Should Preaching Be The #1 Priority Of The Church?

@Tony: Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea For Preaching is a terrific book (I reviewed it recently). I totally concur that preaching the Word should be the #1 focus of the local church. It is the means the Lord uses to save His elect, and the means by which He edifies His elect. The Reformers knew that the Word was the first mark of a true church.

Lastly, that’s a great little snippet from Dr. Mohler.

I would say the right preaching of the Word and the proper administration/celebration of the ordinances/sacraments are the top priorities of the Church. I would also say that I have a hard time separating these two things: I believe both must be upheld for either to be performed properly. At the end of the day, however, if I was forced to choose I would lean towards preaching because without it, there is no one to receive baptism or the Supper.

Joseph Goulds last blog post..Closed Communion? No, Closed Baptismists!

Tony,

IMHO as long as faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, then preaching is a major priority of the church.

Les

Les Puryears last blog post..Why are 18th and 19th Century Christian Authors So Theologically Richer Than 20th/21st Century Authors?

@Joseph: You’re correct. They cannot be separated. The Sacraments always functioned ‘under’ the proclamation of the Word, therefore to separate the two is to venture down a mystic view of the Sacraments.

Matt and Spurgeon are exactly right about prayer being the number 1 priority of pastor and people–but so is Nathan when he says that preaching is. Without prayer, there is no true preaching. That’s why the apostles inseperably linked the two together as their chief responsibility (singular) in Acts 6:4. Notice that in Acts 6:2 they presented the problem as “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.” Then in verse 6, they said, “we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The two are inseparable.

The problem is when other “ministries” (entertainment, social, etc.) supplant preaching/prayer and become the focus of “church”.

Jim Drakes last blog post..Christmas Family Devotional Guide

I agree with the above comments. The priority of any church should be the Word and Sacrements. So preaching, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper are the top priorities. We need to meet and hear from God during worship, not be entertained.

I’ve not yet read Dr. Mohler’s book, but it would seem that making disciples is the first calling of the church. While I certainly agree that the proclamation and teaching of the Word are first priorities within that commission, they are not the sole priorities.

I’m thinking that one’s answer to this question also depends on one’s definition of “preaching.” If, by “preaching,” one means the bold and open proclamation of the gospel, that is one thing. If one defines preaching by format or geography (in the pulpit, before a group, etc.), then we have problems.

I would also ask a question regarding the title of your post. Does Dr. Mohler argue that preaching is the top priority of the local church, or does he argue that preaching should be the top priority of a pastor? I find significant differences in those two questions.

Someone a whole lot smarter than I once said something about the right road having ditches on either side. You have seen some falling in the ditch of ONLY concerning themselves with pulpit ministry. In my circles, I see far more pastors in the other ditch. They spend nearly all of their time bottle feeding big, fat ewes in personal visitation and counseling and have no time or energy left for the exposition of God’s Word.

By God’s grace, may He keep us out of BOTH ditches.

Jim Drakes last blog post..Ten Bold Believers Stories from 2008

Preaching must be the centerpiece and #1 priority of the Church. Other things (prayer, discipleship, evangelism, etc…) are actually the fruit of preaching and teaching because the saints are then equipped for the work of ministry.

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:11-14, ESV)

In Christ
Jeff

@Todd Burus: Can you clarify, are you saying there is an office of ‘biblical counselor’?

The question is of the priority of the local church. Does that mean that all members of the local church are supposed to preach? Of course not. Al Mohler in the quote provided talked about preaching as a top priority of the pastor.

For the church, we are each gifted in different ways for different reasons. As such, the church has a broad range of biblical functions and purposes, no one of them important to the exclusion of the others.

The Biblical passages cited so far in the comments generally regard individuals particularly called to preach, which would fall in line with the quote from Dr. Mohler.

I would offer that the Great Commission indicates that the top priority of the Church Universal is to disciple all nations. That as the command was addressed to the disciples and is almost universally understood to be for the Church for the generations to come, then individual congregations must see to it in what particular ways they can best contribute to this.

