Pastors today face relentless pressure to do everything but preach the Word. They are encouraged to be storytellers, comedians, psychologists, or motivational speakers. They intentionally steer clear of topics that people find unpleasant. Many have given up biblical preaching in favor of shallow talks designed to make people feel good. Some have even replaced preaching with drama and other forms of staged entertainment. But the pastor whose passion is biblical has only one option: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2nd Timothy 4:2)
When Paul wrote those words to Timothy, he added this prophetic warning: “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth” (vv. 3-4).
Absolutely nothing can take the place of pure bible preaching, taking in context all the verses of scripture on any given subject. There can be no private interpretation by any man. We must allow the scriptures to give us what God wants us to understand, scripture must be the only interpretation of scripture. This was God’s plan and must remain relevant to our spiritual understanding and growth.
What do you get out of the church services you attend? Do you receive real bible teaching? Does it benefit you in your spiritual growth? Or do you listen to a lecture from a preacher containing a little bit of bible and endless interpretations because of the preacher’s lack of real biblical knowledge because they were not prepared by and sent by God to preach?
Remember that the first preachers of the early church were the twelve apostles and what they preached was important for the church they were building to understand the full council of God . Let us just take a look at the early church and what they concentrated on teaching.
There was a doctrine that began on the very first day of the Church and it says in the Bible that the believers “continued steadfastly” in it (Acts 2:41). It never changed throughout the Acts of the Apostles. It did not change throughout the epistles. It’s a doctrine that was handed to the Apostles by Jesus Christ. It was confirmed by signs and wonders from God. And it did not change in the Word of God. The same doctrine that was preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost should still be preached by the Church, today. There is no reason why it should be any different. When you tell someone how to be saved, do you tell them what Peter would have told them? Do you preach what Paul preached? How about Philip the evangelist? Each of these men preached the same thing to those in need of salvation. Luke recorded it.
Here are some scriptures that emphasize how important the Apostles esteemed doctrine.
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Paul in Romans 16:17)
“If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” (John the apostle in 2 John 9-10)
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Paul, Galatians 1:89)
We all need to be very careful what we teach others when it comes to salvation. There are many doctrines floating around out there. Some say you must be baptized, others say that you don’t. Some say you must speak in tongues, others say you don’t. Some say that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, you are saved. Are they all right? According to scripture, there’s just one faith: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6
So, if there’s only one faith, we need to find out what it is and adhere to it. Let’s look to the scriptures, in the Book of Acts, where the Apostles were actually preaching and saving souls and see what exactly they preached. It’s all written plainly in the New Testament Books and requires no interpretation of any man.
My prayer and suggestion for the Church if you are to be what God wants you to be, is to sit down and read the book of Acts. For that matter you should read and study the whole New Testament. See how the first Church operated according to the Word of God. Make notice of how differently the Church today operates in comparison. Then ask God with an open heart: “Father, are we where we’re supposed to be as a Church”?
We don’t have the power that the first Church had because we have traded in the spiritual for worldly riches. We don’t sacrifice as they did and face it, we play too many manmade church games and seek honor and recognition of others instead of God.
We sing the song, “Give me that old time religion”, but do we really want it? Are we ready to walk away from these imposters who claim they are called by God and these programmed churches and live the way the apostles and the first Christians did? Do we seek the truth of God’s Word as the Bible delivers it to us , or are we satisfied with what we are being fed from the mouths of false preachers and teachers?
We’re not living with the same convictions that the first Church had. The early Bride was adorned with treasures that moths and rust could not corrupt. She wore jewels that thieves couldn’t touch. Today’s bride wears stones that can be thrown down and buildings that can be broken into. She buys, sells, postures and performs according to the traditions of men and neglects the original acts of the apostles. The first Church operated at the Spirit’s beck and call. The twentieth century church is too concerned with schedules and programs to take time to listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches. Today’s Church is no longer recognizable as what began on the day of Pentecost.
Why has the Church become like this? Very simply, because we won’t accept what the Bible says about the Word that has been sent to us from those who walked with Jesus Christ, the Son of God and who spoke the Words of God that were instrumental in the building of the Church in the first place.
There is only one thing that can save us from being Judged for our failure to be what God wants us to be.
We must go back to the Bible, believe what it says and reject the false doctrine that false preachers and false teachers have used to make our Churches what they are today.
The Bible teaches us that there is only:
One Lord: “Jesus Christ declared to be the Son of God”
One Faith: “ The Apostles Doctrine”
One Baptism: “Immersion In the Name of Jesus Christ”
One God and Father of us all: “Jehovah is His Name”
This is the foundation the Church was built on, the Apostles Doctrine.
If any person attempts to build the Church upon a foundation other than this foundation, they shall suffer loss and be cast away.
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