Tag Archives: preaching

Why Churches Grow

17 Thursday Sep 2015

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It seems that each generation thinks of itself as being smarter than the previous generation. This applies in just about every area of life. Congregations, or many of them anyway, of the Lord’s people think they are more spiritual than previous generations because they spent time in prayer, studying the Scripture, and coming to learn that the previous generation might have been mistaken in their understanding of Scripture.

Thus arrogance!

I bring this up because that which encourages a church to grow today is the same that encouraged a church to grow over 50 years ago. In the February 1957 issue of 20th Century Christian, Mont Whitson offered 6 contributing factors to a church growing. I would like to speak of two of those he mentioned.

First, the local church will grow when people within and without see the spirit of love, unity, and understanding amongst those attending at, in our case, the Highway Church of Christ. The word love pertains to one’s response to God first and foremost (cf. 1 John 5:1-3). The word unity is associated with that which Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, that is, keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). The word understanding, in my view, is in understanding that we are not all at the same level of spiritual knowledge/understanding (cf. Romans 12:3-8; 14:1-13).

Second, the church grows when the members within are willing to work. That means they are all willing to work. It is not the “job” of the elders, the “job” of the preacher, or the “job” of someone else. It is my job, and yours also (perhaps it is better to say it this way: “It is my privilege and responsibility.”). What is it that you are doing to make a difference in the growth of the congregation? Are you teaching others?

Third, though not mention by brother Whitson, it is certainly worthy of mention – the local church that belongs to the Lord must (not optional) preach and teach the purity of God’s word. There is no room for opinions that correspond to a “thus saith the Lord.” If any man speak, Peter said, let him speak the very words of God (1 Peter 4:11).

The Limited Commission with Practical Applications (Luke 10:1-20)

14 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Bulletin Article

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As the apostles had been chosen by the Lord for special instruction and a special commission, the seventy that had been chosen might represent the larger spectrum of the disciples (Luke 10:1). One man wrote in regards to this: “In addition, the marching orders for the seventy are by their very nature applicable to every Christian” (Michael Wilcock, The Message of Luke, p. 120). The seventy that had been chosen needed to be made aware of a number of things.  First, they had need to understand the mission that was ahead (10:2). They had to understand the harvest was great, but the workers were few. Consequently, an unfair load would be placed on those who love the Lord, engaged in this “business.” The burden of this load meant they could very well have been forgoing comfort and leisure (Wilcock, p. 119).

Second, they also had to understand the dangers that were lying squarely in their path, and even those that sprung from the brush to attack (Luke 10:3-4). There are quite a lot of people today who embrace Christ for reasons that are not all that substantive. For instance, one reason some embrace Christ is because it brings the promise of peace. The promise of peace is very much biblical and accurate (Romans 5:1), but that peace promise is one’s relationship between the saved one and the Lord; many, however, look upon it as peace from afflictions in life. Without clearly understanding this, the parable of the soils fits aptly (Matthew 13).

Some practical applications to this we can make. The message we take with us in our hearts and behaviors is the life of Christ. Let us be sure we tell people that He came, and He is coming again (Judgment Day). Until He comes, though, we want to communicate that He established an institution wherein all the saved are “collected” into His godly body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23). The “collected” ones in this body are called out of this world to be holy. Since man has altered the teachings of Jesus relative to this body, the Lord’s saints are sent out to preach, seeking to restore that which the Lord originally taught. It is not a good thing when any part of that which the Lord taught is altered or corrupted.

Man and God’s Wisdom

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by in Corinthians, God, Wisdom

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Each time I read Corinthians, I can’t help but to reflect on the wisdom of man in relation to the wisdom of God. Frankly, the Lord looks upon the wisdom of man as but child’s play because man’s wisdom has its origin in that which is not understood. The way in which many look on man’s wisdom is in relation to their educational attainment. We seek to gain what we can from those more educated than ourselves and implement their wisdom in our respective lives.

Of course, this is not to say that man can’t have wisdom, knowledge, or even understanding about the various things of life. It is to say, however, that in ultimate matters of life, what is it that man has in understanding that the Lord has not already said a word (or two) about? Has any man been able to cross the threshold of death and tell us about it? Has anyone been able to tell us what happens to those who engage in evil behavior, and what about those who suffer because of man’s wisdom engaged in wars, political maneuvering, etc.? The questions multiply, and so do unanswered questions.

It is clear to right-thinking people that what man thinks is simply inadequate for the occasion. “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it’” (Isaiah 55:6-11, NKJV).

The Lord’s Desire

09 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Amos, Leadership, Preaching

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                The Lord’s prophet, Amos, was a man chosen for a task that was very much a burden to the people. It was to Amos that He spoke the words to Israel (the northern kingdom with its capital in Samaria), “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (4:12). Though the Lord addressed His words to Israel in particular, it is worth notice that the Lord’s pending judgment was toward those outside of covenant relationship.

