The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
November 30, 2003
In
This Issue:
Preaching
by
Gilbert Alexander
Erasing
Boundaries
by
Steve Klein
Preaching
Preaching is public proclamation. Gospel preaching is the public proclamation of the gospel of Christ, and it comprehends proclaiming all aspects of the truth of the gospel. Preaching is God-ordained and an essential part of God's way of making the truth known throughout the world. Despite the notion of some people that preaching is an outdated method of dispensing truth, God's plan is still effective among those who wish to be informed. Consider how world leaders make use of public proclamation in order to spread their messages around the world.
Gospel preaching involves constant and concentrated use of the Scriptures to convey the message of the Scriptures. "Preach the word." "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." Human philosophy cannot save. Opinions are more numerous than people are. Truth needs to be read and explained by examples and illustrations, many of which can be found in the Scriptures themselves. A preacher is most secure in his preaching when he is closest to the Scriptures in all he says.
Good preaching is factual. Knowledge relies heavily on facts. Learning facts is not always exciting, and so some deal very little in facts in favor of more exciting things. Worthwhile concepts and ideas must be based on facts. Without proper knowledge of facts, one has no proper basis for grasping concepts. For that reason, sermons and portions of sermons found in the Scriptures are full of facts. Consider, for example, Stephen's sermon in Acts 7. It is full of history by which the blessings of God upon Israel can clearly be seen, and by which the blunders and rebellion of Israel can be seen. Specific examples are used to cite God's providence through the course of Jewish history. Stephen's audience could not fail to see the disobedience of their ancestors because of the specific instances given. Presentation of these facts enabled Stephen to conclude his speech with a powerful denunciation of the stubborn disbelief of his hearers (7:51-53).
Good preaching addresses the needs of the audience. It reproves, corrects, instructs and encourages as the need may be. Many times, a single sermon consists of all of these elements of teaching; however, a particular lesson may emphasize one particular need. People commonly enjoy hearing other people reproved, while they enjoy hearing themselves approved and encouraged, but we need to rise above such pettiness both as hearers and as preachers. We need to preach sound doctrine and endure sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-15).
Good preaching is understandable. The best teaching is that which clarifies (Nehemiah 8:7, 8). People are not persuaded by that which they do not understand, nor can strong faith be established by incoherence and emotional outbursts. "Faith comes by hearing" (receiving the message of the gospel with understanding) (Rom. 10:17).
Let us cultivate a hearty appetite for good gospel preaching.
by Gilbert Alexander
9-15-02
Have you ever noticed the number of liquor stores, bars and honkytonks that have been built near county boundary lines or city limit lines? One of the reasons for this is that historically some places have allowed the sale of alcohol and some have not. Those wanting to sell alcohol in wet areas often build their establishments as close to the dry areas as possible. The aim is to attract business from people living in the dry city or county. As you drive through the state of Alabama, it's amazing how many beer joints you see in the vicinity of boundary lines.
Over time however, some places that are dry will vote to go wet. Suddenly, the old boundary lines don't matter as far as selling alcohol goes. Freed from the restrictions of the boundary lines, those wanting to sell alcohol build bigger and more numerous outlets. The little bars and package stores at the county line are often dwarfed by the nightclubs and liquor stores that spring up right in the middle of the once forbidden territory. Without the restraint of the boundary, the sale of alcohol flourishes, along with all of the social and moral ills that accompany it.
If you've read this far, you may be expecting the remainder of this article to deal with the evils of alcohol (and much could be written along that line). But I'd like to focus our attention on other evils -- the evils that result from erasing or ignoring longstanding moral boundaries.
Most of our grandmothers would never have thought of parading around in mixed company in a bikini or a miniskirt, or even with their belly buttons showing. A couple of generations ago, these boundaries were so clear to every Christian that little needed to be said about them. Even many people who were not Christians respected proper limits regarding such things as modest attire. But the attitudes of the next generation began to change. As our society began to question many of its social rules and taboos, so did Christians. By the time I was a child, entire sermons were having to be preached showing that "mixed bathing" was a sin because it provoked lust (Matthew 5:28). [For those who are younger, mixed bathing refers to men and women going swimming together at the pool, lake or beach in immodest attire]. Modern dancing was likewise condemned on the same grounds. I can vividly remember sermons preached when the miniskirt first became popular concerning the impropriety of short hemlines (cf.1 Timothy 2:9-10). Those sermons were typically very Scriptural and sound, and attempted to reinforce the boundaries of dress and deportment that had been accepted by all just a generation or two before.
In the minds of many people in the world, and perhaps some Christians too, those old boundaries have been completely erased. It would be almost laughable to try to convince someone in the world today that short hemlines, bikinis or modern dances are wrong because they promote lust. People in the world are used to seeing far worse. Things have progressed far beyond those old boundary lines now. Satan's promotion of lust, like the sale of alcohol in a county that's just gone wet, shows no regard at all for the old boundaries. The activities and dress of people we see everyday at the mall or in school, or read about in magazines and newspapers, or watch on TV and in movies, promote lust in ways our grandparents could never have imagined.
This problem isn't limited to sexual lust, but many other things as well. The boundaries that prohibited such things as gambling, impure speech, abortion, homosexuality and adultery have also been erased in our society.
As Christians, we must be cautious. Just because the devil has succeeded in getting the world to "vote wet" and remove moral restrictions in our society, doesn't mean that the restrictions have actually changed at all. The Lord commands, "Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set" (Proverbs 22:28). If the moral boundaries accepted by previous generations were Scriptural and right, they still are -- no matter what the world says. When the leaders of God's people allowed the people of Judah to adopt the morals of the pagan world, the Lord condemned them with these words, "The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark; I will pour out My wrath on them like water" (Hosea 5:10). Let us be cautious indeed.
by Steve Klein