FOR HIS GLORY

 

Our service to God is not to promote ourselves, but to glorify God. Let us beware of pursuing ministry as glory hounds hunting church celebrity status.

OUR SPEECH SHOULD BE ROOTED IN GOD’S AUTHORITY. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.” It is not our eloquence with words, but the exposition of the Word that redounds to His glory. Our intention in the sermon is to accurately present the sacred text as though God Himself were speaking though us. It is not the messenger, but the message that matters.  That Word has transforming power. We cannot change people, but God can through His oracles—and thus, He receives all the glory.

OUR SERVICE SHOULD BE RELIANT ON GOD’S ABILITY. “If anyone ministers, let him do it with the ability which God supplies.” If we want the honor of man, then we will offer them the help of a man—which will be of no eternal significance. Our passion should be for the honor of God, that He might help men and women with a power that is of enduring importance.  Church leaders are mere channels through which the mighty river of God’s blessing flows. No one is awed by a river bank, but focuses on the mighty stream that washes through it.

When servants of the Lord attend to these two matters, the result is: “that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH

Who runs the church?  Is it a pastor, or maybe the elders, or perhaps the deacons, or some combination—who is in charge?

It better be Jesus!  He is “the head of His body, the church.”  Now, many local congregations may not behave accordingly, but in so doing they are in rebellion against God!

There would be no church without Him. His resurrection as “the firstborn from the dead,” birthed the church in His atoning work through the crucifixion and resurrection. Now, He claims absolute authority, “that in everything he might be preeminent.”

I heard the story of an old African chieftain.  He sat before his hut, bent over, weariness on his face, skin wrinkled from advanced age.  One of the strong young warriors came up to him and challenged him, “It is time for you to step aside. We need a man of strength to lead  this tribe. What gives you the right to rule over us?”  The elderly man answered, “There was a time you do not remember, for your father was a child. A lion came into the village. He would have killed many, including your father. I thrust my arms into the lion’s mouth, broke his jaws, and killed it with my bare hands. Then raising himself up, his voice resounding with authority, he lifted his arms to reveal many scars from battling the beast, and said, “By my wounds I demand the right to rule over you!”

So, Jesus lifts His hands, shows the scars from His battle on Calvary, and says, “By my wounds I demand the right to rule over you!”  Surely as a preacher, and as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will submit to Him who saved us by His sacrifice!

THE PLAIN TRUTH

 

Paul states his premise in writing this letter to the Corinthians.  In both the epistles we have to this church, there are issues confronted head on—problems that dared not wait until Paul could be present with them.  What these believers dealt with in trying to serve God in a pagan culture may today be dressed up in modern garb, but is yet the hostile environment to faith we face and calls for the plain truth.

The plain truth is a POINTED truth. Paul describes the “sharpness,” of his message. He used sharpness only as needed, not because he found pleasure in causing pain. The last thing a church needs is a bully in the pulpit that beats the membership with a Bible.  Rather, the sharpness is like that of a surgeon’s scalpel, with the intent to heal though it hurts.  Let none leave after our sermon wondering, “What was the point?”

Plain truth is POWERFUL truth. Paul wielded the Sword of the Spirit with “authority.”  His message was not the best advice of a man, but was the clarion call from the Master. It was not merely a good idea to weigh, but a grave imperative to obey.  Now, we Bible preachers are not Apostles, yet when we correctly interpret the writings of the Apostles and communicate them with the unction of the Spirit, we command authority and can speak confidently.

Plain truth is PRODUCTIVE truth. The result Paul was seeking was “edification.”  His aim was to build up and not beat down—edification rather than “destruction.” The preacher’s motivation and manner is important. Think of it as the difference between a parent who abuses a child and one who disciplines them.  Both are painful, but only one is helpful. Abuse is extreme and is about the parent’s problem while discipline is exact and is about the child’s potential.  

What people need from a preacher in the twenty-first century is no different than the message demanded in the first century. They need the plain truth—pointed, powerful, and productive. Our audience does not need to be told what they want to hear that makes them feel good while they get worse, but what they need to hear that perhaps makes them feel worse, but in order to get them better!

