DO NOT BE A BIBLE BULLY!

Paul was a man capable of confrontation. His knowledge of Scripture and power of speech meant he could lacerate his listeners with the Spirit’s Sword—the Word of God. Yet, he restrained himself—though in his flesh was tempted to do so. Did he not have the right?  Did he not write that the Word of God was the Sword of the Spirit?  True on both counts. Yet, authority is to be used to bless others and not to blast them. The Scriptural Sword is to be wielded against the foe and not our fellow soldiers. The preacher is not to be a Bible bully!  Let us examine 2 Corinthians 13:8-10.

We are to be CONVICTIONAL, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth,” (v. 8).   By no means did the Apostle compromise the message. He was a man of clarity and conviction. He did not go along with error to get along with people. The Corinthian church was planted in a pagan environment that sought to mold them into its image. The struggle to resist and rather be shaped into the image of Christ was real. Sometimes they faltered and Paul found it necessary to be very direct. 

Our church members live in such a hotbed of heathenism. The peril of compromise with the culture is relentless. The temptation to be silent—like Lot dwelling in Sodom—is persistent. The Serpent whispers, “Believe what you want—but be nice and don’t try to force your beliefs on others. Jesus was nice and you should be.”  Sadly, many pastors reinforce that flawed thinking. Our people are ill-prepared to make a difference in the world. They do not have the distinctive qualities of light and salt that push back the darkness and restrain the rottenness of the culture. Pastors MUST equip the congregation with truth. Being concerned for others in their struggles does not mean we cannot be convictional about their sins. Indeed, we must be “for the truth.”  The Word of God will stand when all in this world perishes in judgment.

Yet, we are to be COMPASSIONATE, “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete,” (v. 9). Paul was willing to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. He would pour himself out on the altar for the glory of the Lord and for the good of the church. His joy was found in expending his energy for others and not for himself. Many an hour was invested in intercession for the saints and when he saw them making progress in sanctification, then he knew his labor was not in vain. 

Being for the truth means that we are for the church. Elsewhere the Apostle spoke of the proper balance, “speaking the truth in love,” (Eph. 4:15a). Adrian Rogers expressed it this way, “Loveless truth is brutal. Truthless love is hypocrisy. Love in truth is necessary.” (The Adrian Rogers Legacy BIble, p. 1324). The result of conviction (truth) and compassion (love) is completeness (growth).  Then we will see that the people “may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ,” (Eph. 4:15b). 

Thus, we are to be CONSTRUCTIVE, “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction,” (v. 10‬‬). There is a danger in “speaking off the cuff,” in our sermons. Paul faced the reality of this. He said that he was glad he was not physically present with the people—for in his emotional state he may have lacerated them with a sharp tongue. 

If you preface a point in your sermon with this, “I might not should say this, but…” you probably should not say it. Paul was able to calm down and write a constructive message instead of a destructive one. God can use spontaneity in sermons. If the Spirit leads us to say something off script then we should follow His prompting. We are there to please God and not people. Yet, in the heat of the moment, it is more likely we may act on a fleshly impulse and blame the Spirit for it. 

I advocate writing out your sermons as Paul did here. As you read over your notes and think through the text, you are more likely to resist the temptation to be a Bible bully. Our desire is to be constructive in using our preaching to build others up and not tear them down. We do not speak to “get something off our chest,” but to get Scripture into their hearts.

I think Paul was following the Jesus model in ministry.  Our Lord pictured His method this way, “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;” (Matt.‬ ‭12‬:‭20‬‬).  The bruised reed—a plant bent and bruised—must be tenderly straightened or it will break rather than heal. The smoking flax—the wick of a lamp barely glowing—must have a gentle breath to cause it to burn again instead of being blown out by a forceful breath. This is how we must deal with struggling saints—and we have pews full of them. 

I have written these words of A. J, Gossip in the front of my Bible as a reminder, “The mass of trouble in a congregation is quite unbelievable. And they come up to church, looking to you to help them, hoping for some word to bring them through.”

Will our speech be constructive “for edification,” or destructive, “for destruction”?  Will we build up the church or blow it up?  Do not be a Bible bully!

THE MAIN THING

 Repeatedly, I have preached from this text when I have been considered by a church to serve as their pastor. I wanted them to know up front, before they extended a call to me, the focus of my ministry. Keeping the main thing the main thing is a challenge. Yet, by God’s grace these must be our priorities in ministry.  

THE PRIORITY OF BUILDING, “building yourselves up on your most holy faith.”  We are to be body builders. While it is true that Jesus builds His church, we have a choice to practice the spiritual disciplines that will build our faith and that of others. It is foundational to ministry—a passion to grow the people in spiritual health and God will bring the numerical growth.

THE PRIORITY OF PRAYING, “praying in the Holy Spirit.”  All our efforts will be in vain unless energized by God’s power—and that power comes through prayer. Otherwise, we are on a religious treadmill—running hard but never getting anywhere.  The pastor must be a man of prayer and call the church to be a house of prayer.

THE PRIORITY OF LOVING, “keep yourselves in the love of God.”  To love God and our neighbor is the great commandment. We must fuel the fire of love. Recall Paul’s words, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal,” (1 Cor.13:1). Eloquence in preaching cannot mask the absence of love from a preacher’s heart.  Never compromise your convictions, but stand and speak them with compassion.

