Preaching the Gospel Requires Words

The Preaching of the Gospel Requires Words

Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words …

This saying, usually attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, has become extremely popular over the last few years. You’ve probably seen it on t-shirts, bumper stickers, and the like. It is popular for several reasons. For one, it is a catchy saying that basically means, “don’t preach to me; do something for me.” We like that. In our culture where anything and everything goes, no one wants to be “preached at.” And the quickest way to feel better about ourselves is to think about the good we do for others. So we have a nice catchy little phrase that basically means, “I don’t need preaching; I need you to do something for me.”

There are a couple of problems with this saying, however. Number one, there is no record of St. Francis ever saying it. St. Francis was a member of a preaching order. It was not uncommon for him to preach up to five times a day. He understood the power of the spoken word and utilized it. The saying doesn’t fit with St. Francis’ lifestyle. [1]

Besides all that, the most troubling thing about this saying is that it is simply not Biblical. The gospel means the “Good news.” It is the story of Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and second coming. It is the good news that Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. Jesus' final commandment to his disciples was to “Go and teach all nations.” The word “teach” in this instance could also be preach. It is a word that means proclaiming with words. It takes words to transfer a thought from one person to another. The preaching of the gospel always requires words.

I understand the thought behind the aforementioned saying. As Christians we are commanded to love one another. If we see a brother or a sister with a need, and we can help, we are supposed to do what we can (James 15:16). But this is not preaching the gospel; neither is it the primary purpose of the church. The purpose of the church is to preach the gospel and tell people how to be saved.

If we do good deeds for people they may feel good about us. They may even say something like, “I know those people are real Christians.” But have we really accomplished anything if we haven’t told them how to be saved? After all, this is the most important thing isn’t it? The salvation of the eternal soul.

I believe Christians should be the most friendly, helpful people on earth. We should always be willing to lend a hand in time of need without expecting anything in return. Truthfully, we as the church could (and maybe even should) do more for our communities and families in need. We cannot, however, buy into the line that we are the church because we do good deeds. We are the church because we have been born again and called out of the world to be a separate people, committed to living a holy life dedicated to the service of our God. This is what makes us the church.

We have a story to tell. It may be a little different for each of us but the fundamental message is the same. It is the story of how we were once lost in sin. Then someone preached the gospel to us. We responded and were born into the family of God. Now we strive to tell everyone else how they can be a part of this family. This is the gospel message. You must be born again!

When was the last time you told your story to someone else? Don’t be afraid to tell someone what God has done for you. This is the way the church has been replicated for 2,000 plus years. One person tells another and then and then another about his relationship with Christ. This is, in its simplest form, the preaching of the gospel.

Tell someone about Jesus today! And use words! They are powerful!

Sincerely,

Rev. Sullivan Jones

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[1] "Preach the Gospel, and Since It's Necessary, Use Words by Ed Stetzer." Ligonier Ministries. Accessed June 08, 2016. http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/preach-the-gospel-and-since-its-necessary-use-words/.

Dorothy kills a witch

My sister posted a mock newspaper article on Facebook this morning that caught my attention. The picture was a snapshot of Judy Garland in her role as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz; almost anyone in North America would recognize the scene. The headline above the photo read:

“Mugshot of runaway girl who killed an elderly woman and stole her shoes, claiming it was an accident, 1939.”

Naturally, I laughed when I saw it. I found it so amusing that I had to show it to my co-workers. My first thought was, this is how the media distorts things. One little shred of “information” is taken and a story is concocted that appeals to our universal sense of right and wrong. It doesn’t matter if the story behind the headlines actually fits the facts or not. The purpose is to sell news and it seems the more horrifying or scandalous the story, the more people want to read about it.

The world we live in is full of information. While I am thankful for the freedom of the press, much that we read, hear, or see in the news is intentionally distorted to promote a certain agenda. The liberal mindset desires to keep people on edge and knows how to frame a situation to its advantage to get a reaction from the public. There is so much contention and strife in our world, so much information to sort through. Can we trust any of it?  No wonder that Snopes.com is such a popular cite. In this day of hype and instant internet information one almost cannot be too careful in fact checking before sharing.

In the case of Dorothy, she really did run away from home but she came back before the cyclone hit. She also did drop a house on the Wicked Witch of the West but it certainly wasn’t intentional; she didn’t take the shoes on purpose either. While the caption was meant to be humorous, it can also teach us all a vital lesson; there is always a different way to look at a situation. Whether it be a situation that arises at work, at church, or in society at large, we rarely get all the information we need to make a snap judgment. This is why juries are supposed to be selected at random and supposed to hear all the evidence before reaching a verdict. A first impression can create a false perception.

