The Preacher and The Act of Preaching

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/veTfM)

A Preacher is the One Preaching The Word of God

Preaching is the act of discoursing the word of God. When a preacher starts to discourse about God’s word, it is then called preaching.  In history, preaching is most commonly known as “Homily”. Even nowadays, they were recognized as synonymous terms. However, homily is a noun while preaching is a verb. Actually, the direct synonymous term of homily is sermon and not the act of preaching.

A preacher is basically someone who preaches a sermons or someone who give homilies (Wikipedia).  Most often, he is the pastor of a Church, but not limited from being a pastor. There are some people though who still preaches yet not a pastor. There were times that laypersons, deacons, small group leaders, etc preaches. They are the customary substitute for the pastor in the ministry of preaching.

Some churches have “pulpit preachers”. These preachers are mostly pastors by profession, but they do not exactly pastor the church where they are preaching. They are plain preachers who shares the word of God.

In most common usage, Preachers and Pastors were interchangeably used. Most people call the Preachers as Pastors. This is probably due to its main function as a pastor of the church that is to preach the word of God. However for the Chinese, it was said that once you are a preacher, it does not necessarily mean that you are a pastor. Being a preacher is just a start to be a pastor for them until such time that they will be ready to properly handle the church.

Sermon as the Content of Preaching

Sermons are the content of preaching. It is the message being delivered through discoursing the Word of God. The sermons are most commonly known as the “Revelations” of God which was interpreted from the Bible.

A preacher preaches truths from the Bible. Nowadays, with millions of people interpreting God’s word, many of those were false teachers and does not really preach God’s word but from mere personal beliefs and opinions. Some even made their own book and uses it as a proof of their belief. But know that the genuine message of God comes only from the Bible.

There are several kinds of sermons to which I highly recommend that you read my posts on Preaching.

The Difference between the Preacher and Evangelist

Basically both preaches the word of God and both discourses passages from the Bible. The difference however is lies in the purpose where they usually preach. The preacher preaches mainly for the purpose of delivering the weekly sermons and regular services. They preach every Sunday, special events (ex. baptism, love month, Christmas, etc.), and special occasions (ex. Wedding, engagement, house blessings and the like).

On the other hand, Evangelists preaches on Revival Nights and Crusades. There are some Evangelists who are called “Street Evangelists”. You will usually see them corners of busy streets with megaphone and speakers, telling people to repent and accept our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some were authentic street preachers. But beware, for there is more hoaxes in street preaching than genuine preachers. You can test them by observing what they do after preaching. Most hoaxes ask and gather money after preaching, while most of those genuine will not ask even for a penny.

6 Useful Tools For the Preacher and His Preaching

Preach It!– Lecture series on How To Preach!!! I originally wrote this as an e-book with the intention to lecture it to our disciples. But I want to share it to a greater audience, and so I prefer to post it in series.

Sermon Illustrations – Collection of sermon illustrations that can be used effectively in preaching. Illustrations are very important in clarifying things during preaching. Sometimes, they are the one that is being remembered most of the time.

Bible Tools – There are free and paid Bible tools. But this link will lead you to the free ones. Believe me, they are almost equally useful than the paid ones.

Sermon Manuscripts – I already have a fair collection of sermon manuscripts that you can use as a beginner. But I do not, recommend that you exactly copy it. I strongly suggest that you develop it because it’s best to tell the people something that is coming from inside you and not from other’s work.

The Discipler’s Toolbar – Being highly customized for preachers, this very useful toolbar will give you updates on the latest posts about Christian living, devotions, sermon outlines, sermon illustrations etc. Not to mention the links for other useful tools online. So I wish that you will never miss this great toolbar.

How To Preach Effectively And Get People Listening To You – A short synopsis on how you can best preach.