The part of the command to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit would place a certain emphasis on the need to perform the ordinances (“sacraments” for those so ecclesiologically inclined). But I also suggest that baptism has a figurative element in that as those of us in the baptist ecclesiology recognize that baptism means immersion, so likewise we are to immerse people in the teaching and admonition of the Lord.

Theological education is one thing and is good to do, but preaching as another thing applies sure teaching to our lives and the Holy Spirit uses it to unify a congregation and convict individuals of the importance of the information.

Preaching was mentioned as a means to proclaim the gospel. To be sure, with regards to preaching the gospel, preaching is not the only way to proclaim the gospel, nor should congregations neglect one-on-one evangelism and discipleship to only preach. So, we should teach the deeper theological truths, but also preach devotionally with all the richness of the knowledge of Christ revealed to us in the pages of scripture. And by “devotionally” I mean with the power of the Holy Spirit who enlightens all people to the truth and gives life. But, I would say that the weekly assembling of a congregation of believers should not be primarily evangelistic, although the gospel should be the central theme since Christ is known to us to be the revelation of the Father. Therefore, all theological truth should be predicated on the gospel for which purpose Christ came.

The purpose of the regular assembling of believers is edification. The purpose of believers to assemble at all is the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The primary ways and means of both is the preaching of the Word, although it should never be the sole activity.

Jim Pembertons last blog post..Whatever Happened to Courting?

Matt,

Preaching is the reason the church exists. Paul says “he makes it his ambition to preach the gospel” (Romans 15:20a, ESV) and that we might be strengthened “…according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ” (Romans 16:25a, ESV).

Also, God has chosen the preaching of His Word to bring to salvation those who belong to Christ. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21, ESV)

Without Bible truth no one becomes a Christian and without Bible truth no Christian ever grows. This is why preaching is the #1 priority of the church.

Prayer is the centerpiece of the believer. Both corporate and individual prayer is central to the preacher, without sermons bathed in prayer the preacher could end up preaching himself rather than Christ crucified. And without seeking the Father for everything the local church could go down a slippery slope, and without continually seeking, asking, knocking we would be disobedient to the one whom we do preach.

To summerize this I would say that:

1. The Churches #1 priority is Preaching
2. The Believers #1 priority is Prayer

Love in Christ
Jeff

Jeff Browns last blog post..Merry Christmas

Tony,

I think the Church must do whatever it takes to “maintain the regular preaching of God’s Word.” Preaching the Word is the only thing that separates us from para-church organizations and government agencies.

Ordained preachers who preach Bible doctrine are most needed and the ones who are in shortest supply.

I just finished Dr. Mohler’s book “He is not Silent” and it was encouraging to me as one who is in the pulpit week after week declaring the Truth from Genesis to Revelation.

Love in Christ
Jeff

Matt,

Preaching is the reason the Church exists. Paul says “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel”(Romans 15:20a, ESV) and we are stregthened by “according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ” (Romans 16:25a, ESV)

Also, God has chosen the preaching of His Word to bring to salvation those who belong to Christ. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21, ESV) So there would not be a Church apart from the means God has choosen to bring salvation to His elect, and that means is the Preaching of the Word.

So we can deduct that without Bible truth, no one ever becomes a Christian and without Bible truth no Christian ever grows. Preaching is the reason the church exists and the way God has chose to build up and edify the body through the spoken preached Word of God.

While preaching is central to the Church, prayer is central to the believer and esp. the preacher. Without sermons bathed in prayer the preacher could end up preaching himself and not Christ crucified. And, if we do not continually keep on asking, seeking and knocking then we are disobedient to the one whom we do preach therefore denying Him with the very life we live.

To summerize this thought I think:

1. Preaching is the #1 priority to the Church
2. Prayer is the #1 priority to the believer
3. Since the true church is made up of only believers then both truths apply.

Love in Christ
Jeff

Jeff Browns last blog post..Merry Christmas

Jeff,
I’m not going to argue that preaching isn’t important, or that it’s not the primary purpose of the local church. Preaching is perhaps a key method for accomplishing the purpose of the each church which I believe is to glorify God in the proclamation of the gospel and the edification of its members. There are countless more methods, but sound preaching unifies listeners and elucidates truth like no other method. That’s an experiential observation and subject to any scripture that may prove otherwise. I haven’t however found one yet. What concerns me is the exegesis you may be applying to the passages you cited.

In Romans 15, Paul is talking specifically about his ministry to the Gentiles. His mention of preaching is not by way of apologetical reference for what he does, but his preferred method for accomplishing the purpose of his specific mission to the Gentiles that he spells out in the preceding verses. So he doesn’t reference preaching here as a general principle for the Church universal, much less that it is the primary purpose of the Church.

Often Paul’s greetings and benedictory statements are explicit enough to garner theological truth. Romans 16:25 is in that category. However, here Paul doesn’t make reference to preaching in general, but to his preaching in particular.

1 Corinthians 1:21 is part of a passage that is talking about the foolishness of the gospel. Preaching is mentioned tangentially to the object of the preaching: “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

In none of these passages is it explicit or even implied that the Church universal (which I believe is what you meant by capitalizing the “C”) is to be primarily focused on preaching. I wouldn’t use them for such. I’m not seminary trained and there may be something you know about the application of good hermeneutics to properly exegete a passage that I don’t in this regard, but I can’t see how it’s sound exegesis to use these passages to support an argument for preaching being the primary purpose of the Church universal. It looks more like a non-sequitor.

It’s my understanding that we must take great care to handle the scriptures lest we derive conclusions from them that are not true. That’s all I’m trying to do here.

God bless you and your family during this season as we celebrate the incarnation of Christ.

-Jim

Jim Pembertons last blog post..Whatever Happened to Courting?

Jim,

I am no scholar and do not claim to be, but correct exegesis I believe conforms 4 points – morphology, syntax, definition and context. Any one of these four can be used in a casual and/or evaluation argument which is what I see this simple question as being.

Thank’s for giving me a new word in my vocabulary “non-sequitor” [Latin for “it does not follow.” The term usually means that a conclusion does not logically follow from the facts or law – http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Non+sequitor%5D.

I will try and bring this logically from the facts as much as I can with the subject “Preaching is the #1 Priority of the Church”.

By using Rom 15:20 I was stressing the point that Paul said it was His ambition to “preach the gospel.” He used the word “euangelizesthai” which appears 48 times in the NT and is used in the majority to translate Preach (8), Preached (12), or Preaching (12) and in the context of his ministry he is stating not only his purpose but all preachers to follow him whether Jew or Gentile. I could of used Peter as an example from Acts 5:42 in the same manner as the ministry to the Jews “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching [euangelizesthai] Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:42, ESV)

By using Rom 16:25 I was stating the obvious that preaching of the Word is what God uses to strengthen the saints. Here Paul uses the word “Kerygma” Which appears 8 times in the NT and translates “Preaching” (5), “Preach” (1) in the majority and it does refer to preaching here. You state “here Paul doesn’t make reference to preaching in general, but to his preaching in particular” I have to disagree in part because Paul in and of himself can do nothing apart from Preaching the Word of God and therefore cannot stregthen anyone if he is preaching under his own power. In his closing statement to the Romans he refers to “the brothers” [adelphoi] in it as he says:

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” (Romans 16:17-19, ESV)

So I see the preaching Paul talks about this passage isn’t limited to just himself but to the body as a whole.

You said “1 Corinthians 1:21 is part of a passage that is talking about the foolishness of the gospel. Preaching is mentioned tangentially to the object of the preaching: “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” I agree totally with you on this. It is what we preach [the Word of God] to bring those to salvation who will be saved. In the context of my answer it was the importance of preaching as well as the content to justify the importance and priority of preaching in the local church as well as the universal Church as a whole.