While I am all for being up-to-date on current events, we would all do well to remember that not everything we read, see, or hear is true. It is always best to listen to another source before taking a stance. Even more importantly, the Christian should remember that the only true and unbiased reports on daily life come from the word of God. If we want to fact-check something it is best to go to the source of ultimate truth. The word of God has never let us down and never will. Its wisdom is priceless and ageless. It is relevant to every culture and every age and will never be obsolete. Are you wandering what news you can trust? Go to the source. God’s facts are always trustworthy!

Blessings,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Who is God?

­Good Morning readers,

I am taking a class on Biblical counseling and something that I read in the text over the last couple of days has provoked me to do a little Bible study. For those of you who may not realize it, I am not a Trinitarian. I believe that God is completely One, all by himself. I believe, as the Bible says, that Jesus Christ is the express image of this formerly invisible God. Jesus Christ is not just part of a triune God but he is the Only God who manifested himself in flesh.  

I am studying for my bachelor’s degree through a Trinitarian school. I have been through several theology classes and have had to endure teachings on the doctrine of the trinity, though I don’t believe it. I have seen all of this as an opportunity to learn. I have tried to be respectful and have only voiced my opinion on a couple of occasions when the situation merited it. I have had not great arguments over this issue and almost no one in my classes, instructors included, was offended when I said I was Oneness.

The class I am taking now is Biblical counseling. The author of the textbook we are using is decidedly Trinitarian; he is so Trinitarian that he almost doesn’t use the word God in a sentence but uses “the Trinity.” As I am reading through this book, I have come across a couple of things that really bothered me. In talking about the Trinity (which is not really what the class is about) the author says:

“Before they created, the Trinity related. What were the Father, Son, and Spirit doing before they created? … They were experiencing constant uninterrupted, intimate relationship.”

The author goes on to say:

“What did the Trinity do before they created? They enjoyed each other and bragged on each other. They were thrilled with each other. They shared sheer delight.”

“Father, you are incredible.” “Son you are amazing.” “Spirit, you are awesome.”

"There was never a time when the Trinity was denied the pleasure of delighting in their mutual glory."

The author of this book would have us to believe that there are three beings in heaven (how this is one God I will never know) involved in an intimate relationship. He even goes so far as to say that the three members of the Trinity are eternally united in a celestial hug. This is completely unscriptural. The word of God says in Isaiah 43:

Isaiah 43:1 – But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: For I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

43:3 – For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy one of Israel; thy Saviour.

Throughout this entire chapter God continues to refer to himself as “the Holy One” and say things like “I did this” or “I did that.” There is no room for this author’s idea of “they did this” or “they did that.” It simply isn’t there. The prophet continues writing to say:

Isaiah 43:10 – Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior.

43:12- I have declared and have saved …

Again in Verse 14: Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

The Holy One

There is no mention in any scripture of the holy three. So where did this idea come from? It came from the Greeks and Romans. Most of us know that the Greeks believed in many gods. They also believed these gods quarreled among themselves. Furthermore, they believed these gods had lewd, intimate, even incestuous relationships among themselves. In their jealousy for power, these gods fought over control of the universe and put curses on one another.

In contrast, the Holy One of Israel is always depicted in scripture as a God who is God all by himself. This is the main reason I have a problem with the aforementioned explanation of a Trinitarian God. This author would have us to believe that there are three beings in heaven who eternally worshipped one another from before the earth was created. His explanation borders on the lewd and causes one to think of the perverted, lewd relationships that the pagans of the ancient world attributed to their gods. This does not sound like a Holy God to me. Our God is anything but lewd.

I have close friends who are Trinitarian. I would venture to say that many of them would not agree with the description this textbook gives us of the three members of the Trinity praising one another. I believe most people who self-proclaim to be Trinitarian do not actually understand that the idea of a Trinity is anything but Biblical. It does not come from Jewish thought and cannot be found in the Old Testament at all. The apostles who wrote the New Testament had no thoughts of a Trinitarian God. Any reference to the Father, son, and Holy Spirit in the New Testament are best answered by an understanding of God’s Oneness.

While I try to respect the beliefs of others, I cannot find the idea of a Trinity in scripture. The same author of this text spends a good deal of time warning his readers not to mix pagan ideas with their Biblical counseling methods. Yet I contend that he is doing exactly that with his ludicrous ideas of the members of a Trinity having intimate relationships among themselves throughout eternity.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior.