143
THE K I NG ' S BUS I NES S
the most solemn charge to preach His Word. “Preach the Word.” “Thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me.” You are not called to preach your opinions or the ories. They are worthless in the pul pit. I am reminded of an old hard-shell preacher who felt called upon to preach a sermon against thinking for one’s self. He selected for his text the two words, “Ye think” from John 5:39. He said, “My brethren, you will observe that this is a think, and a think is the poorest thing in the world. I wouldn’t give my old jack-knife for a think. My think is as good as your think and your think is as good as my think and ’both our thinks put together are worse than no think.” And so it will be with your opinion. You are to preach God’s Word, Deut. 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” You must not alter it or make any effort to soften it down so as to make it njore ac ceptable to polite and refined ears. You are not to apologize for it. It is your solemn duty to preach it faithfully, earnestly, and in love. Now listen to Deut. 18:20, “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.” , Woe to the preacher who turns from God’s word and substitutes, in his preaching, his own theories and notions. Now hear Prov. 30:5, 6, “Ev ery word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” God forbid my young brother that the Holy Spirit shall ever find you to be a liar in the pulpit. DR. J. H. DEW.
but temporary. Psa. 30:5; 1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Cor. 4:16-18. 5. There is joy in the midst of trial. Job 5:17;.Jas. 5:11. 6. Christ supports the afflicted. 2 Tim. 4:17; Heb. 2:18. 7. God does not afflict willingly. Lam. 3:33. THREE GREAT SHOUTS 1. "The people shouted f with a great shout” (Ezra 3:11). 2. “The people shouted with a great shout” (Josh. 6:20). 3. All Israel shouted with a great shout” (1 Sam. 4:5). The first was the shout of joy. The second was the shout of victory. The third was the shout of false con fidence. THE GRACE OF GOD "By grace ye-are saved” (Eph. 2:5). Grace is the sweetest word in all the human language. It is a mighty, pow erful and all-sufficient principle. The Scriptures speak much about it and set it forth in various ways. The grace of God is— 1. Sovereign in its reign (Rom. 5:21; 3:24, 25). 2. Rich in its display (Eph. 1:7; 2:7). 3. Exceedingly marvelous in its man ifestation (II Cor. 9:14). 4. Manifold in its character (I Peter 4:10). 5. All-sufficient in its supply (II COr. 12:9). 6. All-abundant in its bestowment (Rom. 5:15, 17, 20). 7. Glorious in its working (Eph. 1 : 6 ) . 8. Qualifying in its ministry (I Cor. 15:10; II Cor. 1:12). * 9. Transforming in its operation (Titus 2:11-13). —W. S. Hottel. . PREACHING HINTS “God Says” vs. “I Think” The preacher, called of God, is under
Made with FlippingBook HTML5