8/12/2019 1997 Issue 1 - The Preaching This Generation Needs to Hear - Counsel of Chalcedon

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When we look

at

the world

around us and the present

generation now growing up, we

must ask ourselves what kind of

preaching does this generation,

my generation, need to hear?

What exactly does this modem

world need to hear? Do we need

to preach and witness

a

more

"relevant" gospel to ears

accustomed to the seductive

language of this age?

Do

we need

to make our presentation

"slick"

for people who are used to

. television, movies and magazines

that entice and pamper their

egos? No. What my generation

and the world needs is

what God says it needs:

His pure gospel, no frills,

just

the truth of His

inspired, complete Word.

The next question we

need to ask ourselves is,

what does God actually

prescribe pastors to

preach that will strengthen

and unify His children

who are striving to live for Christ?

When

we look

in

the Bible at

what Jesus preached, we find the

perfect answer.

What

did Jesus

Christ preach and teach that took

Him thirty-three years to

complete? Though Jesus preached

on

a number of things throughout

His ministry on earth,

unquestionably we can say that

one of His major themes was the

love of Christ towards His

children.

nJohn

15:9-16,jesus

says:

'Just as the Father

has

loved Me,

r

have loved you;

abide in My love.

f

you keep My commandments, you

will abide in

My

love;

just

as have

kept

My Father's commandments,

and abide in His love.

These things

have spoken

to you,

that My joy

may be in you, and that your

jay

may be

made fulL This is my

commandment, that you

love

one

another, just

as have

loved

you.

Greater love has no one than this,

that

one lay down his life for

his

friends. You are my friends ifyou do

what

I command you.

No

longer

do

I

call

you

slaves,

for

the slave

does

not

know

what

his

master

is doing;

but

have called you friends, for

all

things

that

have

heard from

My

Father

have made known to you.

You did

not

choose

Me, but

chose

you that you should go and bear .

much

fntit,

and that

your fruit

should remain, that whatever you

ask

of the

Father in

My

name,

He

may

give to you.

And in the familiar passage in

John

chap ter

3

Jesus tells

Nicodemus:

For

God

so

loved the world,

that

He

gave His only begotten

Son,

that

whoever

believes in Him

should not

perish, but

have

etemallife

..

For

everyone who

does

evil hates the

light, and does not

come

to

the light,

lest his deeds should be exposed. But

he who practices

the

truth

comes

to

the light,

that his deeds may be

manifested

as

having

been

wrought

in

God.

Later on in the same chapter

John

the Baptiser explains his

mission and calling as Christ's

minister to his disciples: John

answered and said, A man can

receive nothing, unless it has been

given him from heaven...

For

He

whom God has sent speaks the

words of God: for He

gives

the Spirit

.without measure. The Father loves

the Son, and

has

given all things into

His

hand.

He

who

believes in the

Son

has etemallife;

but

he who

does not

obey the Son shall

not

see life, but

the

wrath of

God

abides

on

him

n

other words, John is preaching

what Jesus, through His Spirit,

has given

him

to preach and Jesus

is preaching and passing on to

John and His disciples, the very

words and message of God

Himself.

What an

awesome thing to

be

loved by God How does God

show this love for us?

Obviously God's love for

His children is shown

through His grace and

mercy. But why "grace"

and ''mercy''? By

definition of these two

terms, ("grace" or getting

what you don't deserve

and

not

getting what you

do deserve, and "mercy"

or forgiveness of sins rather than

requiring punishment that is

deserve), God's love is shown to

people who don't deserved His

love

but

rather deserve His wrath

and condemnation.

As we examine what Jesus

preached and taught, we find the

answer to the question, "What do

Christians and non-Christians

alike need to hear preached every

Sunday?" Jesus' love which is

exhibited in His grace and mercy

is

not

poured

out

on

deserving,

flawless creatures, is

it?

It is plain

to

see throughout all of God's

Word that only hell-deserving,

evil men and women receive

Jesus' saving love. A preacher of

this age, who considers self

esteem, self-righteousness and

pride as prize-worthy

January 997 t TH COUNSEL of Chalcedon t 2

8/12/2019 1997 Issue 1 - The Preaching This Generation Needs to Hear - Counsel of Chalcedon

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characteristics, must ask what is truth)

trying to learn

what

is

for His children. Amazing grace

the most necessary and biblical

pleasing

to

the

Lord ..Making

the

how sweet the sound, that saved

message to proclaim. Without a most of your time, because the days wretch like me Jesus teaches us

dOMbt,

. t h ~ D

that message must

are

evil. So then

do not be foolish,

of God's mercy in Luke 6:35, 36

I:

be, the greatness .of God's love

but understand what the will of the when He says: But

love

your

emphasized against the backdrop Lord

is.