Its late and I have passed my bedtime but thank you for allowing me to think this out and I feel my answers do come from a Biblical exegesis and are in proper context and if not then maybe I can get a job at the next John 3:16 conference. 🙂

Many blessings to you and your family as well as we all celebrate our Lord and King Jesus…

Love in Christ
Jeff

Jeff Browns last blog post..Merry Christmas

I would say the top priority of a pastor is to actually love his people. Preaching the word is one among many other ways he does this, but not the most important one. Mohler’s claim is exaggerated, reactionary, and dangerous in my opinion. Building relationships with the people in the congregation, being there for people who are going through a tough time, praying over those who are sick and suffering, reaching out to the community for the sake of the gospel, doing evangelism, etc. are all just as important as preaching the word. A pastor’s preaching, if not complimented by these types of activities, will loose it’s authority in the eyes of the people.

Bradley Cochrans last blog post..:::Love Beyond Diversity__:::__Audio

I agree with Todd. Church is meant to be lived in community, and part of community is to bear one another’s burdens. As the shepherd of the flock, personal involvement is required. While maybe not as intellectually fulfilling as preaching the gospel, it is a big part of attending to God’s people. And it works both ways: sometimes the pastor needs attending from the flock.

GOD HAS ORDAINED THAT BY THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE.

If you’re going to make a case for preaching as the #1 priority of the church, quote the authority, that is, the primary source, and not all the secondary sources. Jesus said, ” I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. And he kept on preaching in the sysnagogues of Judea” (Luke 4:43-44 NIV). Evidently, preaching was significant to our Lord. Should it be less so for his called spokesmen?

sonny holmess last blog post..The sights and sounds of Christmas

I still have trouble following the logic. Jesus said he was sent to preach, but we know that he came to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross. Which was more important? If therefore Christ was sent to preach and we can conclude from this that the primary purpose of the church is to preach, then if it was more important for Christ to pay the penalty for our sins then should we not conclude that it is more important for the church to die for sins? Obviously not. Therefore, the logic is flawed. We cannot conclude if someone claims that they, in particular, are called to do something that it can be applied generally that it is the most important thing for everyone to do collectively. It’s a non sequitor and a genetic fallacy. We must be about the business of glorifying God in the proclamation of the gospel, yes. That can be properly discerned from the scriptures. Preaching is an important method for doing so that is observed experientially in the life of the church even today. However, I don’t see a passage yet that can be accurately used to conclude that the method of preaching as an end in and of itself is THE primary purpose of the church.

Jim Pembertons last blog post..House With or Without a Foundation

You’re right, it’s not very logical is it? Sometimes, God just doesn’t make sense.

sonny holmess last blog post..The sights and sounds of Christmas

On the contrary. Having created logic, God is quite rational. It’s His fallen creatures (one of which I most certainly am) who have trouble thinking clearly. 🙂

Jim Pembertons last blog post..House With or Without a Foundation

For the best summary of what we have been asked by Jesus to do, go to the Great Commission text, not Jesus summaries of his own personal mission. Jesus’ summary statements are often different, and his summary statements of his own mission are not necessarily ours.

I think the issue should be seperated as to whether we are talking about #1 priority of pastor or #1 priority of local church. Not everyone has the spiritual gift of preaching and teaching. But, those who have accepted Christ as their LORD and Savior are part of the church and have the ability to follow the great commission in their own ways of support, etc..

