Why do we focus so highly on preaching in our churches? Pastors spend hours a week preparing and studying and praying, and our churches spend nearly half of their Sunday mornings listening to God's Word being (I hope) accurately taught.
It is clear that preaching is a primary focus of the church. I won't document it here, but from Acts 2:42-47 to the Pastoral Epistles, it is clear that churches should preach God's word, and Christians should listen and feast on God's truth. My first thought is, "Isn't it strange that God set things up this way for his church? Sitting and listening on a Sunday?" A second thought is, "What is the purpose and effect of regular preaching for our churches?"
Paul said to Timothy, "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16). Now it is clear from the context that much of Timothy's congregation ("hearers") were believers. Certainly, some weren't, but many were. Yet Paul's encouragement is that Timothy persist in his teaching so that he "will save" himself and those who listen! While I won't get into the "Can I lose my salvation issue here" (You can research that for yourself here), it is notable that Timothy is encouraged to preach so that all his hearers (and himself) would be saved!
We need God's grace everyday- without it, we would each certainly "make a shipwreck of our faith" and turn away from Christ. It is only the beauty of his grace that keeps us. And a hose that he sprays his grace out of is faithful, inspiring, passionate preaching of His word.
This thought literally enters my mind at least weekly. I envision my life as a trek through a long line of monkey bars (you don't need me to tell you how these work do you?) I grab daily onto God's grace, cling for dear life, and swing to the next promise, truth, revelation, conviction that God uses to hold me up day in and day out. Preaching is God placing a 'monkey bar' in front of us on a regular basis. We need grace, we need truth to sustain, we are losing momentum and ready to fail, and we need truth to hold onto. So God, through pastors like Timothy (and your pastor!), presents truth to you on a regular basis to sustain you and keep you held up by his grace.
As Jeremiah wrote, "His mercies (aka 'monkey bars') are new every morning."
I think the Message "translation" actually uses the term "monkey bars" in Jeremiah.
ReplyDeleteGood point - even though God has ordained our salvation and we cannot be snatched out of His hand, within that He has ordained the "means" of our preservation, through continual exposure to the preaching of the Word. Nice!
Ry, I like the monkey bars illustration. Hadn't heard that before. But it makes a great point. I need to be saved from my sin everyday!
ReplyDeleteI love this. It's interesting, too, because you do "cling tightly" to His grace, and at the same time, His grace holds you (and cathes you when you fall into the sand under the monkeybars?).
ReplyDeleteCute pic!
Diane Carver
(that way it doesn't look like it's really your mom)
Haha, mom, but when you acknowledge that it's still you, it defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnd, just for clarification, the last verse is from Lamentations, but written by Jeremiah. I had to get that off my fundamentalist chest.