The Prayer Meeting Is Dead! by Greg Gordon

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/l03BC)

The Prayer Meeting Is Dead!

by Greg Gordon

A call for renewed dependence upon apostolic prayer

APOSTOLIC PRAYING

As we look to the biblical account of the book of Acts we see the striking theme of prayer throughout its testimony. We see in it apostolic prayer that depends on God that is desperate before God. The Church was founded in prayer, it began at a prayer meeting in the upper room in Jerusalem. The Church began in prayer was sustained in prayer and continues in prayer to this day. If a people are not praying they are straying. If prayer is not paramount and prominent then we are paralyzed and powerlessness. “We live move and have our being in God”, in communion and prayer with God. When we begin to see a drift from the success of the book of Acts in our modern day Church attempts we will also see a straying from this foundational principle of prayer.

There was prayer with unity, “these all continued with one accord.” There was praying with the Spirit, “they were all fined with the Holy Ghost.” There was praying with godly fear, “fear came upon every soul.” They prayed daily, “they continued daily with one accord.” They prayed with thanksgiving, “Praising God.” Their prayers were answered, “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” They prayed with authority, “but such as I have I give thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” They prayed in unison, “they lifted up their voice to God with one accord.” They prayed with expectation, “grant unto thy servants.” They prayed with belief, “and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul.” They prayed continually, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer.” They prayed desperately, “as they stoned Stephen, calling upon God.”

Oh to realize and understand that the Church of God is a praying Church. Prayer is everything, without it we fail. Leonard Ravenhill spoke to this situation in the modern day Church in these words: “The ugly fact is that altar fires are either out or burning very low. The prayer meeting is dead or dying. By our attitude to prayer we tell God that what was begun in the Spirit we can finish in the flesh.” Never has the most important work been left to so few. There needs to a reviving of some aspects of prayer in the Church in our day namely praying with urgency, prayer that is effectual and to pray persistently. All of such characterize the spirit of prayer found upon the apostolic believers in the book of Acts.

URGENT PRAYER

We are to pray with a sense urgency. God has reminded me of an quote from a book by Chuck Smith which says: "Today, we are living in desperate times. Yet, the Church is not desperate before God in prayer." If anyone looks at the state of the world and of our lives in the light of scripture and church history there definitely is something wrong. We are not living with a sense of urgency for the lost, for our life's to be radically devoted to God, and for God's kingdom to come to this earth. When our Lord Jesus prayed the words: "Thy Kingdom come." They were not words that were placid but rather they were a fervent desiring of this thing to actually happen and for the words just prayed to actually move that reality closer.

Prior to the welsh revival outbreak in 1904 God was moving and speaking to many hearts. One of those hearts was of Rev. Jenkins in Wales. Here is an account of this preacher: "The Rev. Joseph Jenkins had been deeply concerned about the lack of anointing in his own preaching, which compelled him to desperately seek a deeper life in Christ. Andrew Murray's book, 'With Christ in the School of Prayer' came into his possession and moved him greatly at this time. He became increasingly burdened by the indifference among the Christians around him and the apathy of the young people in his own church. He exhorted them earnestly to obey the Spirit." This preacher caught the urgency of the hour and condition of the church. This burden and urgency needs to have its outlet in prayer, praying earnestly for the moving of God's spirit.

This hunger to pray for God's working in our hearts and in the life's of others really needs to be practiced. Personally the Lord has given me these two prayers as my own heart's cry for this reality to happen: "Teach us to be praying men." and the prayer, "Kindle the altar of prayer again Lord." Oh for a praying church, urgent to see God move on behalf of man. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30). The apostles had a sense of urgency in their prayers. They experienced distresses, troubles, persecutions, yet they prayed with urgency to God. They prayed believing it was the last hour and the night was fast coming upon them. Do you sense the urgency of the hour?

EFFECTUAL PRAYER

We are to pray believing that it is effectual. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Does that smart? are you seeing answers to prayer? or are you not "diligently" seeking Him? Jesus gives the edict out to his disciples, seek, knock, ask and ye shall! Not you might, but "ye shall." What comfort that gives us that we serve a God that if we call out to Him; He will hear and answer. God is waiting for His church to call upon Him with faith, believing that He will answer and effectual work on behalf of the prayers of the church. God has not left the church to work on its own but rather that we are to depend wholly on Him and that dependence is to be through the agent of prayer in the life of the church.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." In simple vernacular it was said that Elijah was just like us in every aspect and if we pray we can have the same results as Elijah. Notice that the prayers of the righteous man availeth much, not the prayers of the backslidden Christian or the unbeliever. Praying "fervently" shows to God that the prayers and things prayed for matter to us and that we believe they can be answered. To show affection and emotion in prayer is somewhat required if we are looking to this text as our guide-map to effectual prayer. Ah for one hundred praying Elijah's again to shake a city and for God to be glorified. Are we just seeking for prayer that avails or “avails much”? Aren't we criminal brethren having such a small conception of what God can and wants to do in our generation. Oh Lord allow our praying to be effectual!

PERSISTENT PRAYER

We are to pray persistently. The radically sold out brother Singh in India declared many years ago to a sleepy church: "Some people become tired at the end of ten minutes or half an hour of prayer. What will they do when they have to spend Eternity in the presence of God? We must begin the habit here and become used to being with God." The Church of God was making persistent petitions to God on behalf of the Apostle Peter who was in jail. The Scriptures are recorded as saying: “but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” All-night prayer meeting to God for their beloved pastor! not relenting till God move and do the miraculous. Our prayer are not near to these, when is the last time you heard of a group of people covenanting to pray till they see God answer. Oh for persistent praying, for Holy Ghost men filled a holy stubborn persistence.

How much depends on this type of prayer and how lost it seems amongst us. Hear the saintly Samuel Brengle on this much needed type of prayer: “The great battles, the battles that decide our destiny and the destiny of generations yet unborn, are not fought on public platforms, but in the lonely hours of the night and in moments of agony. All great soul-winners have been men of much and mighty prayer, and all great revivals have been preceded and carried out by persevering, prevailing knee-work in the closet.” Oh dear reader will you answer this call to “work”? Yes prayer is work and only those that are willing to soil their knees will be in the apostolic category with God. Consider the tradition of the Apostle James praying till his knees were like camels with massive calluses and lumps. Oh he ruined his knees for God, he died to his ambitions to be the next sport athlete or marathon runner. He ran on his knees in prayer counting the cost.

THE SACRIFICE OF TIME

John Mott gave this challenge before a student convention: “The men that will change the colleges and seminaries here represented are the men that will spend the most time alone with God... It takes time for the fires to burn. It takes time for God to draw near and for us to know that He is there. It takes time to assimilate His truth. You ask me, How much time? I do not know. I know it means time enough to forget time.” Are we going to count this cost or are we so busy with the things of the world that we cannot afford the time for God. Leonard Ravenhill stated in his old age: “The one thing I know I can say is I gave God my time.” Hear the admonition from the scholarly Horatius Bonar: “Up, then, with speed, and work; Fling ease and self away- This is no time for thee to sleep- Up, watch, and work, and pray!”

"A young man in Bible school offered to help David Wilkerson years ago when he was ministering on the streets of New York City. Wilkerson asked him how much time he spent in prayer. The young student estimated about 20 minutes a day. Wilkerson told him, "Go back, young man. Go back for a month and pray two hours a day, every day for 30 days. When you've done that, come back. Come back, and I might consider turning you loose on the streets where there is murder, rape, violence and danger...If I sent you out now on 20 minutes a day, I'd be sending a soldier into battle without any weapons, and you would get killed." And Herein is where the reading stops and we "go forward on our knees." May God give each one that reads this a sense of the divine responsibility to pray aright and fully as which pleases God. Apostolic praying needs to be our possession in these terrible days.

Confessions Of A Proud Church by Greg Gordon

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/FwR2L)

Confessions Of A Proud Church

A confessional of the church age that “needs nothing”

THE GREATEST DANGER

Do we have a broken heart for the state for the Church? There are so many dangers in a Church age that is content, prosperous, fat, and “having need of nothing!” Christ’s last words to the Church was “repent” in the letters of Revelation because he said “I know thy works.” Christ knows your works nothing is hid from His eyes. Many Christians are living in utter sinful lifestyles that grieve the heart of God. Francis Frangipane said: "The greatest danger facing the Church today is exhaustion because God is resisting us as a proud Church." The scriptures say plainly: “God resists the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” If you do not humble yourselves now then there will be a “day” of humbling to come. We must relent and humble ourselves while it is still called “today.” The time is short. Leonard Ravenhill stated it is “either Pentecost or Holocaust.” These are our choices! We must either humble ourselves and allow God to revive His Church or continue in our proud self-confident Christianity and send the multitudes to hell.