What exactly is the question we are trying to have answered? The answer will be different depending on WHO you are really asking about…

God bless!
Sallie

Sallies last blog post..An old country church…

Since it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, it follows as day follows night that preaching is first. PERIOD. But in order to preach, really preach, we need people who are divinely called and equipped (anointed) and who are willing to sweat blood and shed tears in study and prayer. The qualification of ministers was the focus of my thesis. Personally, I love preaching more than life itself. I would pay for the privilege to preach, if I could. Like Spurgeon, I consider preaching the greatest calling in the world, after salvation itself. Withouta life of prayer, however, preaching is lifeless. Also being a minister requires an agile mind, a willingness to think outside the box, an azeal for God’s glory and the good of souls. You must also have a love for doctrine as well as people and how the first can help the latter in a practical as well as a spiritual way. The two-sidedness of the doctrines, the fact that they can’t be reconciled by the human mind (and they are not meant to be reconciled), that the two-sidedness produces a tension in the mind which is a good tension, one that enables the ministers and servant of the Lord to be both objective (analytical, abe to assess facts, etc.) and subjective (warm, loving, supportive) where each is appropriate and the wisdom to know which firts where. Hegel and Marx were full of baloney about the dialectic. Thesis, antithesis, and synthesis is a work of destruction. But synthetical (thesis and antithesis held in tension) is creative. Either pole of the synthetical truths (objective or subjective) leads to an incongruity between the desired and the actual result of applying a one-sided truth. This is the secret of old orthodoxy. It is intellectually stimulating, as contemporary as the written word of God always is, empowering God’s people to cope with the situation of any age. The idea of primitivism, mind-sets of the writers of the OT & NT is more a perspective read into the documents by interpreters of each present situation rather than real exposure of the shortcomings of the original writers and their writings. On the other hand, a grasp of present realities in the learned realm can be eye-openers as to the depth of biblical truths which, being inspired by an omniscient God, must reflect their source in the depth of eternal perspectives. The Bible is quite helpful in understanding the true dialectic; there is, we might say, a Divine Dialectic; it works to destroy our idolatries while creating fresh vistas of the greatness of grace. Elder John Robinson, the pastor of the Pilgrims who never made it to the New World and who took part in the debates in the Netherlands over Arminianism (Yes, the Dutch thought so much of him that he took part), stated something to this effect: “WHO KNOWSWHAT NEW LIGHT IS GETTING READY TO BREAK FORTH FROM GOD’ WORD?” Some have gotten all bent out of shape over limited atonement. Did Dr. Patterson actually say, “We are not going to build this seminary around someone who cannot look any one in the world and say ‘Christ died for your sins?” Jesus looked a wman in the eye who was not a Jew and said, “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”(Mt.15:24) Then he really got heavy and said some thing about total depravity and even reprobation: “Its not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs.” (Mt.15:26). Wonder of wonders! The woman agreed with Him: “Trurth, Lord, but even the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”(Mt.15:27) All I can say is, “WOW!” And every one, I dare say, knows what He said next, something He never said to any of his Disciples and Apostles: “GREAT IS YOUR FAITH.”

Dr. James Willinghams last blog post..The Climax of the Reformation

Preaching to reach the lost, and to exhort and admonish the believer, along
with teaching to equip believers for service is the main thing. Of course all these
ministeries call for intercessory prayer and in some cases, prayer and fasting.

Preaching and teaching also calls for much bible study, and the lost art of meditation.

After reading all the comments, what is sadly absent is the top priorities of the church: Love God and one another.

1. What good is preaching if there is not love?
2. What good is prayer if there is not love?

The following statement mentioned above can not even be Scripturally supported: “Preaching is the reason the Church exists. ”

No Christ is the reason the Church exist. The Church is His body.

Preaching is important but lets not elevate to a status that God Himself does not elevate it to.

Phillip

”By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have love one to
another.”

Thanks Phillip. I couldn’t agree more.

