Posted on 01/31/2021 7:19:15 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“Speak unto us smooth things . . .” (Isaiah 30:10).
The faithful preacher of the Gospel is never universally popular. While some will love him for his faithfulness, great numbers will hate him for his unwillingness to compromise.
In the days of Isaiah, the Lord pronounced judgment because the people refused the warnings of doom, for they wanted the prophets to bring messages which would not condemn their sins, saying, “Speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”
People often believe that a good sermon should make everyone feel comfortable and at ease.
On the contrary, a really good Bible sermon disturbs, irritates, awakens and causes dissatisfaction and unrest. Before anyone can find comfort in Christ, he must first be made to feel his failures and shortcomings.
There are three steps in the process of conviction: first, the sinner becomes mad; then he becomes sad; and finally, he becomes glad when he confesses his sin and turns to Christ.
What kind of a sermon did your preacher give you last Sunday? Was it one that made you feel satisfied with yourself? If it did, you had better hear someone else next Sunday. But if the sermon awakened in you a consciousness of your unworthiness, then thank God for him.
A man described under three headings a certain sermon he had heard: it was a moving, soothing and satisfying message. It was very moving, for half the audience left before it was half over. It was very soothing, because most of those who remained fell fast asleep. And it was highly satisfying, since everyone declared they had had enough of that kind of preaching.
The word of God is a sword (Hebrews 4:12); a knife (Acts 5:33); a fire (Jeremiah 23:29); a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29); and a lamp (Psalm 119:105). The word of God is a two-edged sword. It wounds to heal; it kills to make alive.
- M. R. DeHaan
Actually I sat this Sunday out bad heart and the freezing cold do not go together anyway what I recommend is Fr. Josiah Trenham he is the best of the best and you could listen to him via Apple through the Podcasts.
Out went the fire and brimestone, in came the neo pagan decadence. When did tolerating evil become a virtue? Most sermons will essentially advocate tolerance of the evil around you. When preachers cease to be counter cultural, especially in this era, they are worse than useless.
I think that many pastors are more concerned about their pension plan here on earth than their eternal rewards for faithfully preaching the word in season and out of season. In the sense that quite a number of churches are run by a deacon board, rather than a “thus saith the Lord”, it is to be expected that the preacher would be expected to tow the line and not offend the givers.
Given the leftward drift of the leaders in the religious community, my church is my home. My benevolence is who I mail checks to.
Same Catholic homily template: ‘The Gospel message today is “To be happy, be nice to everyone” and/or “Be thankful for nature’s beauty God gave us.”’
Missing:
‘You individually are a sinner, so be thankful for the sacrifice of pain and suffering Christ endured for you as an individual. Repent and accept Him and what He did, which we will re-create fully here, or else face eternal separation from God.’
Help me out - did I miss anything here or state this wrong?
I would suggest that sometimes “repent” gets a wrong connotation. Some say that it is to “turn away from your sins,” but this would suggest a works-based salvation. I would understand repentance as a change of mind which says that we are done with trying to lean on our own righteousness to get to heaven but are trusting in Christ’s righteousness and death, burial and resurrection for eternal salvation.
It is the purpose of the sermon in the hearing of the lost that they are to understand that they are lost and bound for hell. Unless they understand that they are sick and in need of the Great Physician, they will see no need to be saved. Salvation is not some kind of business deal, or contract where A does this and B does that. No, A does it all, all to Him we owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!”
We listened to The Lutheran Hour message from Mark. Outstanding, as usual for decades. Then we listened to Dutch Sheets, Give Him 15...another excellent daily message/video from him and great daily decree!!
This evening we have our home church. Small group we formed when churches were in lockdown in March, 2020. We are studying Spirit, Soul and Body from Andrew Womack. Powerful study, especially of our spirit within when we are born again.
All the above are just empowering and Jesus will lead us to serve with our individual gifts for the great harvest of souls that is beginning now!!!
Let the church arise!!!! Blessings abundant to all!
The news that Daytona 500 is only 2 weeks away.....
Its difficult to find a house of worship that abides in the uncompromised Word of God. So many place themselves on a higher position of membership in the Body today.
Revelation 2:5-7
King James Version
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
1st Peter 4:7
‘The end of all things is near’
Powerful sermon in a small Baptist Church
Due to the liberal direction the pulpit is being taken, instead of filling the House, it has led to the emptying of the House.
Its this garbage called “secret sensitive” which is a key phrase to speak that from the public that effects the conscience of the sinner.
The issue, it would appear, in many if not most of our churches is that the preacher (through education and study of commentaries) has made himself the authority over the word of God rather than allow the word of God to be the Final Authority over him and his message. These guys are known as Bible correctors and all it does in the end is to cause the people in the pews to lose confidence in the Bible.
It is a sad reality that most of the commentaries that are written are done so by men that were not even saved and even reject the inspiration of the scriptures, claiming knowledge of the originals which they or no one else over the past centuries have ever seen.
The preacher that simply trusts God and His ability to preserve His word unto all generations; that God which has elevated His word even above His name: that rears back and proclaims God’s truth is sorely lacking in our current generation.
>>>“secret sensitive”<<<
Now that’s a new term for me. Never heard it before.
>>>‘The end of all things is near’<<<
And this helps us to understand why Paul warned us of churches being filled with people with itching ears. Even so, come Lord Jesus!
None. Governor closed the church in March 2020.
Heres a link I just found:
(Excerpt)
Have you ever heard of the modernly popular Seeker-Sensitive Movement? Today’s watered-down professing Christian ensemble follows so many different paths, believing that there are “many different ways” to reach Heaven, which is a “different gospel” (Galatians 1:8). Now, you will see me say the words “professing Christians” a lot, because that is exactly what I mean. A person simply “saying” he is of Christ does not necessarily make it so. There are many deceitful movements the Devil has used to actually convince the supposed Christian groups to merge WITH the world, when ironically it is the Church that should be always separate from and preach TO the world - that the Holy Spirit may convict them of their sins and turn TOWARD Jesus. One of these such deceitful movements is the seeker sensitive movement.
https://www.worshipinspiritandtruth.net/seeker-sensitive-movement-gospel.html
It’s good that so many good churches have put their sermons online. One church that has some tremendous messages is Blessed Hope Baptist Church out of Minnesota. Kyle Stephens is their preacher.
http://blessedhopebaptistchurch.org/
Thanks . . .
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