It was at a Lectureship that I had attended. The final, main speaker of the evening was an older gentleman. He spoke softly but I heard his message. It was insightful and confronted us with God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Afterward, listening to the younger adults speak about the events of the day, the majority attacked this older gentleman with words like, boring, uninteresting, monotone and mundane. The talk turned to the enthusiastic and those who had some great emotion in the pulpit. It struck me how people had missed something of great value.
The gospel is voice of God spoken to the lost like me! The gospel is where people find freedom and help. The gospel is about the Person not another person or friend. The gospel is the truth that sets people free! Too many are getting caught up in a preacher, a teacher, a movement and the enthusiasm people give off. The power of God and the fullness of God is placed in Jesus (Col. 1:19). The gospel of Jesus Christ is about God coming to us sinful and vile people redeeming us from the power of sin and death.
That leads us to this: Is it the gospel that "fires us up" or the enthusiastic preacher? Is it the Person of Jesus Christ that motivates us or some exciting program or teaching? Is the podium the stage that motivates us or the stage of the resurrected Christ? Will our lives end with a world of barren, enthusiastic facts and no life with God?
3 comments:
I'm not an expert on Bible history but it has always been my understanding that Paul wasn't a capitvating speaker (Eutychus's situation comes to mind). I wonder if the Lord picked him because of this?
Great thought. And yes, I do believe it was Paul's lack of speaking ability (II Cor. 11:5-6) because it's never about the messenger but the message!
Indeed, as I have studied, been distressed, and persevered, I too have noticed a great number of people are more inclined to attend a lecture given by a talented speaker, popular for his or her entertaining, appealing approach, and less inclined to make sure their mind and heart is being AFFECTED by truth. This problem, that is in every nation, society, or community, is also discussed in the same Bible from which these talented and popular speakers prepare their lectures. Consider the following: Romans 1:22-25, Romans 16:17-18, 1 Timothy 3:14 - 1 Timothy 4:1-3. How do these talented, popular speakers miss the scriptures provided? The same way their listeners miss the scriptures provided.... They fail to investigate, so they fail to distinguish between truth and a lie. Furthermore, we must ask, "Is having a true knowledge of God important?" Yes! Paul stressed this in Colissians 2:1-3, and Peter also stressed the importance of haveing a TRUE KNOWLEDGE in his apistle, 1 Peter 1. "So, without true knowledge, does a person truly have knowledge of God?" In your ambition to answer that, or lack of ambition, consider Isaiah 5:13.
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