Bradleys last blog post..Book Review :: King David: A Biography by McKenzie

By the way. it is not necessary that a preacher love the people whom he is sent. After all, we have a clear cut case in Jonah. He did not want God to spare that city. that was why he fled the other way. Jonah wanted the Ninevites destroyed. He preached his message as an unconditional prophecy of gloom and doom. Then he sat down to wait for its fulfillment, even though as he says in chapter 4 he knew God was going to spare that city. And God argued with him about the matter. If such be the case in the OT, why do people expect the unconditional prophecies of the NT to be fulfilled literally instead of serving as a cause for God t spare sinners by leading or causing them to repent. Our biggest problem to day is paradigmatic thinking. People get caught up in certain patterns of thinking and understanding, and they cannot think out side of such paradigms. As Dr. Jess Moody declared in the 60s, “We are suffering from the paralysis of analysis.” Most people do not undrstand biblical orthodoxy at all. They read about the securing of religious liberty, the launching of the great mission effort, the uniting of Separates and Regulars, the beginnings of the antislavery movment, the using of educated and uneducated ministers together, the working with such tremendous thinkers as Jefferson, Madison, et. al., but they cannot do the same thing today. Can it be that they do not really understand their Bibles and how the calvinistic republic (I really prefer the sovereign grace republic) are the producers of real freedom in the context of man’s fallen nature an all that that entails? We also do not really see to have theologians who know how to cmmunicate the really radical nature of the Bible, or if they even think the Bible has radical nature. Leaders moan over the dreadful ferment of contenion that is always going on in Baptist circles, but that was happening in the 1700s and was noted by the Episcopalians as well as others. But all that time, they were bringing to pass something greater than the sum of all thei rcontending parties, namely, the freest nation on earth. I lay it down as a challenge to all and sundry. Baptists by and large, in laity and leaders, do not know or understand how biblical orthodoxy is suppose to function. I have through the years learned that the realy problem is ho to realize that I might drastically infect and affect others with my views due to their vitality. We actually have written in the abstract of principles of Southern and Southeastern, in the Sandy Creek Confession of 1816, the Philadelphia Confession of 1742 and the London Confession of 1689 along with the Westminister Confession, the essence of the mystery and theology of that mystery which can actually compel in the freest sense and manner possible the compliance of the whole earth. Even John Wesley was willing to concede that for some “Grace is Irresistible.” Why is it irresistible? In the words of a 20 yr. old young lady won to Christ by Dr, Gene Spurgeon (according to a family researcher he is a relative of CH) in 1965-66, “O, it was so wonderful that I could not resist it.” It took brother S. a number of yrs. to come to an agreement with her, but he did. God sends us proofs of his ability to make such winsome appeals that no soul on earth can resist it as the Lord pleases. We also have prophetic declarations to the effect that we are going to have a time when God shall flood the world and fill it to the full with His knowledge and glory as the waters cover the sea. How will He do it? By sacrificial love and service. Some He might save with gloom and doom (their particular situation might require it), but gentleness and tenderness are the Lord’s preferred method or so I suspect (and I can be wrong as I have many been many times in my life). However, a study of I Cors.13, the pericope on agape love, is so powerful that it can sweep people off their feet so to speak. God grant that He will make us to see and hear and experience in our hearts the melting power of His great love manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dr. James Willinghams last blog post..The Climax of the Reformation

God doesnot love everybody. He said ”The workers of iniquity I hate” ”Jacob have I loved, but Esau I have hated.”
God loves the world of His elect Jews and Gentiles [John 3;16].

Since He is particular in who He loves, so should we. We should love Who He loves, and hate Who he hates.

Mathew 5:43″You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Bradley Cochrans last blog post..Book Review :: King David: A Biography by McKenzie

It’s the quality of love that is at stake, not the presence of love. Consider that hatred is not the opposite of love, but apathy. Hatred is hardly apathetic. God hates in that he is concerned for his glory and cannot look on evil. Therefore he forsakes or hates many because he would destroy them otherwise. As his agents, members of the church of Christ, we must understand this quality of love in our relationships. It’s not that we must hate, as in be angry and desire the destruction of, those who reject God. But we must rightly judge their sin and not include them in our fellowship as Christians so that we might be holy and they might recognize that which defines us as the true and living God and come to true faith in him.

