The Importance of Preaching<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing we do is more important than hearing the gospel\npreached. It is impossible for us to have faith in Christ without hearing\nthe Word preached. \u201cfaith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God\u201d\n(Rom. 10:17) It is impossible for us to be saved without hearing the gospel\npreached. \u201cit pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that\nbelieve\u201d (I Cor. 1:21) God does not save His people by emotional pleas,\npsychology, intelligent arguments, or by the form, ceremonies, and motions of\nreligion. God only saves His people by the preaching of the Word alone \u2013\nby the bare preaching of Christ. God also only feeds, instructs, and\ncauses His people to grow by the same preaching. May the Lord enable us\nto faithfully make much of the preaching of Christ! \n \n \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n
~Frank Tate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gospel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gospel is not a plan to be followed, or a program to be\npracticed. It is not a precept or a principle to be understood. The\ngospel is a person. The second person of the triune Godhead, who bore the sins\nof God\u2019s elect and by the sacrifice of Himself put them away once and for all.\nHe was raised from the dead, ascended into glory, and is right now seated at\nthe right hand of the majesty on high. He is the sovereign Savior of sinners.\nHe is the Substitute and Surety for His people. His name is Jesus, for He has\nsaved His people from their sins. He is Faithful and True to all His promise.\nWhat \u201cgood news\u201d (gospel) it is for the soul of a sinner to know they have an\nadvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One. He himself is the sum\nand substance of the gospel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greg Elmquist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sure test of whether the gospel you believe is the true\nGospel can be answered by one simple question. Does God get all the glory or\ndoes the saved sinner share in it? The Gospel of God always glorifies Him\nand Him alone! The Gospel of God always glorifies God\u2019s wisdom, power,\nmercy, grace and love but most importantly it always glorifies His Son! \nThe preaching of a false gospel will always attribute something to man\u2019s will,\nwork, and way. But not God\u2019s Gospel! The Word of God is\nclear. \u201cThat no flesh should glory in His <\/em> (God\u2019s) presence\u201d\n(I Cor. 1:29). \u201cGod will not give His glory to another\u201d (Isaiah\n48:11). \u201cThat according as it is written he that glorieth, let him glory\nin the Lord\u201d (I Cor. 1:31). \n \n – David Eddmenson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\u201cBut to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly,\nhis faith is counted for righteousness\u201d (Romans 5:1). <\/em>If you\nare working, you are not believing, and if you are believing, you are not\nworking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n TAKE HEED HOW YOU HEAR<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nLet me give you some simple directions for hearing the Word preached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Hear with A HUNGRY, NEEDY HEART! If a person goes to\nthe drug store seeking relief, he should have some idea of his problem. \nDoes his head hurt or his feet? We hear the Word as men with a heart\nproblem \u2013 sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Hear THE WORD OF GOD, not just the words of men! \u201cWhen\nyou received the Word of God which you heard from us, you received it not as\nthe word of men, but as it is in the Truth the Word of God which worketh effectually\nalso in you that believe\u201d (II Thess. 2:13). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Hear THE WORD FOR YOURSELF, not others! When Nathan told\nDavid the story of the stolen lamb, David was angry and said \u201cWho is\nthat man, I will deal with him.\u201d <\/em>Nathan replied, \u201cDavid,\nThou art the man.\u201d <\/em>The Word takes on a different sense when this\nis realized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Hear the Word IN FAITH! What did God say of\nIsrael? \u201cThey heard the Gospel preached, but it did not profit\nthem, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it\u201d (Hebrews\n4:2). \n\u2013 Henry Mahan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n GOD’S WORD<\/strong> “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made\nme free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n We by nature and practice are slaves to sin and Satan. We are the\nsport of the prince of the power of the air, who takes us captive at his will.\nWe are held down also by many hurtful lusts; or, if free from gross sin, are\nslaves to pride, covetousness, or self-righteousness. Perhaps some idol is set\nup in the chambers of imagery which defiles all the inner man; or some snare of\nSatan entangles our feet, and we are slaves, without power to liberate\nourselves from this cruel slavery. We groan under it, as the children of Israel\nunder their burdens, but, like them, cannot deliver ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But sooner or later the truth comes to our aid; the truth as it is\nin Jesus flies to the rescue of God’s oppressed family; the blessed Spirit\nopens it up and seals it upon the heart with a divine power. As, then, under\nhis gracious influences they believe the truth, and feel its power and savor in\ntheir heart, a liberating influence is communicated; their fetters and shackles\nare loosened; the bondage of sin and Satan, and the power and strength of evil\nare sensibly broken, and a measure of holy freedom is enjoyed. There is no\nother way of getting from under the bondage of the law but by the application\nof the gospel, and by believing what the gospel reveals. As the truth, then,\ncomes to the heart as the very word of the living God, power comes with it to\nbelieve; faith is raised up to credit the testimony; and as faith begins to\ncredit the truth of God and receive it in hope and love, there is a sensible\nloosening of the bonds; and then the chains and fetters drop off of themselves.