The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
March 2, 2003
In
This Issue:
Can
You Care Too Much to do the Right Thing?
By
Steve Klein
Why
the Modern Pulpit Faces a Crisis
By
Donald Townsley
Can You Care Too Much
To Do The Right Thing?
Some time ago I read about a study in which it was found that people who care a lot about others tend to operate on a higher moral plane than those who don't care for others. That made sense. However, the report also said that when faced with the chance that bad things will happen as a result of taking a high moral stand, these same caring, upright people will sometimes lower their moral standards. Sadly, that made sense too.
Christians are the most moral people on earth precisely because they care the most about others. "For the command-ments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:9-10). Each Christian desires to "please his neighbor for his good..." (Romans 15:3). But it is this very attitude of love and caring that Satan twists to lure us to lower our moral standards. We don't want to hurt someone's feelings, so we don't tell them the truth as strongly as we should. We want others to know that we "relate" to them and know what it is like to be in their shoes, so we become just like them. We tell white lies to spare feelings. We lighten the moral burdens we place upon ourselves and others under the pretext of fulfilling the law of Christ! Kind of pitiful, isn't it?
Yes, we do care about the feelings of others. Yes, we should be concerned about bearing one another's burdens. But this does not give us the right to weaken God's laws for ourselves or others. The truths of God's word must stand unaltered by our desire to please men (cf. Galatians 1:9-10).
Let us do what is right, even when it seems to have a negative effect upon others. Things are not always as they seem. And we can rest assured in this promise: "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Romans 8:28).
- by Steve Klein
God's means of saving the lost and edifying the saved is by the preaching of the simple gospel of Jesus Christ (Matt.28:19,20; I Cor.l:21). When the pulpit turns from preaching the gospel in its fullness (Acts 20:27), a great crisis comes among God's people - they begin to depart from the faith (I Tim.4:l).
The first departure from the faith came with a change in the preaching. Fisher, in his church history, says: "The sermon in the fourth century became more rhetorical (emphasis of style, often at the expense of thought-Webster--dt). Its brilliant thoughts or witty expressions were sometimes received with loud applause" (page 120). Mosheim, in his church history, says: "The sermons, or public discourses addressed to the people, were composed according to the rules of human eloquence, and rather adapted to excite the stupid admiration of the populace, who delight in vain embellishments, than to enlighten the understanding or to reform the heart... For the people were permitted, nay, even exhorted by the preacher himself, to crown his talents with clapping of hands and loud acclamation of applause" (page 106).
There is a great crisis in preaching in the church today. Many preachers have stopped preaching sermons on first principles, and have also stopped using passages of scripture to prove their points; instead they use "tales" and illu-strations. Some no longer preach sermons that identify the true church. A failure to show that the church of the New Testament is distinct from manmade churches will mean that those who are baptized under this type preaching will be weak and without conviction. Some preachers do not take a definite stand against specific sins like adulterous marriages, immodest dress, social drinking, gambling, or on the issues that threaten Cod's people.
False concepts of presenting the truth are found in the minds of some preachers. Some contend that there should be no "negative" preaching. This is not what Paul told Timothy for he said: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim.4:2). Application of the gospel must be made to the sinner whether it be sins of immorality or sins of a religious nature. Some would argue that we should not preach against any issues like institutionalism, pre-millenialism or instrumental music. If we fail to preach on controversial subjects like these, the church will be filled with weak, ungrounded and unsound members!
There is a rising wrong perception of the role of the preacher in the church today. Many do not view him as a proclaimer of the word of God; he is viewed more as a manager, an entertainer, a professional visitor or a counselor. The New Testament pictures him as a proclaimer of the word of God (2 Tim.4:2; I Cor.l:21: I Tim.2:7), not as a manager, an entertainer, a professional visitor or a counselor.
Many today have the false concept that preaching is to be molded by the expectations of society. The New Testament teaches that society is to be molded by the preaching of the gospel (Rom.12:l,2).
What has brought about this change in preaching? The change in society! People today want "what satisfies me:" their prime concern is "what makes me happy", so preaching has become more related to self-interest. Preaching now reflects man's interest in himself-his wants, his needs. Man does not want to face his true needs as Cod has revealed them in the gospel of Jesus Christ (James 1:22-25).
Preaching has come to be looked upon as a profession. Some are more interested in where the preacher went to school, his education, and how "polished" he is in the pulpit than they are in his knowledge of the word of God, his faithfulness, or his soundness in the faith.
We all need to understand what God's purpose in preaching is-- the salvation of men (Mark 16:15,16: I Cor.l:21: I Tim.4:16). Any other purpose does not please God. Brethren, let us get back to preaching the Word "in season, out of season" (2 Tim.4:2) and try to save men from everlasting punishment in hell! (Matt.25:46)
--By Donald Townsley