The kind of preaching that God wants There are many people in the world that have their own opinions on what kind of preaching they desire, but the real question is what kind of preaching does God want? There are many in the religious world who are not that concerned about wanting to know how God wants it done because we live in time where people just want feel good about the message they hear and they don’t want to hear how they need to change things in their lives to be right with God. Of course, this is not a new problem because this idea has always been around. For instance notice what, Isaiah 30:8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the LORD; 10 Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 11 Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us." These people would rather have lies told to them than the truth and this is the same problem that many are guilty of today. We also have example of this in the NT and comes as warning to Timothy from Paul. 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Again as you read in verses 3 and 4 sometimes people don’t want God’s truth taught, instead they want the preacher to preach sermons that will tickle their ears even if what they are preaching will lead many down the wide road that leads to destruction. So as Christians we must stop asking what we desire to hear preached and instead we need to open up our Bibles and find out what God wants preachers to preach. A great place to begin is by reading 1 and 2 Timothy because Paul gives a great deal of instruction to Timothy on what he should preach and how he should live his life by what he preaches. The first thing we see Paul telling Timothy in our passage we just read was to preach the Word of God because it will convince, rebuke and exhort Christians to stay the course with God’s doctrine. God’s Word should be the main thing that is taught. Those preachers who get up and tell stories and only briefly mention any Scriptures are certainly not preaching the Word. When preachers do it their way instead of God’s way it causes congregations to lose respect for God Word and it opens the door false doctrines to enter in. This is why Paul warns Timothy that if the Word is not taught then people will go astray. In fact, Paul tells Timothy at lest 12 times in his letters for him to keep the doctrine and teach other to keep the doctrine of God. 1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 00:03:58 +0000
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