It was the Lord Jesus who said in John 6 v 63b.

Jesus was saying, my words are life giving, they engender Spiritual life, they are words that can quicken or make alive the spiritual man or woman, my words impart the very life of God he is saying.

You see it is his Spirit in the human spirit through his own Word that imparts the very life of God.

My dear brothers and sisters, let me say it again, the Word of God is not incidental nor accidental but fundamental to our very life for God.

And not only are we to let the Word of God dwell richly in us so that it would come out of us purely and powerfully but another way we are to use the Word of God as God’s blue print, as God’s plan is to preach it. Why? Because in so doing we are imparting the very life of God to all who will hear it gladly and believe!

Listen to Paul writing to Titus 1 v 3.

How does God manifest (make known! Reveal!) His word to us? Well, one way, one very important way is by preaching!

Listen to Paul again in 1 Tim.. 5 v 17.

There is a continuing call today for less and less preaching!

Now the question must arise, why is there such a demand? When God is so clear with his instructions about preaching the Word, why are we hearing such a call for less preaching?

Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

There’s a chapter full of reasons why we are hearing such a cry for less preaching. Two camps in that chapter, which one for you?

You see, this is a sign of the days the passage describes as "the last days".

Now what does that mean, what are "the last days" referring to?

Some say that it describes the whole of this age, from the departure to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Others hold that it means only the close of this present age, that is the last times immediately preceding His coming to the air for His church!

Personally, I believe that the latter view is the correct one, and what we have in this passage is an outline of the deplorable spiritual conditions that will become outstandingly common amongst men and women coming to that very wonderful time.

Yet, it has to be said, these sad characteristics are, alas, not the exclusive property of that last period; for in different ways and degrees they have appeared, and will appear, through the years.

So much so that it has often happened in the course of history, that life has become so evil and so like to the time period described in this chapter of Timothy, that earnest people have thought, these days we are living in must be "the last days" yet they have passed by, and a certain improvement has been manifested. But soon again we have another pouring out of evil, leaving godly people to wonder if this is that time Paul speaks of to young Timothy?

But here’s the point dear folk, any time, in any exaggerated degree, that exhibits such a manifestation of prevalent sin, may turn out to be, in all solemn truth, "the last days" before the day of His appearing.

And if we find such elements in our present day lifestyle, we ought to pause for some serious reflection concerning that possibility.

It is evidently the Lord’s intention that each succeeding generation of believers shall remain on the lookout when such days occur. Matt.25 v 13. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour"

So, OK Pastor, you say part of God’s blue print or plan is not only the Personal Word but also the Preaching Word, so tell us what kind of preaching do we need today? Well I am glad you asked!

Well, what do you mean Apostolic, that sounds a little out-dated!

What kind of preaching do we need today? Why, the same kind we have always needed! Nothing important has changed!

Just because we have split the atom and sent men to the moon, does not mean we need a new kind of preaching, and certainly not Sermonites for Christianites!

Now of course we know there are no apostles today in the original sense! Eph. 2 v 19-22.

The apostles are in the foundation and to remove them from the foundation would make the building unstable to say the least!

Now although there are no apostles today in the original sense, we do know that an apostle was a sent one!

Now the preacher is to be a man sent from God!

Or is he only a man sent from God when he pleases me, when he visits me, when he does things for me, when he makes me feel good, when he does things the way I think they should be done, when he keeps friends with me and my family above and beyond anyone else! When his preaching suits us?

And he is to be Apostolic in his preaching, that means although he may have gone through all the educational process of life and then ended up in a Bible School, he is to be all the time thereafter learning at the school of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus said to those who would become his disciples, follow me, but the very next command given to those who became his disciples was, learn of me! .

For me to live is Christ! It is no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me! That’s the sign of a man sent of God.

That was an indication that they were God appointed and God anointed men! 1 Cor.1 v 26-31.

A preacher may be wrapped in the robes of learning, his study walls lined with diplomas, he may have all the trappings of ecclesiastical prestige. But he cannot function without unction!

Dear people, it is absolutely true that no preacher can function without unction, but it is also absolutely true that no person can hear what God is saying to them without that same unction. That is why Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones is saying that it is a people with a hearing ear and an understanding heart that makes a great preacher! Why? Because they hear with the understanding of heart and put shoe leather to what they hear and make it work in their own lives. That of course, in turn sends the preacher back to his study to seek God in the most deadly earnest way he knows, why? So that next time he returns to you it will be with a sure Word from the Lord.

My Lord taught as one having authority and not as the scribes.

Now, that does not mean we become dictators in our own pulpit or church.

Because the servant of God is singled out as one who receives messages from God and is entrusted by God to deliver those messages truthfully and faithfully to his own dear people, of necessity, he speaks with authority. Not his own authority, rather he speaks with the authority of God.

Friends, the preacher is not called to bring Sermonites for Christianites, no matter how much we might like that kind of preaching. The preacher is called of God to preach with authority and he is also called to be true to his calling, for there is a day coming when he will have to give account of every message he brought to his congregation on God’s behalf.

Was it truly from God? Or was it just the imaginations of his own mind and heart.