14 “WE HAVE” CONFESSIONS...

Hear the heart searching words of Horatius Bonar as he openly confesses to the ministers of his day the short-comings of the Church of Jesus Christ and calls for a introspection of our hearts:

1. We have been unfaithful. The fear of man and the love of his applause have often made us afraid. We have been unfaithful to our own souls, to our flocks, and to our brethren; unfaithful in the pulpit, in visiting, in discipline, in the church.

2. We have been carnal and unspiritual. The tone of our life has been low and earthly. Associating too much and too intimately with the world, we have in a great measure become accustomed to its ways.

3. We have been selfish. We have shrunk from toil, difficulty and endurance, counting not only our lives dear unto us, but even our temporal ease and comfort. We have sought to please ourselves, instead of obeying Romans 15:2: "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification."

4. We have been slothful. We have been sparing of our toil. We have not endured hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Even when we have been instant in season, we have not been so out of season; neither have we sought to gather up the fragments of our time, that not a moment might be thrown idly or unprofitably away.

5. We have been cold. Even when diligent, how little warmth and glow! The whole soul is not poured into the duty, and hence it wears too often the repulsive air of routine and form. We do not speak and act like men in earnest.

6. We have been timid. Fear has often led us to smooth down or generalize truths which if broadly stated must have brought hatred and reproach upon us. We have thus often failed to declare to our people the whole counsel of God.

7. We have been wanting in solemnity. How deeply ought we to be abased at our levity, frivolity, flippancy, vain mirth, foolish talking and jesting, by which grievous injury has been done to souls, the progress of the saints retarded, and the world countenanced in its wretched vanities.

8. We have preached ourselves, not Christ. We have sought applause, courted honor, been avaricious of fame and jealous of our reputation. We have preached too often so as to exalt our-selves instead of magnifying Christ, so as to draw men's eyes to ourselves instead of fixing them on Him and His cross.

9. We have used words of man's wisdom. We have forgotten Paul's resolution to avoid the enticing words of man's wisdom, lest he should make the cross of Christ of none effect. Thus, by avoiding the offense of the cross and the foolishness of preaching we have had to labor in vain, and mourn over an unblest, unfruitful ministry.

10. We have not fully preached a free gospel. It is only a free gospel that can bring peace, and it is only a free gospel that can make men holy.

11. We have not duly studied and honored the Word of God. We have given a greater prominence to man's writings, man's opinions, man's systems in our studies than to the Word. We have drunk more out of human cisterns than divine. We have held more communion with man than God.

12. We have not been men of prayer. The spirit of prayer has slumbered amongst us. The closet has been too little frequented and delighted in. We have allowed business, study or active labor to interfere with our closet-hours.

13. We have not honored the Spirit of God. It may be that in words we have recognized His agency, but we have not kept this continually before our eyes, and the eyes of the people. We have not given Him the glory that is due unto His name. We have not sought His teaching, His anointing-the "unction from the Holy One, [whereby] ye know all things" (1 John 2:20).

14. We have had little of the mind of Christ. We have come far short of the example of the apostles, much more of Christ; we are far behind the servants, much farther behind the Master. We have had little of the grace, the compassion, the meekness, the lowliness, the love of God's eternal Son. His weeping over Jerusalem is a feeling in which we have but little heartfelt sympathy.

MORE CONFESSIONS...

• We are full of presumption.


• We exalt our group and personal doctrines.


• We are self-sufficient.


• We are unwilling to pray.


• We are too proud to truly ask for help.


• We have a critical spirit.


• We do Kingdom business by the world's standards.


• We do not tremble at the Word of the Lord.


• We are full of hypocrisy.


• We have dethroned Jesus and enthroned ourselves.


