Truth Magazine

By Ken Weliever

“I have tried to examine in the New Testament, and in the Old Testament, the great preaching of both the prophets of the Old and the apostles and evangelists of the New. And if I am asked to condense into words the essentials of a sermon, I do it with these three: Truth, Clarity, Passion.”

There seems to be a great deal of interest among brethren today concerning preaching style, methods, selection of topics, manner, and demeanor in presentation. If I may add one more article to the increasing number addressing this issue, it seems to me that the famed expositor and Bible teacher, G. Campbell Morgan, in the above quote, provided the best and briefest summary of the essentials of a sermon that I have ever heard. Both preachers and hearers may profit from this study.

Truth

Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy Word, thy Word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). Jesus is the epitome and essence of this truth (Jn. 14:6) It was this truth into which the Holy Spirit guided the apostles (Jn 16:13). The apostle Paul based his preaching on the truth of Christ (1 Tim. 2:7).

Any sermon today that is of benefit to its hearers must be Bible-based, Christ-centered and Spirit-filled. We must give book, chapter and verse for all we say. Let us “speak where the Scriptures speak and be silent where the Scriptures are silent.” May we forever hold high the blood-stained banner of Jesus Christ.

Of course, no one has any corner of the commodity of truth. Truth is truth regardless of who says it. I have heard and read from some denominational preachers who spoke the truth on certain issues. Was it any less the truth because of , the one who issued it?

In preaching, our conclusions and applications must be based on truth. They must be in harmony with every Bible principle. Are we in the midst of a time when we have a host of so-called conservative preachers who are not preaching the truth any more? We hope not. But if we are, who are these “silver-tongued” men who have changed the truth of God into a lie and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator? Let them cease and desist from their wily ways. We must be firm in our conviction that God’s Word is Truth and that we indeed have “everything that pertains to life and godliness.”

Clarity

Truth needs to be preached in clear, concise, and concrete terms. The late James P. Miller once told me about a lady who thought “her preacher” was great. Brother Miller said, “I didn’t think he was all that hot, so I asked her ‘Why do you think he’s so great?… The unsuspecting sister replied, “Oh, he’s so intelligent. Why, you can only understand about every fourth word!” Brethren, that’s no compliment to a preacher. Brother Hailey used to tell us preacher boys, “Jesus said to feed my sheep, not feed my giraffes.” Let’s put it down where the people can understand what we are saying.

When Peter preached on Pentecost, his pointed sermon pricked the hearts of those who cried, “Men and brethren what shall we do?” (Acts 2:47) There was no misunderstanding Paul in Philippi when he was put in prison for preaching Christ (Acts 16). Today we need more plain and pointed preaching that will penetrate and pierce the hearts and minds of our hearers.

I have heard some good men preach the truth, but the message was not very clear. It was hard to understand their point. I had a problem in seeing what application was to be made in my life. Of course, someone may say, “Well, Weliever is so simple – that’s the problem.” Maybe. But I’m reminded of another preacher who advised me – “if you put the hay down where the calves can reach it, the cows won’t have any trouble either.”

We need to be more like Paul who, though a learned man, wrote and preached in a way “where when ye read, ye can understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4). Our job is to help people “understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). When we preach, let’s be like Ezra and “read distinctly, give the sense and cause them to understand” (Neh. 8:8).

Yes, we need the truth preached. But it needs to be preached in a way that is spiritually edifying, not just the reading of a collection of Scriptures. Preaching the truth must involve a clear exposition and explanation of the passage with a practical application to the lives of those listening.

Passion

In world where it is cool to be aloof and indifferent, we need proclaimers of the gospel to be passionate and persuasive in their preaching. We are all different in our style, preaching technique and manner of presentation. But that’s no excuse for preaching that is dull, dry and dreary. Someone said, “I preach as if I never should preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” Or as William McPhail put it, “The best cure for sleeping sickness in the pew is some soul stirring preaching from the pulpit.”

I am not talking about being loud or shouting people down. I have heard some quiet spoken men who obviously felt very deeply about the topic they were teaching and who communicated the truth of God to the audience in a very moving and inspiring manner. “To be instant in season and out of season” involves a passion for preaching. “To reprove, rebuke and exhort” demands interest and enthusiasm both for the truth and the souls of those who need to hear it.

I’m afraid we may have some who are like the preacher who asked the actor: “Why is it that you can act out a part and move an audience to tears, while I preach Bible truth and people remain unmoved?” Said the actor, “The answer is really quite simple. It is because I act out fiction as if it were truth and you preach truth as if it were fiction.” Brethren, we are preaching a gospel that is “alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.” Let’s not limit its power or blunt its edge by a lack of passion in our preaching.

