...tough

When the preaching gets tough the tough die! Popular preachers never existed in the early church! There is no record in the New Testament of preachers being adored, admired, worshipped, pleasing the populus, being exonerated by the religious or being acclaimed by the government of the day. As a matter of fact, it was the very opposite. Preaching the gospel upset the populus and in particular the religious who in turn stirred up the government to persecute and kill those who preached.

So, one might asked, where are we going wrong today? Why are preachers in most Western countries respected, adored, admired, imitated, worshipped, exonerated by the religious and finding favour with the authorities? Simple: they are not preaching the most offensive message the world will ever hear." the gospel!

The gospel offends because its message is deliberately intended to cut to the heart; not to modi-coddle the heart. Its intent is to exposes sin; not tolerate sin. Its intent is to command repentance; not call for remorse, (Acts 17:30). Its intent is to condemn popular life-styles; not condone them. Its intent is to announce the kingship of Gods only Son; not merely to list Him among the sons of God or the prophets of God!

The end of such forthright gospel preaching is death! Death to all that is popular! Death to all that is comfortable! Death to all that is convenient and death to all that is secure! If such death does not result from the preaching of the gospel, then the only conclusion one can reach is that the messenger and not the message needs to be scrutinized.

I am convinced that it really is time we took a long hard look at the messengers. Are we preaching the gospel the apostles preached or is it something that only sounds like the gospel! Does the message we preach produce repentance? Does the message we preach change lives or merely compliment existing life-styles? Does the message we preach challenge or does it modi-coddle? Is the message we preach accompanied by power or is it merely a religious dissertation? Is the message we preach offensive or is it couched to please?

-bob chapman