Author: testeverything619631462

The Downside Of Topical Preaching

Topical preaching is the most common approach to ministering God’s word. This means that the speaker chooses a topic they want to present, and then they select scriptures that they feel will help to communicate this topic to their audience. In some churches, each sermon will be based on random, different topics, while some churches will do topical series, where several sermons will focus on a particular topic. But both of these methods utilize topical preaching, with the speaker choosing the topic they want to focus on.

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Jesus Has Expectations

It’s hard to comprehend the measure of love that motivated Jesus, the Son of God, to leave the glories of heaven, with the purpose of dying a criminal’s cruel death on a cross. Scripture says the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants us to know and even to comprehend this amazing love, and to be rooted and grounded in this love 1. We cannot over-emphasize the love that Jesus has for us. However, we can, and often do, misinterpret what this love looks like in action.

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Finding God’s Plan

Over the years I’ve had lots of conversations with people who were concerned about figuring out God’s plan for their life. Often, they would be frustrated or even anxious because they weren’t getting answers to their questions. But usually, the things they were so intently focused on were things like, where they should live, what career they should pursue, who they should marry, you know… the natural, physical, temporary things of this life. Jesus said the pagans run after all these things, but believers should seek first the kingdom of God 1.

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Are We Saved Just By Believing?

The Bible tells us, that without exception, all people are lost, meaning that our sin separates us from a holy God 1. But the Bible also proclaims that the lost can be saved and restored to right relationship with God. Since it’s dealing with man’s eternal state, the Bible provides a lot of information regarding salvation. Yet, it’s scary how some people pick and choose among the scriptures and teach things about salvation that are not consistent with the gospel that God proclaims in His word.

If we can’t clearly communicate God’s plan of salvation for the lost, then nothing else we’re saying or doing has merit. At stake are people’s eternal destinies, so we must get this right.

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Where Are Pastors In The Bible?

Most churches today are led by a pastor. And this person is the defining influence on that church. Their leadership will shape what that church believes and what it does. The very personality of the church will reflect the pastor who leads it. The pastor will also be the face of that church, being the most visible representation of that church to the community.

If we’re doing this right, if the preeminence of pastors is the biblical way for churches to be governed, then pastors should be as prominent in the Bible as they are in today’s church. But instead of having a pronounced presence in the New Testament revelation of the church, pastors are only mentioned once in the Bible, and some translations don’t mention them at all. Instead of having a strong presence in the scriptures, they are strangely absent. It’s as if they don’t exist.

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God Says “Don’t Be A Mule”

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

What a remarkable declaration of the authority of the scriptures, and the power they have to make us righteous, to make us complete, and to equip us to do God’s work. But it’s imperative that we approach the Bible with the right attitude if we are to fully benefit from all that God has to say to us.

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Open Doors For Effective Ministry

In Revelation chapters 2-3, Jesus writes to seven churches. Several of these churches receive sharp rebukes and a command to repent or suffer serious consequences if they do not. The church at Philadelphia (3:7-13) is one of only two churches that Jesus doesn’t rebuke and call to repent.

In verse 8, Jesus tells these people, I know that you have but little power. This is not a rebuke. Jesus is simply acknowledging their condition. And even though they have little power he goes on to say, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

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God’s Ways Accomplish God’s Goals

When reading through the New Testament it jumps out how passionately the early church engaged in prayer and teaching the word. In the book of Acts, it says they devoted themselves to teaching and to prayer. The word devoted means to persevere, to be constantly diligent and steadfastly attentive to. Prayer and teaching weren’t things they occasionally squeezed in among a variety of other activities. Prayer and teaching were front and center, and they constantly engaged in these spiritual activities.

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