• We are trapped in self consciousness.


• We are ensnared by the love of money.


• We have gone to bed with the world.


• We promote personalities rather than principles.


• We do not know how to humble ourselves.


• We are full of excuses - refuse to take responsibility.


• We are competitive with one another.


• We are carnal in our leadership.


• We have a controlling spirit.


• We are self-seeking.


• We deny the Lordship of Christ.


• We purport to repent without repenting, giving God's spiritualese.


• We do not have the fear of the Lord.


• We do not trust God's grace or mercy.


• We have confused obedience and grace.


• We are adulterers and fornicators.


• We have refused to preach and teach the whole truth.


• We have pleased men rather then God.


• We have exchanged righteousness for self righteousness.


• We have evangelized but have not discipled.


• We have sinned so that grace may abound.


• We do not know what manner of spirit we are.


• We have turned the ‘sermon on the mount’ to mourning of the sermon.


• We refuse admittance, confession, heart ward repentance.


• We do not truly believe that;


• We are wretched, poor, naked, blind, miserable.


• We hate correction.


• We despise shame.


• We will not suffer.


• We prophecy lies and have no shame nor trembling.


• We refuse to contemplate.


• We do not hate our lives in this world.


• We have the plank of an I in the eye.


• We will forever be learning without coming to the truth.


• We will not weep over our condition.


• We will miss the very help that contrition brings.


• We will read all these things and cast them aside.


• We will let this all slip right on by.

Roles Inside the Church

Title: Roles Inside The Church
Text: 1Timothy 2Introduction
Chapter 1 of 1 Timothy ended in charging Timothy to hold on to fulfill the calling he was called to and hold on to the faith. After mentioning about the two men, Alexander and Hymenaus who were given to Satan, and who were probably leaders of the church, Paul continues to exhort Timothy to pray and intercede for all the leaders especially to those who were in the authorities. Note here that Paul mentioned four things; supplication, prayers, intercession, and giving thanks. In addition, such is very similar to what we know as the ACTS or CATS

Who are the people we need pray?
1. For all men (v.1) – The lost in general, we have to pray not only for the elect.
2. Kings (v.2) – Nations in their time were ruled by kings. In our days, Prime Ministers and Presidents rule most countries while kings and queens have now become symbols of the nations.
3. All those who are in the authority (v.2) – We have to pray not only the highest official of the land, but also everybody who are in authority.

Why Do We Need To Pray Them?
1. That we may live peaceful and quite lives (v.2)
Here we see the reasons why do we have to pray for the people mentioned above. By experience, whenever I see a certain place dominated by non-Christians, the community becomes a hostile to the Christian community. A usual picture is that, the lost people ridicules the believers, persecute them, and sometimes even deprives the believers from their legal rights.
By experience, whenever I see a country ruled by a very ungodly leader maybe a president or a king, most of the time, instability of the nation occurs. If the leader of the nation does not fear God, the country suffers. This is true even in Biblical times. Israel suffers a lot whenever they have an ungodly king.
Having the leader as an example, if the countries’ leader is corrupt, naturally, his subordinates are corrupt. In addition, if we will not pray for them, then it will be more difficult for our country to survive.
Note that these people play a great role in our country and they were the majority. If we will not learn how to pray for them, then the more that, our future is uncertain.

2. That we may live in all godliness and holiness (v.2)
Learning to pray for other people allows us to examine ourselves continuously and checks our motives. It allows us to see who we are giving us the opportunity to check if we are still in line with God or not.
Aside from this, it keeps us away from trouble giving us the opportunity to live peacefully with other people, which eventually results to godliness and holiness.

3. That we may live a life pleasing to the Lord (v.3)
Living in godliness and holiness also results to living a life pleasing to the Lord. Since God wants us to live a life worthy of calling. Now again, Paul affirms here our calling, our calling is to go to the world and teach the good news.
In verse 4 Paul says,”4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Here again we see the ultimate plan of God, to bring all men to his feet, to the knowledge of the truth. And this things will never be possible without prayer.

