Newsletter Vol.3, #11—April 8, 2007
Matthew 10 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Two
Things I Learned From W.R. Jones
W.R. Jones, well-known Texas preacher, died the other day. It was not, however, being well-known that motivated him; it was being known by the Lord. I remember many things about W. R. Jones, all of them good and valuable to me. Two things remain vivid as I think about my experience with him.
He held a meeting where I was working (Mulvane, Kansas) back in the 1970's. It was my usual practice then, to bring a brief case full of work home every night. I would spend six to eight hours in the office at the church building during the day. Then pack up this brief case with incomplete sermons, class notes, bulletin articles to proof, correspondence, etc. Sometimes right after supper with my family, as soon as the table was cleared, I would open up this work for a couple of hours. We had two boys at the time, one not in school yet. During the meeting with W.R., I would walk out of the building after each service in the evening with this loaded brief case. On Friday night, as the meeting closed, we were standing around just outside the locked doors. I was giving W.R. my good regards and wishes. Before we parted, he pointed to the brief case and said, "you need to leave that here." We bid each other farewell. Immediately I knew what he meant and I made an effort to take his advise. He was telling me to spend more time with my family.
W.R. Jones was always impeccably dressed. He wore a suit and tie well, sometimes with a pocket watch attached to a chain dropped in his vest pocket. He was convinced that one should dress well when coming to worship, and he was convinced of the dignity of the pulpit. He was talking about this long before our society took a turn toward casual, worldly attire. Not everybody listened to what he said. But nobody ever saw W.R. dressed in anything less than his best, suitable for the occasion and accompanied by his own personal charm and old-fashioned gentlemanly ways.
Here's something typical of W. R.'s preaching. He wrote this in The Preceptor, June, 1999. This was part of an article entitled, Three Simple Rules.
"Let's talk about the remedy for the ills of society. It is simple: turn back to God and His Word. But, this is not what a majority of the people want to hear. They don't want to hear the Law of Christ preached, they don't want to open the Bible and read it for themselves, and they don't wish to discuss it with those who care about their eternal destiny, but they want the problem solved. Folks, we need to 'back the wagon up.' Let's get back to the fork in the road and take the right path. Our nation is bypassing the things that make a nation great. God said in Proverbs 14:34, 'Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people'."
By Warren E. Berkley ~ The Final Page
From Expository Files 14.4; April 2007
The Crisis In Preaching
J.F. Dancer, Jr.
Some time back I read an article by Alan Highers by the above title. Brother Highers is a preacher but is also a lawyer and a judge. He is concerned about the problems that he can see in the pulpits. Maybe we don't see as many problems as he seems to see but I think his thoughts will be helpful to us. Please read this quote -
"It is unquestionably true that today there is a crisis in preaching. First, fewer man are preparing to preach ("full time” -jfd). Second, the attitude of people in the church, and in the World, toward preachers is different than in former years. The preacher is not the respected figure in the community that he once was. Third, the content of preaching has changed. Fourth, there is a different perception of the role of a preacher. He is viewed not So much as a proclaimer of the Word, but as a manager, counselor, and entertainer. Fifth, preaching is being molded by the expectation of society. Hosea said it was ‘like people, like priest’ (Hos.4:9).”
Can you see any of the foregoing in your attitude toward preachers arid preaching? Can you see it in others? If you study the letters Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus you can easily see that the work of a preacher is to preach/teach the Word (2 Tim.2:2; 4:2). Other than this he is to live as other faithful saints of God live (Rom.12:1-2). He is not a "church manager" or a "marriage counselor" and certainly he is not an "entertainer." The pulpit is a place for teaching God's word, not for providing amusement or entertainment. All of us need to remember this.
In his article brother Highers gave some things he saw that brought about this crisis. He suggests that "(1) Society as changed. It is money driven. It has emphasized pleasing and satisfying self. Preaching has followed this trend. (2) Preaching has come to be looked upon simply as a profession. Preachers must have attended the right schools, gained the right degrees, worked with the right churches and these churches must have shown proper growth in attendance and contributions. (3) Preachers are receiving their higher training at secular schools at the feet of denominational teachers. (4) Our role models are not the same as in years past."
Then he gives some suggestions as to the kind of preaching needed. He said: "(1) We need Bible centered preaching. (2) We need doctrinal preaching. (3) We need personal preaching. (4) We need courageous preaching. (5) We need preaching in love. (6) We need preaching with conviction. (7) we need powerful preaching. (8) We need balanced preaching. And, (9) we need effective preaching." Can you agree with this?
Paul told Timothy to "preach the word" and "be instant in season and out of season" (2 Tim. 4:2). Then he said to reprove, rebuke and exhort with patience and teaching. He told Titus to speak the things which become sound teaching (doctrine, Tit.2:l). He emphasized to both that they should be examples (1 Tim.4:12; Tit.2:7) of what the believer ought to be.
When talking with the elders from Ephesus at Miletus he told them that he had preached the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). When we have preachers like Paul and like he told Titus and Timothy to be we will have met the crisis and it will have been solved. And when we have elders who refuse to support a preacher who is not of this caliber things will be better.
Take a good look at what you expect of a preacher. Is it like unto what Paul told Titus and Timothy to become? Or, is it more like the preachers in the denominational world of our time? Whether you realize it or not you have a lot of influence upon the kind of preachers and preaching that the church will have. If you expect, demand, or uphold the wrong kind of preaching you stand condemned with the preacher before the God of heaven (2 Jno.9-11). Are you helping to create a crisis or solve one?
standing firm bulletin, Vol.38, #6, June 2006
SPIRITUAL SAFETY BELTS –by Joe R. Price
It is so important to wear your seat belts. Nearly 43,000 people died in automobile accidents in America in 2002. Of those fatalities, 17,419 were alcohol related. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 34. Every thirteen minutes there is a death caused by a motor vehicle accident.1 These are among the reasons government has mandated wearing safety belts in cars and trucks. They save lives. So, “click it or ticket.”
God’s word speaks of another type of “safety belt.” The Bible teaches the importance of being secure and safe in Christ. The most important thing we can do to insure our spiritual safety is to obey God’s word in faith (Gal.3:26-27; Heb.5:8-9). Jesus said we must obey the will of His Father to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt.7:21). It is vital that we apply our faith by doing what He says (Lk.6:46; Heb. 11:6; Jas.1:21-25; 2:14-26). When we obey Jesus in every area of our lives we are putting on our “spiritual safety belts.” We must not allow anyone or anything to hinder us from “obeying the truth,” otherwise we are exposed to spiritual danger and death (Gal.5:6; Rom.6:23).
Car accidents harm and kill the body; sin harms and kills the soul. “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (Jas.1:15-16). All of us are tempted to sin against God. When temptation occurs we have a choice to make: obey Jesus and be spiritually secure, or sin and bring death to our souls. We wouldn’t dream of intentionally causing an automobile accident, yet when we choose to sin we cause a far worse outcome. By choosing to obey Jesus we will be safe from harm: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jno.10:27-28). There is safety in always obeying Jesus; there is danger and death in sin. We must put on our spiritual safety belt of obedient faith so our souls will always be secure in Christ.
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1Auto Accident Statistics–Online Lawyer Source