Some Conclusions

I don’t care what label is put on a man – “positive” or “negative,” a “college man,” or not a “college man,” a “writing preacher,” or not a “writing preacher,” associated with “the paper,” or not associated with “the paper,” “big name” or “little name,” refined and eloquent or down-home and country – as long as he preaches the Truth, presents it plainly and speaks with passion, I am sure he will edify, encourage and enliven my spirit.

Quite frankly, I don’t have the time or inclination to decide what topics or texts my preaching peers need to address in meetings or in local churches. Time, circumstance, moral problems, local situations and the pressing needs of the hour will determine what I preach this Sunday. And it will you too. But little by little and week by week, I will “declare the whole counsel of God” and give the audience not what they want, but what they need at this precious moment.

May I call upon elders and brethren everywhere to demand of those of us who preach to teach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; to make it easy to understand; and to do it in a way that will inspire motivate and challenge each one to become all that God wants him to be.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 2, pp. 35-36, 55
January 19, 1989

By Lewis Willis

Art Linkletter, noted author, lecturer and television personality, gained much of his fame telling the funny things that kids said and did. His name became a household word. Most people readily identified the source of many of those funny things kids said and did. They came from parents! For some reason the silliness of the parents was funny when coming from a child. The kids haven’t been talking about it on television yet, but their parents have recently done something silly and it would be funny if it did not reflect a deteriorated sense of values in our country.

A few years ago the Coca-Cola Company changed their soft drink formula and started marketing the “new Coke.” The sweeter formula, their research showed, was just the thing the American people wanted. However, the change created national indignation. Across the country protest groups formed in an effort to change the company’s decision. Petition signing campaigns were instigated in most cities. It was urged that those that were dissatisfied call the company to protest their change. Hundreds of thousands of telephone calls were made. The ABC television program, 20/20, reported that one man spent $50,000 of his personal funds in an effort to get the company to bring back the old Coke. The 20/20 reporter did a taste test with this man and his volunteer staff, using the new Coke, Pepsi and the Old Coke that he wanted the company to bring back. He flunked the test. After spending $50,000 of his money, he and his staff preferred the new Coke and Pepsi over the old formula!

After all the furor was over, the Coca-Cola Company caved in and has now brought back the old Coke. The critics won! Behold, how great a victory hath been achieved for the people of the nation and the world!

This entire situation will be viewed by people on a scale of funny to stupid, depending upon their preference regarding the soft drink. It seems to me that there is a note of tragedy that is also involved. All around us we see the startling inroads of sin in our lives which literally threaten our national existence. Murders, rapes, thefts, abortion, homosexuality, alcoholism, drugs, fornication, child abuse and scores of other things too numerous to mention are tearing at the heart and fiber of our great nation. Yet, few people will open their mouths to say anything about these sins and it is unthinkable that we would spend any money to curb their rise in our country. But, change the formula of Coca-Cola and we lift our voices in a mighty scream of protest that is heard all the way to corporate headquarters.

Have our values sunk so low that morality is less important to us than a taste? How can we explain the silence of so many while society, the home and the church are being systematically destroyed because of the prevalence of immorality in our society? How can we explain the attitude and actions of God’s people in such matters? Have we forgotten what God expects of his people – what he expects the influence of the church to be?

Do we not recall that the people of God are a peculiar people (1 Pet. 2:9-10)? Are we not supposed to be separate from the world, touching not the unclean thing (2 Cor. 6:17-18)? And what is this responsibility to shine as lights in the world (Phil. 2:15-16)? And what of all of those passages dealing with the world (Phil. 2:15-16)? And what of all of those passages dealing with that special moral conduct that typifies God’s people (1 Tim. 4:12; 5:22; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Jn. 3:13; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Pet. 4:4, Jas. 1:27; Tit. 2:11-12)?

I was just thinkin’. the values of a people which historically have championed goodness and moral uprightness have indeed “lost their fizz.” However, a protest letter or telephone call to Coca-Cola will not change this situation. It could easily be changed with repentance in obedience to God!

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 2, p. 39
January 19, 1989

By Hoyt Houchen

Question: Please explain 2 Peter 3:10. Is it literal? If literal, then heaven will also pass away.

