A Study In Preaching (Part
3)--The Message
Our study in preaching concludes with the third of
three core components found in Acts 14:7-18: the message that fires
preaching. The message is equivalent to preaching’s bottom line in
its appeal to sinners. It’s the divine imperative imposed upon lost
men that ignites a corresponding flame of urgency in the preacher.
Paul summed it up in one four-letter word: “TURN” (14:15).
The Greek is epistrepho, a combination of epi
(‘upon’) and strepho (‘to turn’). The familiar phrase “Turn on a
dime!” captures the meaning. The act of turning in the gospel sense
is inevitably from something (‘vanities’) to someone (‘the living
God’). Vanities contrasts the emptiness derived from the false with
the fullness that the true God alone can supply. Implicit in living
as applied to God is the lifeless existence of those who embrace the
false. The lost person who turns to the Lord Jesus from whatever god
is occupying the throne of his or her heart has literally everything
to gain and nothing to lose!
The late great A. W. Tozer identified the two basic
gospel tenets—repent and believe—in terms of the SHIFT and the GIFT.
Preaching of apostolic caliber must give equal deference to both.
Recently I heard a prominent preacher remark that, as far as his
ministry was concerned, he was going to leave the preaching of
hellfire and brimstone to others. “There’s plenty of that kind of
stuff going on out there!” he said. “I’m going to spend my time
encouraging and loving people, emphasizing the positive and avoiding
the negative!”
Now, if the apostle Paul had been sitting in that
television studio, how do you suppose he would have reacted to that
mindset? I believe he would have called him on the proverbial carpet
and rebuked him for failure to preach the whole counsel of God! When
Paul admonished the Lycaonians to turn from their vanities, he was
clearly setting forth a SHIFT as coincident with the GIFT! Only God
knows how many folks feel as though they have been GIFTED with life
eternal although they have never really SHIFTED their allegiance to
the Lord Jesus!
Three comments are in order. First, observation
breeds reaction. One can sense the visceral urgency of Paul and
Barnabas as they saw themselves become the objects of worship and
intended recipients of sacrifice. Most of us have heard a story
about torrential rains that washed out a section of bridge and the
individual who, armed with that awareness, stood in the face of
traffic crying “Stop!” in an effort to deter them from plunging into
a watery grave. The “Turn!” message that fires preaching deals with
consequences far more catastrophic!
Remember Paul at Athens? The scripture says that his
spirit was “stirred” (stimulated, irritated, provoked) in him when
he saw the city wholly given to idolatry (Acts 17:16). It’s one
thing to master biblical facts and win theological arguments. It’s
quite another to witness first-hand the debilitating effects of sin
upon the human condition and resolve to do something about it! Are
you a preacher whose fire has diminished and whose sense of urgency
has waned? Why not suspend your administrative role for a season, get into the
neighborhood with a New Testament and some gospel tracts, and allow
yourself to be stirred afresh by the spiritual decadence that
surrounds you?
Secondly, preachers foment trouble with messages, not
miracles. Miracles are no threat to mountains. By the miracle, the
mountain was revealed. But by the message, the mountain was rebuked!
Typically, lost men are not offended by the miraculous. It is the
“Turn!” message that poses the real threat to whatever it is other
than Jesus that reigns in the heart!
The earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus clearly
demonstrated this truth. Thousands followed him relentlessly across
the land in awe of his disease- and death-defying power. But when he
assigned exclusivity to himself as the way, the truth and the life,
and proclaimed the impossibility of coming to the Father except
through him (John 14:6), the relentless relented. Desires to “Crown
Him!” gave way to demands to “Crucify Him!”
Thirdly, preaching messages with spiritual fire can
be fatal. Walking and preaching in Holy Ghost power did not preclude
a stoning by the malevolent Jews and complicit Mercury- and Jupiter-worshipping throngs. One of
the classic traits of scripture is that of full disclosure. The text
of Acts 14:7-18 bids the would-be preacher to consider the
possibility that shift-and-gift preaching, while having the
potential to endear him to many, can be infuriating to some. If
there is any consolation to be found in the stoning of Paul, it is
the distinct possibility that God just might not be finished with
his preacher even though men are! God resurrected Paul for that very
reason! And he's still in the business of resurrecting the
ministries of preachers who, for whatever reason, appeared to be
down for the count!
The relevant question for the twenty-first century
church is NOT “Do we have a message?” but rather “Does the message
have us?” Our study in preaching has demonstrated that the gospel
was a message that literally owned the apostle Paul. It was a
message that spawned miracles and exposed mountains. It’s the
message that should be a smoldering fire within each of us who
believe inasmuch as we are tasked to preach it to every creature!
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