The Christian church was birthed into the world preaching and proclaiming the Word of the Lord. In Jesus of Nazareth- they claimed- the Jewish Scriptures had been fulfilled. Just read carefully through Peter’s message on the Day of Pentecost. His whole sermon was extracted from the promises of the Old Testament.
That’s the way God planned things to be. In the pulpit only one thing was worthy of being preached, namely, the Word of God. Even in the midst of a wondrous outpouring of tongues and miracles, Peter put the emphasis on biblical exposition. His concern was what the Scriptures had to say.
This divine pattern should set off alarm bells ringing in our head every time some preacher gets up into the pulpit to speak about his dreams, his visions, his (miraculous) gifts or the voices he’s been hearing from angels. The pulpit doesn't exist for us to proclaim our dreams. It is there to put all the spotlight on the precious Word of God. Don’t get me wrong- I’m elated for every child of God who has had unforgettable spiritual experiences (I've had some too)- but the pulpit is a house built upon the solid rock of the Bible.
Over the years I've heard guys preaching whole messages about how they visited hell and saw great visions of how the devil was punishing everyone there with a big whip. That’s just a load of nonsense! The Bible says the devil goes to hell to suffer eternally not to beat up others. If you’ve ever had a vision or ‘word from the Lord’ that doesn't line up with Scripture, you are to reject it on the spot. And never in a million years should you make it the topic of your sermon.
In an age of ever growing mysticism and a non-biblical spirituality, we need preachers who will not shun to proclaim the whole counsel of God. That’s right. We need folk who will just put their finger on the Bible and preach what is written there, expounding verse by verse the blessed Book of God.
So let’s get back to the real Christian way- the Word of God way! Preach the Word in season and out. And if you honor God’s teaching, God will honor you…