Reply: 2 Peter 3:10 says: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

The “heavens” mentioned in this verse are not to be confused with “heaven,” the holy abiding place of God. The “heavens” in 2 Peter 3: 10 refer to the atmospheric heavens, the visible portion of the universe above us in which the birds fly (Gen. 1:20). Mark 4:32 refers to “the birds of the heaven.” Peter declares that “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise.” This is a description of what will take place at the second coming of Jesus. The sky will pass away and the earth will be burned up. The “heavens” include what was necessary for the dwelling place which God prepared for man – the “heavens and the earth.”

In verse 13 of 2 Peter, a figurative description is given of what will exist after the literal “heavens” and the literal “earth” will have passed away. Peter tells us that we look for “new heavens and a new earth, where in dwelleth righteousness.” This must refer to heaven where the righteous will dwell. So, in contrast to the old literal heavens and earth which will be dissolved, there will be “new heavens and a new earth.” The word “new” is translated from the Greek word kainos which has reference to quality. It is defined: recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the N. T., p. 317). It is not, therefore, a contrast of the young with the old, but it is “unused,” “unworn.”

The present “heavens and earth” are man’s present abode, and they symbolize a better place – “new heavens and a new earth.” When Jesus ascended he left the earth and went to his Father’s dwelling place. God’s throne is in heaven (Psa. 11:4). He went to prepare a place (Jn. 14:2). He is now in heaven, and when he returns he will take his faithful back to heaven where they will dwell with him forever.

Heaven, the abiding place of God and the future abode of the righteous, will not pass away at the conflagration mentioned in 2 Peter 3:10. Christians long for a better place than what the present literal heavens and earth offer. They look forward to heaven, that eternal home for the soul – “new heavens and a new earth.”

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 2, p. 37
January 19, 1989

By John A. Smith

In the beautiful and poetic instructive prayer of Jesus in Matthew 6, disciples are called upon to use prayer in their fight against temptation: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (v. 13a). We may not always easily discern the relation between prayer and our ability to say “no” in the face of temptation. Understanding the statement of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”) and relating it to our struggle with temptation may help us clear our spiritual vision.

Commonality of Temptation

First, Paul tells us that we will not face an uncommon temptation. That should help us in at least two ways. We are not alone and we are not the first person to face the situation in which we find ourselves. That takes away the “Why me?” lament. If others have gone through what we are facing, we have in them a rich resource of strength and encouragement. If others can conquer temptation and recover from failures, then so can I! Take heart.

Satan is said to tempt us in one of three ways: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:16). He does not have new tricks at his disposal. If I know how I will be attacked and tempted, I ought to be prepared to fight, surmounting every stumbling block put in my way.

What effect should this knowledge have upon my prayers? I believe that everyone striving to live above sin should pray for encouragement from their spiritually-minded brethren and for the vision to discern clearly the temptations put in his way. Thus prayer is a valuable tool in living above sin.

Not Beyond Our Ability

Second, Paul tells us that we will not be tempted beyond our ability to resist. Satan is limited as to how far he can push us and how severe the temptation can be. We need to pray that we will recognize this and not try to excuse ourselves easily. Rather than praying that they will properly use the strength given them by God, I fear that some prefer to absolve themselves by attributing the sin to “human weakness,” circumstance, or the “can’t-help-its.”

Prayer can be a powerful and welcome ally in our fight against sin. We need to beseech the Lord for his aid in not allowing Satan to deceive us With his “weakness dribble.” Rather than excusing ourselves, let us pray that, with the Lord’s help, we will see and use our ability to flee, fight, and triumph.

The Way of Escape

Third, Paul explains that there will always be a way of escape. Satan can not back us into a comer in which we have no other choice but to succumb and sin. The way of escape will for the moment seem to be the more difficult of our options. If this were not so, it would not be called temptation.

The way out may be preemptive. The escape may be the avoidance of certain situations, places, or people. The person who has difficulty being temperate with donuts might be wise to avoid bakeries. Others may have to deny themselves certain types of activities in order to avoid the arousal of lusts. At times the most expedient approach to a temptation is planned avoidance.

At other times we will not be able to anticipate the arrival of temptation. Some situations demand that we stand and fight while others call for flight. We need wisdom to determine the difference.

Armed with effective fervent prayer, the sin-fighting disciple can keep his spiritual eyes open for the escape. We need to pray for vision, understanding, and wisdom. “Lord help me to see the escape and earnestly desire it.”

Conclusion

The soldier of Christ is not fully dressed unless he takes up prayer (Eph. 6:18-19). Let each of us determine to add prayer to our apparel using it in our continuing struggle with temptation. We can pray when we are tempted and pray when we fail. With prayer on our lips, let us set our sights on the celestial city.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 2, p. 38
January 19, 1988