I'm not going to lie, when someone criticizes my preaching (especially the sermon topic), my flesh gets all riled up. So that particular morning, I chose not to engage the conversation. I simply said, "okay," and moved on.
You see, at Grace Pointe, we study through books of the Bible during our Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday night sermons. On Sunday mornings, we study Luke. On Sunday evenings, we study 1 John. On Wednesday evenings, we study Revelation. What I preach about is determined by the text that comes up next in the book we are studying. So, it should come as no surprise that an overwhelming majority of the sermons preached at Grace Pointe Missionary Baptist Church are centered around the Gospel, for the Gospel is the central message of the Bible. Furthermore, we need to be more committed to preaching the Word of God (the Gospel, as recorded and taught in scripture) because the general public has no concept of the Gospel and God's plan of salvation. (If you don't believe me, go out and knock 10 doors of complete strangers in your neighborhood, ask how to be saved, and record the answers.)
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul said, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
Typically, we use these verses to define the Gospel. That Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. The Gospel had already been foretold by the Old Testament scriptures, and those Old Testament scriptures are what Paul referred to when he preached the Gospel.
Acts 17:2-3 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.Not only did Paul preach the Gospel when he was evangelizing, it was his central message. 1 Corinthians 1:23 says "We preach Christ crucified."
While the Bible does address issues like being a good husband, father, or a wife and mother, or being a good child, or a good employer/employee, the overwhelming majority of the Bible conveys the message of the Gospel and how God uses the obedience of His people for His honor and glory. Furthermore, the Bible also conveys how God rewards those who are faithful. To abandon the message of the Gospel for a series of "how to be the best ______ you can be" sermons is to turn away from the message of God's word and relegate the Holy Scriptures to a bargain bin self help book like thousands of man-made philosophies lining the shelves of bookstores everywhere.
"But what about the meat of the Word, shouldn't we get beyond salvation to the meat?" You ask.
First of all, scripture does not get any deeper than Jesus Christ (Thank you Roger Copeland for pointing that out.) Secondly, a deeper study of the Bible will always lead to a deeper understanding of the Gospel. The book of Hebrews admonished Hebrew believers for being stuck on the milk of the word... not that they didn't know a lot of scripture, but that they didn't have a thorough understanding of God's grace to the point that they would leave their old religion of sacrifices and rituals behind. Perhaps the reason we have generations of baby Christians who never mature is that we (a) never move beyond the "Here's how to be saved, Admit, Believe and Confess" sermons, and (b) if we do, we preach on some obscure theological point that will not help a person walk with God. The deeper the believer understands the Gospel, the more mature the believer will be in his faith, the more meat the believer can handle, and the stronger that believer's faith will be.
Therefore, as long as God blesses me with a preaching ministry, I plan to continue to preach through books of the Bible, thus preaching the whole counsel of God, and also placing emphasis on what God placed emphasis in His word.
6 comments:
All Christian living goes back to the gospel. Keep up the good work Land.
I give this article an A. Not an A+. You know how critical I am. I'll give ya a 99% A with 1 point taken off because of my super-analytical STUPID HEAD brain and the way it works.
Hebrews does say a church should not have to be reminded consistently of the milk. It does further explain the milk that no longer needs to be taught.
(Hebrews 5:11) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
(Hebrews 5:12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
(Hebrews 5:13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
(Hebrews 5:14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(Hebrews 6:1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
(Hebrews 6:2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
(Hebrews 6:3) And this will we do, if God permit.
Notice Paul has already majored on the doctrine of Christ and His superiority to angels, to Moses, to the Promised Land of rest, to the High Priest and Melchizzy. Paul then says immediately after that he ought not be having to teach them these things again. They should be teaching meat rather than NEED to be taught milk.
It wasn't the teaching milk that was wrong, it was the fact that they NEEDED to be taught it. They should have been teaching meat to others. Notice the foundations they ought not NEED to have been taught. Repentance, Faith, Baptisms, Hands, Resurrection, Judgment. These things should have been deep within their hearts. They should have been teaching one another things, and deeper things.
Yet, even so, look what Paul did. He spent 4 or 5 chapters discussing Christ's superiority. Neat huh? The teaching wasn't wrong. It was the church's lack of moving forward in doctrine that was wrong. So that's my 2 cents. Great post.
BLeSS YoU, BrotheR iN CHRIST †
Paul in his letter to the church of Corinth wrote that he could only give them the milk because they were not ready for the meat. I believe many of us in Christ tend to think we are more mature than we are. We try and choke down meat that we can not handle when milk or even a combination is what we need. I will pray for you and your ministry. God Bless.
not only Crucified but Risen
I agree "His Family 4 ever", but I wonder when any of us will move beyond the milk. Surely it wasn't in God's design for all of us to remain in the milk only.
P.S.: This group seemed to be teaching the milk over and over again b/c they were teaching a loss of salvation (chapter 6). I would suppose they should have been beyond this and this is what Paul was referring to.
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