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A G o o d Wo r d f or P r e a c h i n g
by Vance Havner
we substitute false fire and worldly expedients. It is not the duty of the preacher to fill the house; it is his business to fill the pulpit. The chinch members should fill the house by being there themselves and bringing others. Lacking a Spirit-filled membership, fervent soul winning, and a separated testimony, we are hard pressed to devise other means to se cure the desired ends. Of course, the preacher may also be at fault in the state of his heart or the content of his message, and he may need to build a fire under the pulpit in order to warm up the church. But preaching is still the ap pointed means, and although we are in a day when men will not endure sound doctrine but have ear itch, instead of heartburn, let us not forget that the command in that very connec tion is “ Preach the Word!” God manifests His Word and His will through preaching. Let us hope and pray that the people of God will grow weary of stones and seek bread. We do not better ourselves by as persions cast on great preaching or by low- rating pulpit giants of a past generation; we could use a few today.
“ i i I e d o n ’ t w a n t s e r m o n s , ” say the pro- f t gram chairmen of many religious meet ings today, as well as many editors of religious periodicals, and leaders of youth meetings. Ser mons are no longer a drawing card. “ Show a film, or have a celebrity on the platform to pack the house. Then maybe the preacher can give a gospel message.” But plain old-fashioned preaching cannot stand on its own, to hear some people tell it. It must have a crutch to get along. My Bible does not say, “How shall they hear without a brass band?” It says, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” If preaching won’t do God’s work, nothing will. Of course, the size of the crowd has become the standard gauge of successful preaching, but that yard stick is not found in the Book. Nor was the supreme test impressive statistical results. We have fallen upon all sorts of carnal devices to pack the house with the argument that the end justifies the means. It is an admission that we have failed to follow the New Testament pat tern. God’s method is to use a Spirit-filled church. Rather than pay the price of being Spirit-filled,
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