There are some people who are still interested in the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. We are trying to give you something each week that will provoke your most serious deliberation throughout the week. If it helps you through the week then my time is considered well spent.
The world needs the gospel of Christ. The world has had too much philosophy and not enough gospel. The fundamental duty of the Church is to preach the truth of Christ. The Church is a preaching institution. But most people have forgotten this if they ever knew it. With some the Church has become a bazaar for the distribution of food and clothing. With some it is no more than a soup line, existing for the sole purpose of distributing “loaves and fishes”, with some it is an institution for the promotion of selfish interests. But with the Lord it is the institution burdened with the responsibility of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 23:29 declares the Bible to be a “hammer and a fire”. The inspired penman of Hebrews declares in chapter 4:12 the Bible to be a “two-edged sword.” A hammer has the power to break, a fire consumes and a knife cuts. These figures accurately describe the power of the word of God over sin. But too many people in today’s society want a hammer with a slick head, a fire that won’t burn, and a knife too dull to cut. The word of the gospel is powerful when employed correctly. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. (Ron. 1:16.) Perverted it becomes a potion of death and destruction.
A fearful responsibility rests upon the church as it, preaches the truth. Falsehood never liberated a single soul from the bondage of sin. One can’t wrap falsehood up in enough sincerity to save a single soul. The truth of Christ is not compatible with error. Where truth is planted error is uprooted. There is too much preaching now about the Bible and not enough preaching from the Bible itself. An old preacher said to a young preacher once, “Abe, when you preach, always take a long text; that much of your sermon will be right, whether the rest is or not.” And friends, all too often, about the only meat a congregation receives is the long text that the preacher reads – and many don’t even like to hear a long text anymore. Human hearts still cry out for the bread of life. Many have cried out for the “bread of life” only to receive a serpent. God’s word, the New Testament, is sufficient. It is all the human heart needs for its present and eternal satisfaction. The word is not a dead letter as some claim. It is alive and active. It is sufficient for conversion (Ps. 19:7). It furnishes unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). It gives us all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). We must neither add to it nor take from it (Rev. 22:18, 19). It is truly the creed that needs no revision. It meets the needs of the whole world (Mt. 28:19).
It is pure (Ps. 119:140). It is perfect (Ps.19:7). It is enduring (Lk. 21:33). And we shall be judged by it (Jn. 12:48). Our objections to human creeds are many: They are not inspired of God… they do not meet the needs of the whole world… they are not perfect… they must be revised every few years… we shall not be judged by them… they make void God’s word.. they teach things contrary to the word of God… and they are the main instruments in keeping religious people divided. We plead for the acceptance of God’s word.
Oh it will be a dark day when gospel preachers-true and faithful preachers-substitute book reviews, current events, science, philosophy or anything else for the Word of the Living God. Over many pulpits in Kentucky in days of old were the words; “Preach the word”. Daniel Webster said when the preacher took his text from the Bible and preached from the newspaper, he preferred to stay at home. Might not this be the cause of so many empty pews today?
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