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Preaching
Author: Shirley Scurlock
Those who preach the Word of God have been portrayed as instigators of hate crimes, especially when they preach against homosexuality. The world looks on preaching and somehow misunderstands its purpose. The purpose of preaching is not to demean, or demote another human being. Sure, there are some who use the word as a sword against men and women bound in sin, but that is not what God intended. The word of God says that sin brings forth death. It is not God’s will that any perish but that all come to repentance. Preaching against sin merely alerts men and women to what the word of God says is life threatening. It is in our best interest to hear what God has said. It’s for our own good to be obedient to the gospel. The Bible says to repent and repent means to change.
A map comes in handy when we can’t find the road we need to on. The Bible is a spiritual road map. Certainly no one in their right mind believes preachers are any better than anyone else. Some have even proven themselves to be in greater bondage than those they preach to. Some say, those who preach against sin want to ruin our fun. The Bible says “there is pleasure in sin for a season.” However; the world and the lust in it are passing away. Preaching teaches us what kind of people we need to be. It tells us what it’s going to take to save us from the wrath to come. If you know that there’s a ditch ahead, and someone will fall into it – shouldn’t you warn them? Preaching the truth is a warning for those in sin, so that they have the chance to avoid the ditch.
Preaching – really means to publish – or make known. And every Christian should do that. What are we to preach? The Bible says the good news! What is the good news? The good news is the Son of God – Jesus Christ – paid the penalty for sin when he gave His life on Calvary! The short version is this – God found mankind guilty of sin in the Old Testament and man had no remedy for their sinfulness. To be very honest mankind liked the sin. As with any guilty verdict someone had to pay! Therefore Jesus came in sinful flesh yet sinless – to die in our place! To satisfy the law of God His only Son was crucified. So why call the Bible a source of hate crimes. Is it hate, to warn the sinner to turn from his ways? Is it hate, to give those who hate you every chance to repent? Is it too much to ask of those He died for to turn from the sin that’s destroying their lives? Is it unreasonable that God asks us to turn from: aids, Syphilis, drug addiction and alcoholism? Isn’t the diseases mentioned good reason to turn away from sexual sin? The destruction of lives is indisputable.
The preaching of the word is offering the key to unlock the prison doors. Preaching the true gospel is Jesus welcoming every man woman boy or girl to be free of the hardships these sins cause. It is not to push them away or call them inferior – on the contrary – a gracious and loving God gave His only Son that you might go free! This is the gospel.
You are a free moral agent of course. All we are required to do is share the good news with you. If you choose to ignore or disbelieve it – that’s up to you! Like the Muslims who want to wear head dressings, please let us fulfill our mandate. We do not want to give you something you don’t want and most of us will leave you alone when you ask us to.
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