-Ephesians 5:1-10,

enemies,

and do

good

and

lend,

of man's awful sin

and

depravity: 16,17. expecting nothing in return;

and

,":

"

,

For

God so

loved the

world ... This

your reward will be great and you

Ii

N dw some would say that this

verse says more ab.out the' quality

kind of preaching is judgmental, will be

sons

of

the

Most High;

for

He

of God's great love because it is

unkind

and

discouraging

and

Himself

is kind to

ungrateful

and

:""i

poured out on hell-deserving

should rarely be preached or else

evil

men. Be

mercifUl just as your

]

sinners than about the number of

the preaching will become tb

Father

is

mercifUl.

Once preacher

people who receive it. How can

negative and will dwell on sin,

and

congregations of this age

,

we begin to appreciate our great overcome their sinful pride and

I

death

and

hell. They think this

I

salvation unless we understand .

kind of preaching will dishearten

openly admit bef.oreGod, every

,

what greatsinners we are? And

Christians

and

drive the non-

Sunday, their sinful condition,

because we are such great sinners,

Christian away. This kind of

then

and

only then will God

we forget and need to be

response to biblical preaching of

spark revival because only then

constantly reminded of this fact

the kind practiced by Jesus

will Christians begin to

S0 that we will live in obedience

Himself as shown in the

understand the unfathomable

and never become self-lovers and

Scriptures, only proves that

love our Lord has for us.

arrogant in

our

estimation of our

person to have a shallow touchy'

So

then, when we research

ability to continue to follow

feely" relationship with God and a

God's W.ord, we are reassured

Christ.

shallow understanding of that it is God Who saves sinners

I

Therefore,

be

imitators

of God,

SCriptures; this kind of

and ignites love for Christ in cold

as

beloved children; and walk

in

relationship will eventually hearts, not we ourselves.

In this

i

l

love;

just

as Christ

cilso

loved you,

deteriot:ate and prove itself never '

love,

11 t that we loved God, but that

and gave Himself up for us,

qn

to have been

a

,aving one

at

all. He loved

us

and

sent

His

Son

to be

offering and a c r i f i c e to God as a

On the contrary, we can never be

the

propitiation for our

sins.

- 1

fragrant

aroma,

But

do

not let

told

too, stJ'Qngly or

too

many John

4:10. No where in Scripture

immortillity

or

any impurity oj'

times of our terrible condition does God call preachers to preach

greed even

be

named'among

you,

as

outside of Christ

and our

constant the warm, fuzzy feelings

is proper among saints;

and there'

need for His saving, s u ~ t a i n i n g

. Christians get when they read an

must be no filthiness and silly talk,

grace. inspiring verse. And why should

or coarse jesting,

which

are not

When preachers faithfully

preacher preach on such a thing?

I

fitting, but rather

giving

of thanks.

preach

on

the depravity of

man"

.

If a congregation is really

For this you know

with

certainty,

painting out

our

utter,

worshipping God in spirit and in

that no immoral

or

impure person or

helplessness to save ourselves

or

truth, that warm feeling will com

I

covetous man, who

is an idolater,

do ariything in and of ourselves to

when they are convicted of their

,

unworthiness before God

and

has an inheJitance in the kingdom of

please a holy' GOd, there is

no

'

ChJist and

God. Let no one deceive

better time in the world to tell of

assured that Jesus Christ's love fo

you with empty

words,

for

because

God's grace

and ):rlercy

in

them is totally undeserved, a gift

of

these things the

wrath of

God sovereign love towards hello' from God

and

run

to Him for

comes

upon

the sons

ofdisobedience.

deserving sinners.

Why

should an

salvation and assilrance of

Therefore,

do

not be partakers with awesome, holy Cod everdo

forgiveness for sin. Praise the

, them; for you ,were

formerly-

anything for us? Because we

Lord for His amazing grace to

darkness,

but

now

you are light in deserve it? No, we deserve hell for

such worms as we are n

the

Lord; walk as children of light

all eternity. For almighty God

(jor the fruit of the light consists in

. even to acknowledge our

I'

all. goodness

and

righteousness

and

existence shows His amazing love

\]

22

THE COUNSEL

of

Chalcedon January 997

Ii