Regarding love and prophesy. While we are called to love, love is not required in order for prophesy to be true. The one who prophesies the truth but doesn’t have love may only be a clanging cymbal, but even that doesn’t mean that they can’t be effective, such as Jonah. So, if love is greater, would it have been better if Jonah had not prophesied? No, because love being greater is something we as Christians must consider, but “all things work together for good…” Therefore, God can purpose in those without love to accomplish his love.

One other thing. Do any of you think that you have perfect love? Yet having true love as we are commanded is something to be pursued diligently. If our love isn’t perfect, can any of us preach? Can any of us prophesy? Are we better than Jonah? Yet we must proclaim the truth. Thanks be to God that he loved us perfectly on the cross or none of us would be acceptable even on the basis of our love.

Jim Pembertons last blog post..Why Hybrids Can’t Reproduce – A Creationist’s Observation

i think evangelism should be the top priority of the church. if you mean “preaching” to include proclamation of the gospel outside the church, then yes. but if you are talking about the preaching that happens in the church, then no.

prayer is up there too. but, when you read acts, notice how much they pray about evangelism! they pray for boldness to speak, and for opportunities to speak. but the emphasized activity in acts is evangelism. it’s a continuation of luke, where Jesus prophesied that the disciples would preach to many nations and rulers, would be persecuted, but the Spirit would provide the words.

also take the old testament into consideration. ultimately israel existed to reach the nations with the knowledge of God. that’s why they are a “nation of priests” (priests mediate God to people) in exod 19. it’s also why the prophets came down hard on israel – by breaking covenant, israel was in no shape to reach the nations (isaiah 2:1-4; mal 1:11, 14; etc.).

my take on it? evangelism is the number one task, but we must be careful in ranking our duties. really we should be totally dedicated to bearing witness, prayer, transformation, and teaching/preaching within the church. still, i think we’re here to reach the world with the message of Christ.

good post

mikes last blog post..BOOM! farewell to the best, john madden

Matt,

What do you mean by your claim that we don’t have the “wisdom” to know who God loves?

Bradley

Bradley Cochrans last blog post..Book Review :: King David: A Biography by McKenzie

When I said that it was not necessary for a preacher to love the people to whom he was sent, I was thinking of Jonah and Judas and people like them who obviously care not. God is free to use whomsoever He pleases. I was not referring to the duty to love the people which is obvious and evident. As to loving others, I must dissent with Dr. Foltz on this issue. God hates some, but He treats them wth love. Dr. John Gill stated that “GOD TREATS THE WICKED SO WELL THAT NO ONE IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD CONDEMN GOD FOR SENDING THEM TO HELL.” His rain comes upon the just and the unjust. In my natural state God had to hate me as I as a sinner by nature and practice, and yet He treated me with love and He won me. The greatest display of Sovereign Grace comes, when God’s people love their enemies (which is a command and God does what he commands – proof: he loved me when I was most definitely His enemy and hated and despised Him). Brethren, I might be wrong, but I feel like we might be on the verge of the Greatest Awakning the world has ever seen. Tonight on C-Span on the booktv, I saw a converted Jew preaching Jesus at San Diego State University, telling about a former Jihad terrorist in Iraq (?) who had been converted by a vision of Jesus and who gave him a bear hug. I think I have seen ever thing. this thing might well be upon us. I have been praying for millions of Moslems to be converted, and there was a Jew on television telling me about converted Moslems preaching Jesus to millions of Moslem. I remember that for Aug.8 & Dec.24, in His Evening Devotions Mr. Spurgeon who believed in particular redemption (limited atonement) recorded his petition for every soul on the face of the earth and for their conversion. It seems like this thing is beginning to happen. Today, I was reading B.H. Carroll stating that he believed in the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation, and that he also believed that this did not give one cause for passivity. He even specified that one must agonize to enter in, citing our Lord’s, “Strive to enter in.” That is the theological essence of the preaching of a great awakening; it retains the mystery that it is God who must make known to the individual His will in that person’s salvation. As Truett and others hae said, “Calvinism thrusts down upon the brow of man the reality (?) of personal responsibility.” Some of the most responsible people on earth, people who would hang in there until Hell freezes over, were the believers in predestination, the Pilgrims and Puritans who settled America. Even the Intellectual Historians whom I studied in graduate school made statements about this fact. Glory in excelsis Deo

