SourceThe importance of preaching is God's chosen instrument for doing good to souls. By it sinners are converted, inquirers led on, and saints built up. A preaching ministry is absolutely essential to the health and prosperity of a visible church. The pulpit is the place where the chief victories of the Gospel have always been won, and no Church has ever done much for the advancement of true religion in which the pulpit has been neglected. Would we know whether a minister is a truly apostolical man? If he is, he will give the best of his attention to his sermons. He will labor and pray to make his preaching effective, and he will tell his congregation that he looks to preaching for the chief results on souls.
~ J.C. Ryle
Friday, July 8, 2011
Healthy Preaching = Healthy Churches
4 comments:
Your comments are such a blessing to me.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. " Hebrews 10:23-25
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Excellent quote. And so relevant. Isn't it sad so many are drawn to a certain church based on their high-tech praise and worship band?
ReplyDeleteI just love these J C Ryle quotes. And so true. Preaching is one of the marks of a true church, and without it...the church fails on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteTrue, biblical, through the word expository preaching just isn't "relevant and cool" anymore.
Every time someone tells me they are looking for a new church, I rarely hear in what they are looking for, is the word-for-word preaching of the Bible.
It's usually a laundry list of personal/physical preferences and comforts, as well as groups and/or classes and social events.
Sad.
Amen!
ReplyDelete2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
Most modern day churches have changed this verse to read: Entertain the congregation in season and out of season and keep them happy or they will leave.