THE PRIORITY OF LOOKING, “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  All we do is meant to be in view of eternity.  We must serve as those who will give account at the consummation of the age. The precious souls in our charge are to be reminded that this world is not our home. They are more likely to be looking up and looking ahead, if we demonstrate that ourselves and declare it in our messages.

THE PRIORITY OF REACHING, “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”  Some sinners we reach are broken people, open to the Gospel, and will respond to the good news eagerly. But, we must make a distinction, for others are hardened in apathy, or will even respond with hostility to the Gospel. We must prioritize the former, while not neglecting the latter.  

As they are on the precipice of a fiery hell, we must pull them out of the inferno of iniquity. Yet, as we reach out to them in their wicked environment, we must be cautious about being defiled by the same. Loving sinners means hating sin—as we see its destructive nature.  Be as sure of their true repentance and seek evidence of regeneration before bringing them into the church, lest they be wolves in sheep’s clothing and bring harm to the flock. This calls for discernment and it is our duty as shepherds.

My prayer for you:  “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.”  (Jude‬ ‭1:24-25‬‬)

BREAKING DOWN OR BUILDING UP?

Words have tremendous power—power to harm or to heal. We can build bridges to God and man or barriers between us with our speech. It is possible to use our mouths to supply grace or to siphon it.  

This is true for all of us, but is particularly a concern for those who preach and teach God’s people. Hence, the warning of James, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (3:1)‬‬. 

This begins a powerful section in James’ epistle on the potential of our talk for good or evil. One who has authoritative communication and an audience to impact faces a more intense scrutiny of his speech. It is a sobering consideration. As the children’s song warns, “Be careful little lips what you say.”  Paul echoes that here, and we must ask does my talk as a pastor break down or build up?

The speech that breaks down is described as, “corrupting talk.”  Our lips can spread toxic talk that infects others with harm. There are at least three ways this occurs.

We may speak words of discussion that are filthy. Usually, these are private conversations. It is the use of innuendo around the opposite sex, and locker room talk around our fellow man. 

We might speak words of delusion that are false. Doctrinal error in the pew comes from deviants in the pulpit—the malignancy of heresy that threatens the church’s life. 

We can speak words of division that are fractious. Our words, rising from a bitter spirit, infused with anger, turn the preacher into a fire-breathing dragon with potential to burn the church down. 

Instead we must aim for the speech that builds up, “good for building up.”  Our sermons in public and speech in private are to be edifying.  Paul points to three needful qualities. 

Such talk is intentional, “but only such as is good for building up.”  It is a matter of choice. God has given us the power of His Spirit to equip us to excise corrupting speech and extend constructive words.

Such talk is instructional, “as fits the occasion.”  It is a matter of context. There are times when the context of a congregant’s conduct demands confrontation and at other times  consolation. The way we say something, when we say it, and why we say it can be as meaningful as what we say.

Such talk is incarnational, “that it may give grace to those who hear.”  This is a matter of content. Our messages are to be filled with grace. We can impart that from God’s Word because we have ingested it from it. Our lives as well as our lips witness to the incarnation of our communication. Our objective then is to be channels that bring grace to those who hear and heed our message, so it will become incarnate in them.

Will we speak words that break down or build up?  One day we will give answer to Christ, the Living Word, for the life or death from our tongue.

FULL HEADS BUT EMPTY HEARTS

You may have a head full of theological knowledge, but a heart empty of practical compassion. While we do not deprecate knowledge, it must be accompanied by love or it turns to promoting self rather than building saints. John Maxwell put it like this: "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."

I recall participating in a funeral service when I pastored a small church in Charlotte . Some family had asked me to officiate, along with a well-known pastor of a large church in that city--a man whose face was featured on TV and whose voice was heard on radio. As I tried to engage him in conversation before the service, he treated me like a nobody. He barely spoke, and what he said was curt and condescending. My impression was that he was there to do a job and really had better things to do--especially sharing the pulpit with an unknown like me. Perhaps I misjudged him, but you only get one chance to make a first impression and this is what stuck with me.

I have purposed in my ministry to try to show care for the widow, the needy, the uneducated, the struggling--to make time for those who can do nothing in return for me. I don't always accomplish my purpose of edifying others and have fallen prey to exalting self, but then I repent and once more take up the basin and towel. I had rather build up the bruised, broken, and burdened than to use them as rungs to climb on the ladder of ministry success. If I know so much and sound so smart, while making others feel stupid, then what would that peasant Preacher from Nazareth think about me?

Weigh these words from the late Stephen Olford, who was not only powerful in the pulpit, but personable with people.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”– 1 Corinthians 8:1

The power of this spiritual truth is evidenced by its practical outworking. The apostle tells us that their “love suffers long and is kind; … is not puffed up; … thinks no evil” (1 Cor. 13:4-5). O, then to excel in this essential. Its secret lies in the work of the Holy Spirit, for He sheds abroad the love of God in the heart of the believer. Moreover, the fruit of the Spirit is love. O, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, moment by moment, day by day.

Then, and only then, shall my ministry be edifying, building up believers in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The love of Christ compels us to live, teach, and preach Christ in love. Holy Spirit, fill me with the love of Jesus Christ.

Olford, Stephen F.. According to Your Word (p. 141). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.