Daring to Declare the Gospel of Christ
WHERE IS THE FEAR OF GOD TODAY? Is this not what is wrong with us? Is not
this the whole story? This present generation is so taken up with the
idea of our own importance and so occupied with the dignity of man,
that we no longer fear God, if we ever feared Him. We are
presumptuous, self-willed, unruly and dying a slow but sure death,
and on the verge of complete ruin. If there is one word that
describes this generation of religious people, it is "irreverence."
Sophistication
will yet kill this present generation. Men go to church today to
patronize God, not to worship God. The majority of church-going
people, judging from their attitude, believe that in attending
church, they are conferring a great honor upon God. Church attendance
is an excuse for a fashion parade and a show of pride. Men go to
church to be entertained and amused. They insist that the preacher be
a good mixer, entertainer, actor, and pulpit clown. The preacher who
dares to declare the gospel of Christ is one thought of as one being
hopelessly out of date.
I hear everywhere I go this statement, "He sounds like an old country preacher," whatever that means. Read through the whole sermon in Acts 2; there is nothing in it but the Word of God, not one thing except the Scripture. How embarrassing this man would be to this generation; he would be considered odd. He didn't even have on a clerical robe. What did he preach? The sovereignty of God, the Lordship of Christ, and salvation by grace. By modern standards, this was a bad sermon; this man preached Divine election. The cry of this religious generation is that you must not preach election you will confuse sinners. How are you going to confuse sinners when they are already confused? They are dead to God. The result of the preaching in Acts 2 resulted in God calling some, maybe enough to try preaching this way.
I hear everywhere I go this statement, "He sounds like an old country preacher," whatever that means. Read through the whole sermon in Acts 2; there is nothing in it but the Word of God, not one thing except the Scripture. How embarrassing this man would be to this generation; he would be considered odd. He didn't even have on a clerical robe. What did he preach? The sovereignty of God, the Lordship of Christ, and salvation by grace. By modern standards, this was a bad sermon; this man preached Divine election. The cry of this religious generation is that you must not preach election you will confuse sinners. How are you going to confuse sinners when they are already confused? They are dead to God. The result of the preaching in Acts 2 resulted in God calling some, maybe enough to try preaching this way.
-Gospel report by preacher Scott Richardson
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