\nIt is with the soul as it was with Peter in prison–when the angel came, and a\nlight shined in the prison, and the angel’s words fell upon his ears, “the\nchains fell from off his hands.” There remained nothing then to bar his\nexit; for “the iron gate that leads unto the city opened to them of its\nown accord.” So whatever chains or fetters may hold the soul, let the\nangel of mercy come; let the message of salvation be revealed, the chains of\nunbelief drop off, the iron gate of hardness gives way, and the truth makes the\nsoul blessedly free (John 8:32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sovereign, supreme disposal<\/strong> has not supreme control. Everything in providence<\/em> As possessed of infinite knowledge <\/em>He sees them; <\/p>\n\n\n\n as possessed of infinite wisdom <\/em>He can manage\nthem; and A peculiar, indescribable, invincible power<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (J.C. Philpot<\/a>, “The Word of Men and the Word of God<\/a>“)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our gospel came not unto you in word only<\/em>, but\nalso . . . “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from\ntheir destructions.” Psalm 107:20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n What an effect a word from God can produce! Be it in reading; in\nhearing; on the knees; or in secret meditation; when a word drops from the\nLord’s mouth with any divine power into the soul, what a change it produces!\nAnd nothing but this divine power can ever bring a poor sinner out of his\nmiserable condition. When this comes, it does the work in a moment; it heals\nall the wounds which sin has made, and repairs all the breaches in the\nconscience that folly has produced. One word from God heals them all. The Lord\ndoes not come as it were with plasters to heal first one sore and then another.\nHe heals now as in the days of his flesh. When he healed then, he healed fully,\nat once, completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The earthly doctor heals by degrees; he puts a plaster on one\nsore, and a liniment on another; and heals one by one. But when the Lord heals,\nit is all done in a moment. The balm of Gilead flows over all the wounds, heals\nthem up, and makes them perfectly whole. It is then with the soul as with the\nwoman with the issue of blood; “she felt in her body she was healed of\nthat plague.” And this is healing! Any word from God, really from God,\ndoes it in a moment. If you can get but one word from God into your soul to\nmake you believe you are a child of God, and savingly interested in his\npardoning love and mercy, every wound, though there be a million, yes, every\nwound will be healed instantaneously. This is the only healing worth having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be healed by ‘evidences’ is like being healed by plasters. You\nneed an evidence here, and an evidence there, as a man that has his body full\nof sores needs a plaster upon every wound. One word from God is the real\npanacea, the true, the only “heal-all;” and Jesus (Jehovah-rophi,\n“the Lord my healer”) the only true infallible Physician. Would you\nbe healed completely, you must look to the Lord, and not to man; be a Hezekiah,\nnot an Asa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Importance of Preaching Nothing we do is more important than hearing the gospel preached. It is impossible for us to have faith in Christ without hearing the Word preached. \u201cfaith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God\u201d (Rom. 10:17) It is impossible for us to be saved without hearing the gospel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6200"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6201,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6200\/revisions\/6201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>(The following is by Spurgeon)
\n
\n“He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth:
\n His word runneth very swiftly” (Psalm 147:15).
\n
\nNo language ever stirs the deeps of my nature like the Word of
\nGod, and none produces such a profound calm within my spirit.
\n
\nAs no other voice can,
\n it melts me to tears,
\n it humbles me in the dust,
\n it fires me with enthusiasm,
\n it fills me with pleasure,
\n it elevates me to holiness.
\n
\nEvery faculty of my being owns the power of the sacred Word.
\n
\nIt sweetens my memory,
\n it brightens my hope,
\n it stimulates my imagination,
\n it directs my judgment,
\n it commands my will, and
\n it cheers my heart.
\n
\nThe word of man charms me for the time,
\n but I outlive and outgrow its power.
\n
\nIt is altogether the reverse with the Word of the King of kings;
\nit rules me more sovereignly, more practically, more habitually,
\nmore completely every day. Its power is for all seasons–for
\nsickness and for health, for solitude and for company, for
\npersonal emergencies and for public assemblies.
