Preaching or Popularity

1Corinthians 1:21 - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

We live in a day when preaching is less and less important. We are told by the post modern’s and EC’s we need to have conversations with the lost. We are also told by the user friendly’s that we need to befriend people and build relationships with the “un churched”. The church growth camp tells us that you need to go out to the lost and ask them what they want to hear and then give them what they want.

But I ask you, is this what the scriptures teach? Are we as the saints of God, called to a popularity contest, or are we called to preach the gospel that will cause people to hate us and our God? I believe the scripture are clear; we are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all. Preaching is God’s ordained way to save the lost (1 Cor. 1:21).

Since our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was on this earth preaching has been the top priority for the disciple to evangelize the lost. Jesus himself is found early in the book of Mark preaching the gospel: Mark 2:1-2 - 1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. We also see that it was a top priority with the apostles after the church was established in Acts 2: Acts 5:42 - And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. It was also a very important thing to the apostle that was born out of due time: Acts 20:9 - And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And throughout the ages in the true church there has always been a high priority given to the preaching of the word: The grand work of the minister, in which he is to lay out his strength of body and mind, is preaching. Weak and foolish as it may appear, this is the grand instrument which God has put into our hands, by which sinners are to be saved, and saints fitted for glory. R. M. McCheyne - 1840.

We must continue to proclaim the gospel that will bring not peace but a sword (Matt. 10:34). We must preach the gospel that will cause those that truly get born again to go outside the gate to bear our Savior’s reproach (Heb. 13:12-13). If we are obedient to do this, we will not be popular, but hated and despised by the world!

Bro. Pat