Who Is He Preaching At?
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin Overfield
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000
This note is not written so much for the preacher, but primarily for his
hearers. We all know that a preacher can do damage preaching his own
message without the direction and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Who Is He Preaching At?
Such a question has more likely been thought than spoken by many a
regular attendee or occasional visitor in church services -- or even in
openair services. Many people have felt like they were being "preached at".
I myself, a preacher, have occasionally thought that the preacher had
singled me out -- by all but calling my name in his message.
Sometimes the preacher DOES know -- or at least thinks he knows --
that a certain truth is for one or more of his hearers. At other times, the
preacher may not have the slightest idea how his message would apply to
certain hearers.
With these ideas in your mind, please carefully read the following
Scriptures:
To the people in the towns and synagogues: "Let us go into the next towns,
that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And he preached
in their synagogues throughout all Galilee..." (Mark 1:38, 39)
Paul also preached in the synagogues: "And straightway he preached Christ in
the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." (Acts 9:20)
To the people of God (the Jews) and their religious leaders: "And it came to
pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and
preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with
the elders," (Luke 20:1)
To the poor: "the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matthew 11:5)
To all nations: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
(Luke 24:47)
To cities of people of different ethnic and religious background: "Then
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."
(Acts 8:5) "And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the
Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the
Samaritans." (Acts 8:25)
To the Ethiopian man: "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same
scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." (Acts 8:35). Notice that here
Philip preached to just one person.
"the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven" (Colossians 1:23).
I believe that from these Scriptures we can conclude that we are ALL to
be affected by the preaching of God's Word. With that idea understood, let
us carry it a little farther.
If the message is to do us any good it must deal with us wherever we are
spiritually. The sinner and backslider need truths that will lead them to
repentance and faith in Christ -- if they would cooperate with them. The
believer, including reclaimed backsliders, must press on unto perfection
(Hebrews 6:1), entering into that blessed rest of heart purity (or holiness)
(Hebrews 4:11; 12:14) by the mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 11:16;
15:8, 9). Then too, the entirely sanctified Christians must hear the truths
that will build them up in the faith, and "stir up" their "pure minds by way
of remembrance" to add to their faith (see II Peter 3:1).
If there is some light that we need to receive concerning our conduct,
the way we dress, where we go, what we say, what we do, or how we
respond to others, then God may use the preacher to help us get that light.
I mean the preacher, the Bible, and the hearer all belong to God. This is a
God-ordained way of getting light!
In light of all these things and many more specifics that I could
mention, I would like us to challenge the thought of "Who is he preaching
at?", or "Is he preaching at me?", whenever it arises. Much of the time, it
is only the Devil, and the carnal mind in some hearts, that is trying to put
us on the defensive so that the truth that could have helped us serves
rather as a stumbling block to our souls.
If the preacher SEEMS to be preaching AT you or me, we ought to keep
our hearts open to God and ask Him whether the truth is meant for us. When
I say "meant for", I do not mean whether the preacher had you or me in mind
in particular, but whether the Lord Himself meant that particular truth to
apply
to you or me. After all, what good would the preacher accomplish if he is
always preaching what someone else instead of his congregation needs
to hear?
Remember that the preacher is to be as a watchman on the wall. He is
to give us the truth no matter how unpleasant it may be to us at times.
Say,
it would be much better that we know what is the worst of our spiritual
state NOW rather than to find it out at the JUDGMENT BAR OF GOD.
Then it will be too late to do anything about. NOW is the time to take
heed,
to "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" and to our own hearts, and
to "be" "doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving" our "own
selves."
(James 1:22)
"For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man
beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth
his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso
looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being
not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed." (James 1:23-25)
WHICH DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO
THE HOUSE OF GOD A RAKE OR A PITCHFORK?
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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