The Ballestero Blog

Preach Me The Gospel

Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Ours is a day of dilution of sacred truths. The importance of our basic tenets of faith is being challenged. Compromise is seen in every too many areas. Some sermons are not much more than an exercise in Pop-Psychology. Word preaching is non-existent in too many places. Doctrine is scorned by some and called ‘old school.’

It may be ‘old school’ to the compromiser, but doctrinal preachers, believers and practitioners are still here and doing well.

• They are still living ‘the life.’
• They haven’t caved in to compromise and worldliness.
• They were blessed to have heard some old-time Doctrinal messages on the New Birth. They got it in their heart.
• They heard teaching and preaching about Holiness, Separation from the World, Church Government, and Standards. They loved it.
• They were taught why the New Birth was important.
• They were taught why separation from the world was important.
• They were taught why it is important to live holy.
• They were taught why they should worship.
• They were taught why they should be faithful.
• They were taught why they should honor God with their tithes.
• They were taught why they should honor God with their modest apparel.
• They said Amen to the preacher.
• They believed it.
• They received it.
• They got in the Word and the Word got in them.

Some churches, organizations and fellowships have neglected the Word and turned to gimmicks and programs to distract from the obvious void and lack of a move of God.

The lack of Word preaching is evident by what is seen in the lives of many at conferences, camps and rallies. If preachers ‘get what they preach,’ someone must not be preaching very much.

There will always be a constant need to preach on worship. Please do not stop. I fear however, that our heavy emphasis on worship demonstration promotes the belief that our best services are always runaways.

Thank God for a runaway. But to me there is no measure of the lasting blessings the Word has on our lives. A shout can be forgotten. But the engrafted Word can be hidden in the heart until we die.

It is easy for some to jump up and down and run the aisle. Yet these same folks seem lost and uncomfortable in a deep move of God. Why?

Every pastor has seen folks shout in church, and then heard of them sinning before the night was over. They had the ‘physical exercise’ part down. They just didn’t get much on the inside. No root.

Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

Some pastors only want to teach doctrine (or anything that isn’t evangelistic) in ‘closed door settings’. They must be afraid to stand up and preach it to their whole congregation. The shallowness of church membership today is alarming.

Psa. 119:161 …but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

Psa. 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story of two houses. One house was built on the rock. The other was built on the sand. All was well until the storm came. Only the house on the rock remained standing.

Without a solid foundation, we too will fall apart when the storms of worldliness come against the church.

2Chr. 15:3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

God give us a season of the teaching priest. Give us a season of loving thy law.

Paul’s Gospel was the New Birth. The Death, Burial and the Resurrection.

Thank God for preachers who just stand up and preach the Word. Thank God for saints who want to hear preaching. Singing doesn’t save us, preaching does.

The Apostle Paul didn’t say to Timothy, “Discern someone’s phone number, their name or medical condition.” He just said to preach the Word.

Carloads will drive miles to hear a preacher call out folks and pray over them. (I can tell you ahead of time what he will say. He will prophesy blessings, healing and prosperity over those he prays for. He will never discern the sinfulness they are living in.)

The same folks that go gaga over that type of ministry get easily bored listening to a ‘Word’ preacher.  Some wouldn’t drive across town to hear him.

Take some advice from an old man. If you are a preacher and have a choice between being a feeder or an exhorter, be a feeder. Because a feeder will build a church.

2Tim. 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Don’t stop the worship, but at the same time, preach the Word. Keep preaching about Worship, but let Doctrine showcase your ministry.

Preacher, there are still plenty of saints out there that bring their Bibles to church.

There are still plenty of saints that bring a notebook and pen to Church just waiting.

There are still plenty of saints that will readily say, “Preach Me The Gospel.”