Propriety in Worship
Men As Leaders
1. Lift up “holy” hands in prayer (v.8)It must be understood that God intends for men to be leaders of the family, which is also true inside the church. God intends that men be the leaders of the church. This is the role that men are to fulfill. Sad to say, that many men even during Paul’s time are no longer involve in the activities of the church.
Of course, many factors are affecting this situation. Men are most of the time, looking for something to eat. They are working hard so that their families will be able to eat and women were left in their houses. But non-the-less, God intended men to be leaders.
Lifting up holy hands does not necessarily imply concerning the physical posture of hands during worship time. Note the word “holy”. The Greek word used means “unpolluted” or “unstained by evil”. Hands symbolizes the activities of life, thus “holy hands” means a holy life.
And this is how we should pray, lifting our “holy lives” to God. It’s not just praying, it’s all about applying our new life in God.
One of the main reasons why sometimes leadership were given to women, it’s because men refused to do what he is supposed to do. This is why sometimes, our roles as men were given to women.

2. “Without” anger or disputes (v.8)This phrase is just an affirmation of what just Paul said, lifting holy hands. Many men cannot lift their holy hands, because their hearts are full of anger and disputes with other people. Instead of promoting love, they promote rudeness and selfishness.
As men, we have to admit that this is our weakness. This is a common problem in us. Many of us are hot-tempered and stubborn which causes to a more serious problem. No one is perfect, but at least we have to do our best to recognize this in ourselves and that let us pray that we will be able to overcome this problem inside us.

Women As Back Ups
1. Dressing modestly, decency, and propriety (v.9)Even during the time of Paul, they already have a dress code. Though their dress, in our eyes seems to be almost the same as that of women, they know which is for women and which is for men, and even which is appropriate and which are not.
Unfortunately, some women in Paul’s time does not dress appropriately when they come to worship God. And this is the same in our days. Many women dress as if they are going to a party, while some are too casual. We know what Sunday dress looks like.
Sometimes we dress to impress people of our new dress even if it is inappropriate. And thus, we have to learn how to dress appropriately.

2. Having good deeds which is appropriate to those who profess to that she worship God (v.10)Note here that Paul also gave an emphasis that the way we dress should match up our spiritual lives. Even Paul is convinced that the way we dress is just an echo of our inner being. This is not absolute, but generally speaking, and normally speaking.
This is why if we are a fan of EMO, we used to get up like EMO. Some are fan of their favorite actor that’s why they used to dress the same like those people who far fan of Erap or FPJ.
In Discovery channel they have featured people who loves “vampires”, so they dress like one. One loves leopard so much, so he dress, he cut his hair and tattooed his whole body like a leopard.
In other words, generally speaking, the way we look like is a reflection of who we really are.

3. Completely submissive (v.11)
Paul is probably referring to a real situation were some of the women desire so much to be public teachers of the law. Now we have to understand that during the time of Paul such office as public teacher of the law, deacon, or an elder are very important position and are highly respected positions, and are reserved only for men.
Paul prohibits women to practice any authority over men especially inside the church context. However, it must be noted that Paul allows women to teach in a more appropriate circumstances like in Titus 2:3-4. Women are also not exempted from learning (v.12).
Women are to submit which means, “to line up under”, meaning, to be a learner in a church setting context.
In addition to this, God designed the women to be a “suitable helper” (Gen.2:18). And this is the role that we have to fill in.
Unlike the world today, the world teaches us that if you are a woman and you are staying inside the house as a “housewife”, it is as good as you are deprived of something. But the Bible teaches us that we have different roles to fulfill.
This is why we have to be very careful in dealing with this issue especially that “women power” is getting stronger and stronger. It is very funny because humanitarian advocates teach a different thing especially to the issue of sexes.
Some of them even teach that “third sex” should be respected and should be given equal rights. The Bible teaches on the other hand, that there is no such thing as third sex. Of course, we have to respect people no matter who they are. But the Bible is the one who teaches the “homosexuality” is immorality and such is a detestable in the eyes of the Lord.

Conclusion
Everybody’s Role: Pray for everybody
Men’s Role: Lifting up holy lives
Women’s Role: Act as subordinates.