm just a nobody
Trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus

Moses had stage fright
And David brought a rock to a sword fight
You picked 12 outsiders nobody would've chosen
And You changed the world
Well, the moral of the story is
Everybody's got a purpose
So when I hear that devil start talking to me, saying
"Who do you think you are"
I say...

I'm just a nobody
Trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus
I'm living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus

To this I say, “Soli Deo gloria!”

JUST PREACH JESUS!

 

Paul said, “we preach Christ crucified,” (1 Cor.1:23a). The Sacred Text is filled with spiritual truth, but the unifying thread is the scarlet cord of redemption. Jesus is woven into the fabric of Scripture from start to finish. He is there in creation in Genesis and still there at the consummation in Revelation—and everywhere in between. Whether it be in types, symbols, prophecy, history, or exposition—in shadow and substance—the central figure is Jesus. 

CHRIST IS THE SUBJECT OF OUR SERMON. In the text in Mark, the people were not drawn to the disciples, but to Jesus.  They did not come seeking an explanation for how to be better fishermen, though Peter might have aided them in this, or how to get a job as a tax-collector, eve if Matthew might have shared that experience. Jesus was the subject of the people’s attraction and attention. 

The preacher must be cautious that his sermons do not become mere moralism. The carnal mind often seeks ear-tickling preachers that have an itch for “Five Ways to Enjoy Your Job,” or “How to be Successful in Life,” ad infinitum. It is not that the Bible does not speak to every dimension of life, but rather these are beams of truth that radiate from the Light of the World—Jesus Christ.  He is to be the focus of our preaching.

CHRIST IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR SERMON. Note how Jesus could not escape the multitudes. There was a magnetism about Him—an irresistible power that pulled the people to Him. While it is true that many sought Him for the wrong purpose—having self-centered motives and temporal passions to have their needs met—there were those who sincerely saw Him as Lord and Savior. They knew they were doomed as sinners without Him to save them. The true followers would hear Him beckon them to self-denial, taking up the cross, and following Him up the Calvary Road. The Apostle Paul’s missionary message concentrated on Christ crucified. The power in His preaching was not in human eloquence, personal charisma, or rational argumentation, but in preaching Christ crucified. He put it this way:

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  (I Cor.‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭5‬‬).

I wonder how many will be in hell because their faith rested in the wisdom of men rather than in the power of God?  Let us not despair if we have not the personality that wows the carnal with our charm, nor seek to employ such if we have it. Jesus is the power of God that  summons the dead to life, and all who have met Jesus have the capacity of introducing Him to others. Our aim is not to be a talented embalmer who makes corpses appear happy for a brief time, but rather to call them to come out of their grave as Christ did for Lazarus!  

CHRIST IS THE SUCCESS OF OUR SERMON.  Mark 7:24 tells us that Jesus, “could not be hidden.”  Hopefully, we do not want a crowd at church so as to boast of our numbers or gain the applause of our brethren. If we strive for such, we will be disappointed. Most preachers do not have the charisma and charm to build such a mega-ministry. You can buy the books and try their methods, but few will attain that level of “success.”  

Yet, what if we are one of the exceptional ones who has such a skill-set?  A few may get into heaven through incidental contact with the Gospel, but most of the celebrity preachers rarely share the Gospel. Many a sermon when put in the fire of Christ’s judgment will see the manuscript go up in smoke, reduced to ashes and blown away with no eternal value.  May we as preachers renew our commitment to labor to present that which is gold, silver, and jewels—the crowning glory of preaching Christ faithfully!  That is a successful sermon, and all we are capable of doing. We cannot save anyone; that is a supernatural work.  But, we must be convinced that if Christ is preached, the Spirit of God will succeed in drawing the elect unto Himself.  

Our conviction must correlate with the Apostle, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”  (Rom. ‭1‬:‭16‬‬). Too much preaching is healing people rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. We have hit the iceberg already!  The ship is sinking!  Morality, philosophy, politics, and such cannot fix what is wrong. Urgently, direct people into the Lifeboat of the Lord!

Preach Christ and the called crowd will come!

THE MINISTRY, RECEPTIVITY, AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE WORD

The parables of Jesus recorded in Mark 4 are about preaching and teaching the Word of God, and how that supernatural act brings spiritual life and growth to those who hear and heed it. As we come to the Lord’s Day and the gathering of the saints, let us do so with confidence that God’s intended results will come from that life-giving Book. We are likely familiar with the parable of the sower found in Mark 4:1-20. It deals with the condition of the soil—that is, the human heart. Only the soil that produces a crop (in varying measure) is good soil—one out of four hearers in this illustration. The Lord does not change the thrust of his sermon, as He proceeds further with four other parables, that we will group under three headings.

First, consider THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD IN SHINING LIGHT.

“Also He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’” (v. 21-23). 

Sin is for the shadows. This is the dark depravity of the human heart. The preacher is meant to take the Word of God as a Gospel light to summon men and women from the darkness to Christ who is the Light of the World. Pastors need to speak plainly. The light is not meant to be stuck under a basket of confusion or under the bed of comfort. The first type of teaching leaves the hearer scratching his head and the second style, rubbing his or her eyes. The preacher is not there to impress the people with his profundity or confound them with his obscurity. They need the light of truth plainly and simply communicated.  The congregation needs to come with preparation—ears to hear.  The best sermon will not help someone who is absent or absent-minded.  This has to do with the way we hear.

Second, note THE RECEPTIVITY OF THE WORD IN SHARING TRUTH.

“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” (v. 24-25). 

The church member has a responsibility to be selective in what they hear. They must make sure there is an alignment of the preacher’s sermon with the truth of Scripture. Obviously, the church needs caution to determine if the instruction is doctrinally sound or theologically deviant. If you attend a church or are part of a denomination that has departed from the Word, then you need to depart from that congregation. Saturate the place with your absence!  However, preaching can be so basic for so long as to end up giving people a bottle full of milk, sermon after sermon, and never nourish them with a plateful of meat!  Again, we do not start with fundamental matters and move on from them, for there will always be those in the fellowship who need the simple Gospel for they are lost, with others who are babes in Christ needing to be spoon fed. Yet, the preacher must give more than that for others are eager to grow, being receptive to the truth. Expository preaching produces a well-balanced diet for all stages of spiritual development. It will sort out the receptive hearers from the carnal crowd.  Some will ravenously consume it as they know it is feeding their soul. Others will spit it out and move on searching for a sugary sermonette that puts them in a spiritual slumber. This relates to what we hear.

Third, observe THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE WORD IN SOWING SEED. 

“And He said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.’ Then He said, ‘To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.’” (v. 26-‭32‬‬)

In both these parables, there is similarity in presenting the productivity of God’s Word when it is faithfully sown.  The preacher is not responsible for fruitfulness. He is accountable for his faithfulness. We do the sowing and God does the saving. It is not a product of human ability, but heavenly activity. The preacher must make certain to cultivate the soil, sow good seed in abundance, and prayerfully prepare in faith for a harvest. He must be capable of gathering and conserving.  Do not be disheartened if there seems small progress. God can grow a church into a large work, not only in terms of numbers, but in Kingdom impact. Preacher, trust God and press on!  This speaks to why we hear.

If the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed then there will be results. God has promised this supernatural impact. Everybody who sits under the Word will leave changed by it. It is to the welfare of those who receive it, “For whoever has, to him more will be given,” (v.25a). But, sadly, it is to the worsening of those who reject it, “but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him,” (v.25b).