                The Lord identified seven nations that had judgment against them; not only did He identify these nations, but He also described the problem. Syria was merciless with its army of destruction, the Philistines were the same, Tyre failed to honor its treaty with others, Edom was plagued because of jealous rage, Ammon killed innocent children (a form of abortion), Moab exhibited desecrating destruction, Judah because of their failure to hear and obey the Lord, and to Israel because of slavery, greed, and perversion. The importance of noticing this is because the Lord responded to evil wherever it may have exhibited itself, not simply to those within covenant relationship.

Our country is not in covenant relationship with the Lord; when people speak about this country being a “Christian nation,” what is in view, historically, is the moral foundation put in place that was to guide us. It is clear that the moral foundation put in place has disintegrated. How can we change the direction that our community is traveling? A hard thing to do to be sure, but there are some things that can be done. First, be devoted to the Lord and His way of righteousness. Second, be sure to be a positive influence on those who do not know the Lord’s way. Third, never let your personal politics trump the Lord’s way of righteousness. Fourth, continue to pray for our leaders and our country. These are things that can be done, but in all things the Lord’s desire will be done!

A SALVATION SHOW

23 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Man-Made Churches, Preaching, Presumptuous, Teaching

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A good number of years ago Neil Diamond wrote and sang a song that still resonates with me today. That song: “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show.”  I suppose a number of people can interpret it any number of ways, but I interpret it as both humorous and as a slight against preachers who have more interest in promoting themselves with their “healing” services than they have in promoting the gospel of Christ. The Scriptures are rather plain-spoken about such people – and they need to be called out (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 John 4:1).

“It has been said that God has performed many miracles through Chiles,” we are told. During the days of the prophet Isaiah, God’s prophet was preaching to and against the charlatans of his day. The standard by which any and all preachers were to be judged was the written word of God (Isaiah 8:20). The subjective feelings of a person were only accorded respect when that person lived by the Lord’s expressed word. For the individual or individuals eternity hung in the balance!

It may seem harsh to some to call out preachers who promote things contrary to the Lord’s written words, but it is necessary (Jude 3). It may be that these self-promoting preachers are doing many good things in the community and, if so, there will be nothing negative coming from me in that regard. On the other hand, whatever good may be done or may have been done does not allow a compromise of the Lord’s written Word. In fact, the good deeds that is (or are) done by any and all will not be that which judges us on Judgment Day; it will be the words spoken by the Lord Himself 9(John 12:48).

The challenge, therefore, to all religious folk is to measure everything by the Lord’s word (Romans 15:18; 1 Peter 4:11). RT

Jeremiah’s Mission

13 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Jeremiah

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Christians who make a habit to read the Scriptures on a regular basis can’t help but to reflect and admire Jeremiah the prophet. He was a man chosen by the Lord before his birth to do the Lord’s bidding (Jeremiah 1:5), and when Jeremiah thought his youth would prevent him from engaging in the Lord’s work, the Lord reassured him that his youth was exactly what He wanted (1:7). Jeremiah spent many years proclaiming the Lord’s message to a people determined to walk the broad path that leads to destruction. What was Jeremiah’s mission from the Lord to a people so determined? His mission is stated for us in Jeremiah 1:10. “See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (ESV). When the Lord said to Jeremiah that He had given him authority over nations and kingdoms, He was referring to the peoples of those nations and kingdoms. If Jeremiah’s word could penetrate the people, then perhaps the nations would be spared the Lord’s wrath (3:22). Let us briefly consider these points: to pluck up, to destroy, and to build up.

To pluck up. The old KJV uses the phrase “to root out”. The idea is to dig deep and remove the root that anchors itself in, in the context of Jeremiah, in false ideology. The false ideology (doctrine, teaching) is that associated with the idolatry of the nation. Idolatry is very damning, and many people are plagued by it without even knowing it. They know it not because they know not the Lord. Those of Jeremiah’s day were soon to learn what they did not know.

To destroy. Since the Lord was going to root out the depths of their anchor, what would He do with what comes up? He plans to destroy it and to start again. In the context, that which the Lord was going to do was that which was done to the northern kingdom already: Israel had been taken away into captivity by the Assyrians and, unfortunately, Judah refused to heed the warning the Lord gave, and because she refused to hear and heed there was one verdict pending.

To build up. The Lord, however, was not one to leave a land (heart) vacant. If there was a desire on the part of one (or the many), as there was in the context of the Jeremiah’s prophecy, the Lord would provide a solution to one’s despair. However, the one who was in despair needed to respond to the Lord’s offer. The Lord would not accept anyone one according to the dictates of their own heart (3:17), but He would accept if they came to Him humbly and contrite.

God’s preacher – that is what Jeremiah was. Will any follow Jeremiah today?

Oratory Style

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

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Powerful preaching of the gospel is an attractive thing. Exactly what is meant
by that varies with the individual. What is generally in view is strong belief
in the word of God, forthrightly delivered, delivered passionately, and with
much confidence. With that being done, it is still possible for another to not
like that style of preaching; to them, it might sound arrogant, condescending,
or even bullying. However it might be interpreted, the point of emphasis for
God’s preacher is not in his delivery style, but the content of preaching
coupled with the life lived. Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to
baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of
Christ should be made of no effect” (1 Corinthians 1:17, NKJV). Paul said
he wanted to preach the gospel, with the power being in the gospel of the cross,
not the style, oratory, or even the baptism.