\n
\nI had sooner have the Word of God at my back than all the
\narmies and navies of all the great powers, aye, than all the
\nforces of nature; for the Word of the Lord is the source of
\nall the power in the universe, and within it there is an infinite
\nsupply in reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n(J. C. Philpot<\/a>, “Daily\nPortions”)
\n
\n“And (God) hath put all things under His feet and
\n gave Him to be head over all things to the church,”
\n Ephesians 1:22
\n
\nHow vast, how numerous, how complicated are
\nthe various events and circumstances which attend
\nthe Christian here below, as he travels onward to
\nhis heavenly home!
\n
\nBut if all things are put under Jesus’ feet, there
\ncannot be a single circumstance over which He <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nand everything in grace <\/em>are alike subject to His
\ndisposal. There is not . . .
\n a trial,
\n a temptation,
\n an affliction of body or soul,
\n a loss,
\n a cross,
\n a painful bereavement,
\n a vexation,
\n a grief,
\n a disappointment,
\n a case, state or condition,
\nwhich is not put under Jesus’ feet.
\n
\nHe has sovereign, supreme disposal<\/strong> over
\nall events and circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nas possessed of infinite power <\/em>He can dispose
\nand direct them for our good and His own glory.
\n
\nHow much trouble and anxiety would we save
\nourselves, could we firmly believe, realise, and
\nact on this!
\n
\nIf we could see by the eye of faith<\/em> that . . .
\n every f<\/strong>oe and every fear,
\n every difficulty and perplexity,
\n every trying or painful circumstance,
\n every looked for or unlooked for event,
\n every source of care, whether at present or
\nin prospect\u2014are all at His sovereign disposal,
\nwhat a load of anxiety and care would be
\noften taken off our shoulders!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n in power<\/em>,
\n in the Holy Spirit<\/em> and
\n in much assurance<\/em>.”
\n1 Thessalonians 1:5
\n
\nThe gospel comes to some in word only<\/em>. They hear the word of the\ngospel, the sound of truth; but it reaches the outward ear only\u2014or if it\ntouches the inward feelings, it is merely as the word of men<\/em>.
\n
\nBut where the Holy Spirit begins and carries on His divine and saving work, He\nattends the word with a\npeculiar, an indescribable, and yet an invincible power.<\/strong>
\n
\nIt falls as from God upon the heart<\/em>. He is heard to speak in it\u2014and\nin it His glorious Majesty appears to . . .
\n open the eyes,
\n unstop the ears, and
\n convey a message from His own mouth to the soul.
\n
\nSome hear the gospel as the mere word of men<\/em>, perhaps for years before\nGod speaks in it with a divine power to their conscience. They thought\nthey understood<\/em>the gospel; they thought they felt<\/em>it;\nthey thought they loved<\/em>it. But all this time they did\nnot see any vital distinction between receiving it as the mere word of men<\/em>,\nand as the word of God<\/em>.
\n
\nThe levity, the superficiality, the emptiness stamped upon all who merely\nreceive the gospel as the word of men<\/em>\u2014is sufficient evidence\nthat it never sank deep into the heart, and never took any powerful\ngrasp upon their soul.<\/em>
\n
\nIt therefore . . .
\n never brought with it any real separation from the world;
\n never gave strength to mortify the least sin;
\n never communicated power to escape the least snare of Satan;
\n was never attended with a spirit of grace and prayer;
\n never brought honesty, sincerity, and uprightness into the heart before\nGod;
\n never bestowed any spirituality of mind, or any loving affection toward\nthe Lord of life and glory.
\nIt was merely the reception of truth in the same way as we receive scientific\nprinciples, or learn a language, a business, or a trade. It was all<\/em>.\n. .
\n shallow,
\n superficial,
\n deceptive,
\n hypocritical.
\n
\nBut in some unexpected moment<\/em>, when little looking for it, the word of\nGod was brought into their conscience with a power<\/em>never\nexperienced before. A light shone in and through it which they never saw before\n. . .
\n a majesty,
\n a glory,
\n an authority,
\n an evidence
\naccompanied it which they never knew before. And under this light, life, and\npower\u2014they fell down with the word of God sent home to their heart!
\n
\nWhen then Christ speaks the gospel to the heart;
\nwhen He reveals Himself to the soul;
\nwhen His word, dropping as the rain and distilling as the dew, is received in\nfaith and love
\nHe is embraced as the chief among ten thousand and the altogether lovely one,\nHe takes His seat upon the affections and becomes enthroned in the heart as its\nLord and God.
\n
\nIs there life in your<\/em>bosom?
\n
\nHas God’s power attended the work?
\n
\nIs the grace of God really in your heart?
\n
\nHas God spoken to your soul?
\n
\nHave you heard His voice, felt its power, and fallen under its influence?
\n
\n“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of\nGod, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men<\/em>,\nbut as it actually is, the word of God<\/em>, which is effectually\nat work in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13<\/p>\n\n\n\n