“It’s Just The Truth…”

Many people mistake my advocacy of sound & sober preaching for the advocacy of passionless and somber teaching.

On the contrary, I believe in passionate preaching – primarily when the preacher is passionately pointing to Christ as the ONLY hope of salvation and AWAY from his own talent and charisma.

One of the most passionate and unyielding defenders of the faith on the mission field today is Paul Washer (you can follow him on Twitter as well). I wrote about Washer’s uncompromised message last spring, and a recent exchange in the comment threads of another post inspired me to post this video of Washer (found at Grace Community Church’s YouTube page):

I know that many of you will comment on how much you disagree with Washer on many things – primarily his Southern Baptist background – and accuse him of being a legalist and much more, but you cannot ignore the merit of his passionate plea for truth and honesty in the pulpit in evangelizing the Gospel.

As sad as it seems, many who are deceived are no longer victims of their deceivers – if they remain under teaching that is in direct opposition to the Gospel then they are aiding and abetting in the apostasy. The lust of the flesh and the desire for the material riches that the vipers have attributed to “gawd” is what keeps many tethered to false churches across the globe. As the Apostle Paul succinctly warned his young protege’ (and Washer repeats in the video):

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (New American Standard Bible)

 ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

 ⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

False teachers feed, nourish, and grow on the lust of their followers. The sheep have essentially created “teachers” based on their selfish desires, attracting wolves to feast on their flesh like a thrashing victim attracts sharks in the ocean.

The only way to combat false teaching is to continue to present the truth of God DIRECTLY from His Word. The more we combat lies with THE TRUTH, the chasm between God and His enemies becomes even more evident.

Related Posts:

• Apostasy Vs. Heresy…What Does It All Mean?
• “…wandering from the fold of God”
• Minstrels In The Pulpit
• Do You REALLY Believe What You Said?
• Why Do You Stay?

Preaching With Passion

 

I don’t think ministers are to be blamed for raising the affections of their hearers too high, if that which they are affected with be only that which is worthy of affection, and their affections are not raised beyond a proportion to their importance, or worthiness of affection. I should think myself in the way of my duty to raise the affections of my hearers as high as possibly I can, provided that they are affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature of what they are affected with.

- Theologian & Preacher Jonathan Edwards’ “The Great Awakening”

It is completely admirable to bring passion into the pulpit – passion to know and evangelize the message of Christ, His Cross, and His mandate for our lives. When preachers stir the hearts of the sheep for God’s glory – and not their own – then it is a very good thing (as Martha Stewart would say).

Oh that more preachers would “raise the affection of their hearers” so high that they are continually chasing Christ.