I would concur heartily with Dr Foltz’ comment #34. and would add
what we presently label “preaching” is more what the New Testament likens to teaching God’s Word for edifying the saints for the work of ministry etc. Eph 4. When the Bible talks of “preaching” it usually has to do with “declaring the gospel message”, more like what we presently call evangelism. I find it sad we tend to confuse these things. but be that as it may “preaching” as used on this blog has to be the number one priority of the pastor for starters as it is how he feeds the flock and also protects them. To be pasoral is to preach the Word of God!

As to it being the number one priority of the Church as a body, what we are to be doing I prefer to think of what the New Testament spells out as a number of priorities.
We are all called to contend for the faith [ Sciptures teachings ] Jude 3. We are all told as we are going about our lives, to make disciples and teach them to obey! [ which requires accountability ] everything Jesus has commanded. And we are called thus to evangelise.
And there’s more.

What a great calling! A daunting and uplifting calling.

In Christ,
Gary

Gary Wearnes last blog post..Pastors and Christians wake up call – Dr Akin’s talk at BIT

Church History is a great help. It adds insight to discussions of problems of theology. We ought to really put our heads together(hopefully not heads stuffed with straw leaning together as T. S. Eliot mentioned) and seek to gain some understanding of what God is doing by his diverse and apparently and in some cases clearly contradictory statements. Consider how Ev. George Whitefield spoke of God saving the Devil’s castaways and how some criticized him for so saying and how he received a written message from two wayward women who had found hope in his statement. As to preaching this stuff, our Lord did. Surely the woman of Canaan could be considered as the one of the devil’s but Jesus took her upon her wonderful argument about dogs eating the crumbs. Also another woman of like situation, in Jn 4, living with a man who was not her husband, and it was for her sake as well as others in her village that Jesus must needs go through Samaria. Most people simply do not sunderstand that there are those who need jolting preaching as well as the most sweetly winsome kind, too. People tho’ they have in common their falling natures yet vary in what aspects of the Gospel to which they respond. We are not tied to patterns; we are tied to a Sovereign God who knows every individual, and who demands of us that we be flexible…after all He has given us teachings that will enable us to be so, if we take them rightly. Ideologically, we have the winning hand. Intellectually, we must win, if we follow the leadership of an omniscient God which the Triune God whom we worship is. Contrary to what most prachers today think, logic and reason, the mind and the intellect, are far more prominent in the Gopel and salvation than most people think. And this is true regardless of the influence of those people in our past who set the church off on an emotional bent by yelping too much about the heart.
God even had Paul use the word in Roms. 12:1 which could practically be translated and transliterated by the word logical, “Your logical service.” Repentance as it was taught in the days of the Great Awakenings was not simply a matter of turning around; it was then defined more closely according to the NT pattern of a change of mind based upon reflection, based upon thinking through the matter of God’s message and seeing our sins as He sees them and why we should be sent to Hell and why we must turn from them as a result of agreeing with Him after seeing them as He sees them. Faith is hard wired to repentance, and, while they are graces that we exercise, they are nevertheless gifts of God bestowed according as He chooses. Did any one note what I said in the post above about te Jewish fellow preaching Christ on C-Span at San Diego State Univ., telling about getting a bear hug from a converted terrorist. Will you folks lift up your heads and start lookin for signs that the Great Awakening might be coming like a flood or a summer thunderstorm in Arkansas. You hear sounds of thunder, see lightening flashes, smell the rain coming, and could it be that the Lord might give us some hints that such might be about to happen????

Dr. James Willinghams last blog post..The Climax of the Reformation