Preach The Word Series

I love Christian music. It is of small moment to me whether I am singing the great hymns of the Faith, black spirituals, or whether I am singing uptempo contemporary choruses of praise to God, music is an enjoyable part of worship for me. I find myself moving involuntarily as the music grips my soul, and it would be easy for me to break into joyful dance as God is glorified. However, God has not chosen to use music as the primary means for presenting His message of life. The fact that some are transformed through considering the words of a song emphasises the exception rather than establishing the norm. It is the preaching of the Word that builds saints and transforms the soul of lost mankind.

Christian drama can certainly move the soul and glorify the Lord Christ. Throughout the years of my pilgrimage I have been privileged to view a number of excellent dramatic presentations that moved me deeply. However, it was not drama that God chose to build up the saints and to redeem the lost. It is the message of life proclaimed by one’s fellowman that transforms the individual, bringing the lost to life.

Without doubt, the graceful movement of men and women as they perform an interpretive dance can serve to transfix observers; but the message of Christ is conveyed most effectively and with the least possibility of being misunderstood through the open proclamation of the Word of God by one appointed to his task by God.

Though the message today applies to every Christian in that each believer is responsible to declare Christ at every opportunity, in particular it is those who have received appointment as elders who are held responsible by this charge. Moreover, the people of God—the churches that receive the elders whom God has appointed—are responsible to hold the eldership to the divine task of proclaiming the Word of God.

The NEW ENGLISH BIBLE translates VERSE TWO of the text before us in a scintillating and exceptionally clear manner. The translators have beautifully captured the Apostle’s ardour. “Proclaim the message, press it home on all occasions, convenient or inconvenient.” The man of God must seize every opportunity to declare the message of Christ the Lord, whether those about him wish to hear the message or whether they seek only to be entertained. It is of no great consequence whether the man of God proclaims the message of life in a public forum or does so privately; whether in a mass meeting or one-on-one, the burden of God insists that the preacher must proclaim the message. Moreover, if a church will truly hold to the Baptist Faith, that congregation will exalt the act of preaching, adhering to the apostolic Word.

I particularly enjoy visiting church buildings, especially historic church buildings. I enjoy seeing where God’s people meet for worship week-by-week. I make no claim to being architecturally adroit, but I have nevertheless made some observations concerning church buildings. I have taken note of the design of church buildings used by different communions and I have witnessed the emphasis expressed through the architecture of those church buildings. Communions holding a sacramental view of worship almost always place the pulpit to one side of the chancel and before the nave. These same churches usually situate the altar, and perhaps the baptistery, at the centre of the chancel, effectively saying that sacraments, rather than the preaching of the Word, will be central to their worship.