PREACH LIKE JESUS

People gathered—not in an air conditioned auditorium in comfortable seats, but on a hillside in open air to sit on the grass—all to hear Jesus. They were captivated by His words and “astonished at his teaching.”  It was the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest Man who ever lived. 

We will not preach a sermon to compare to that one, but there are some things we can learn that will help us be more like Jesus in our preaching.  Let me begin with the foundational principle mentioned in these verses.  It is stated positively and negatively.

The negative aspect stated was, “not as their scribes.”  The manner of the scribes was to do meticulous research and ground their authority in what other scholars had said—to quote from this rabbi or that rabbi as they droned on. While there is nothing wrong with quoting commentators and doing research as to what others have said about the text, when we get up to preach it is likely no one will be impressed by the underpinnings of the sermonic house you have constructed. If you moved into a new home, would you expect to take people into the crawl space, shine a spotlight, and say to your friends, “Would you look at those floor joists! Man, they nailed them! Have you ever seen any like them?”  Rather, I would expect you to show them the rooms and furnishings where you will live.

That brings me to the positive dimension of this—that the people were impressed “for he was teaching them as one who had authority.”  Our Lord’s authority did not rest in human opinion about God, but in heavenly revelation of God. Now, before you protest that Jesus had the advantage of being God—I know.  He spoke directly from the Father for whatever the Father said to Him, He spoke. This we cannot claim and we cannot do.

Yet, we do have His Gospel. We have the Word of God. Our authority rests in God, if we begin with study of the text for God’s Spirit to teach us and guide us into all truth. Then as we preach, we expound the text—with illustration and application that connects eternal truth with the daily life of the audience. Jesus certainly did that—using salt and light to explain influence and fowl and flower to discuss faith, for instance.  People will respond to such clarity and authority.

Let us preach with the confidence that Christ indwells us to speak through us and that we have an authoritative Word that when proclaimed in the unction of the Spirit will make an impact.

WE SPEAK FOR GOD

Will it be well when He searches you out?  (Job 13:9a)

It is not a claim to make rashly: “God has called me to preach.”  When we stand behind the sacred desk, we are claiming to speak for God.  That is a grave responsibility.  What we say will be searched out at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Will it be well with us then?  That is the question Job directs to his three “comforters.”  These men show no hesitation to claim to speak for God.  But, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as the old saying goes.  Job was convinced that they would be weighed in the balances on that Day and be found wanting—the words which became a heavy burden upon Job would prove to be as light as dust in eternal significance—blown away and gone with no reward.

Job speaks of their sermonizing this way:

But you forgers of lies,

You are all worthless physicians. 

Oh, that you would be silent,

And it would be your wisdom! 

Now hear my reasoning,

And heed the pleadings of my lips. 

Will you speak wickedly for God,

And talk deceitfully for Him? 

Will you show partiality for Him?  

Will you contend for God?

Will it be well when He searches you out?  

Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? 

He will surely rebuke you

If you secretly show partiality. 

Will not His excellence make you afraid,

And the dread of Him fall upon you?

Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,

Your defenses are defenses of clay.  (Job 13:4-12)

Sound doctrine is vital—let us hammer out our theology on the anvil of Scripture, heated by the fire of fervent prayer, lest we be the forgers of lies.  People are spiritually sick—will we give them a placebo or a cure?  Will we pat them on the back and tell them they are well, when they are carrying a malignant evil that needs to be removed by the scalpel of Scripture?  It would be better to shut up, than to claim to speak for God words of folly!  How much error will be propagated in pulpits tomorrow in the disguise of truth?  May we consider the dreadful experience to stand naked before the Judge and have our sermon dissected and found to be nothing but pious platitudes and an indefensible doctrine.  The congregation longs to be fed, and woe to the shepherd who fills their mouth with ashes.  The sheep look for refuge from the wolves of this world, and do we fashion for them a wall of clay?  Let us fall on our knees in urgent petition and solemn humility and ask God to speak through us.  It is a serious thing to claim to speak for God!