Friday, November 16, 2012
Good Preaching
Good preaching is good living. When people live out the principles for good,
clean living that God has outlined in Scripture, their lives become shining
testimonies of the grace of God in a dark world. Christians are not just supposed to be
people with a particular set of opinions; they are supposed to be people who
live abundant lives in spite of the challenges that come their way. Christianity is a way of life that is aligned
with the Creator of life – it works!
Of course, in this war between good and evil the Devil works
incessantly to con mankind. Maybe you
have picked up on his MO (modus operandi or method of operation). He capitalizes on the God-given liberty of
free will, and finds willing individuals through whom he can instigate trouble. He uses things like cultural influences,
popular opinions, celebrities and selfishness to tempt people to steal, cheat,
abuse, abandon, etc. These people’s sins
result in hurt and pain to others. Then
the Devil (the original source of trouble) gets those who did the hurting and
those who were hurt to blame God for allowing all the trouble. Keep in mind that all God did was let people
make their choices.
Gods MO is very different.
Contrary to popular opinion, God is more interested in godly
relationships than He is in religion. He
inspires people to do good, to be selfless, to value life, to show one another
respect, to love and honor others, to be fair… The end result is good marriages, strong
families and safe communities. When we apply
God’s rules, life works better.
Wholesome and happy people are God’s best preachers.
In her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe gives
a snapshot of how good preaching can play out.
In her story a family of three runaway slaves sits down for breakfast
with some Quakers in Indiana. It is the first time George had ever eaten at the
same table as an equal with whites. She
writes, “This, indeed, was home, --home,-- a word George had never yet known a
meaning for; and a belief in God, and trust in His providence, began to
encircle his heart, as, with a golden cloud of protection and confidence, dark,
misanthropic, pining, atheistic doubts, and fierce despair, melted away before
the light of a living Gospel, breathed in living faces, preached by a thousand
unconscious acts of love and good-will, which, like the cup of cold water given
in the name of a disciple, shall never lose their reward.” (p.160)
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