I know, today much of the professing church has gone in for theatrics, running a showboat instead of a lifeboat, staging a performance instead of living an experience, "A form of godliness without the power thereof." We are playing to the grandstand of a pagan age. What a different "show" from the Apostles and the early Christians dying for Christ before howling throngs in the Coliseum! We are not sufferers in the arena; we are spectators in the grandstand. We have come a long way from the catacombs folks!

Please remember, the Lord Jesus met the devil, his avowed enemie with, "Have ye not read." "It is written", not in His own name nor in His own power, but with the power of the Scriptures.

And as stated last time, just as in conversation so in preaching, the Word of God is to be our power of attorney.

Hey folks don’t be ashamed of this old time religion! Listen, listen, there is nothing newer. We have a New Testament about a New and Living Way, we enter that New Way by a New Birth, through that New Birth we become a New Creation, with a New Name and a New Song. We are walking in Newness of Life, we are living by a New Commandment, we are heading for a New Heaven and a New Earth and a New Jerusalem.

And almost the last words from the bible are Rev. 21 v 5. "Behold I make all things new"

God pity the preacher who has grown cross-eyed watching certain faces in the congregation to observe whether his message is acceptable or not.

The chilly countenances of resentful listeners who must not be disturbed have taken the heart out of more preachers than have all the infidels and higher critics.

And brothers and sisters, please remember, authoritative preaching will only be a blessing as you allow it to affect you personally.

A farmer from the north of Canada awoke one Sunday morning to discover there had been the greatest snowfall ever around that part of the world. As he sat milking he wondered how he could preserve his forty year unbroken record in church attendance!

For forty years he had been present at church and never missed once. After each service as he was leaving he would give the pastor a very hearty handshake, and say, that was a great sermon Pastor, you surely gave it to them this morning.

As George sat milking he spotted an old part of a plough lying no longer in use. I know he thought, I will attach that old piece of the plough unto my tractor and plough my way to church.

When George arrived in the car park, there was not another soul but him. On arriving in church he discovered only the Pastor in attendance. What do you think we should do pastor? said George.

Well, said the good Pastor, remembering George’s statement every other Sunday morning. We will sing a duet, you pray, and I’ll preach and close in prayer. And on the way out of church that morning, George took the pastor by the hand and gave him his usual strong hand shake and said, well Pastor that was a great sermon, if they had been here this morning you surely would have given it to them! We are like that; the sermon is always for someone else.

You were either in or out, up or down, alive or dead. He believed in absolutes. And folks, we are dealing with absolutes!

Jesus said, "he that is not with me is against; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" Matt. 12 v 30.

Observe please, there is no third class here, no inactive church members here!

When the titanic sank in 1912, she was supposed to be the unsinkable sadly, the only thing she did, was sink.

When that great ship took off from England, and ultimately from New York she had all kinds of passengers on board, Millionaires, Celebrities, people of moderate means, poor people, but when later the news came of that awful disaster they posted two lists in Cunard office New York and England, it carried only two categories, lost and saved! All other distinctions were crossed out.

Hey! Whether you preach to children, youth, older folks, on the mission field, to the congregation or wherever, your preaching must be affectionate!

A true Pastor must not only in love feed his flock, he must also warn his flock in love, he must not only be zealous but because of his love for his people he must be jealous.

2 Cor.11 v 2. "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (NKJ)

You see folks, it’s not enough to love to preach. We must love those to whom we preach, and when I, as pastor love you as a people, as I ought, I will preach to you what God knows you need, not simply what you want, or what you would like.

Now I know there is a new variety of preacher abroad today who’s not interested in being called "a holy man of God". He wants to be called by his first name and be just one of the boys. He’s so anxious to be relevant that he’s forgotten to be "reverend".

In Eph. 4 v 15 Paul puts it like this, "Speaking the truth in love"

Some preach truth and don’t have love!

Some preach love and don’t have truth!

We need to get the mixture right.

Truth will keep you from dissolving into mere sentimentality!

Love will keep you from hardening into severity.

Truth will keep you from turning to sugar!

Love will keep you from turning to vinegar! Get the mixture right

The Lord preserves his saints he does not pickle them!

The Lord drove out the moneychangers from the temple, but he also wept over Jerusalem with a broken heart.

And do you know what folks, if we get the mixture right we will have a good end.

I don’t want to finish my course for the Lord hard and bitter, I’ve seen too many examples of that, it’s a snare of the devil and a bad advertisement for the gospel.

Brothers and sisters, this is no time for tiptoeing through the tulips, preach it as though you believe it!

A country school teacher applying for a job, was asked, "Do you teach that the earth is round or flat?" "Which way do you want it taught?" came the reply, "I can teach it either way". Something like that is the attitude in many a pulpit today, and folks it ought not to be so, we are dealing with eternal realities, and we must know what we believe!

There's far too much preaching today as though the preacher could not help himself. The preacher is to be like one crying in the wilderness, prepare you the way for the coming of the Lord!

Not like the preacher who put his hand on a wasp in the pulpit one morning and let a yell out of him that was heard outside in the churchyard. Two of the deacons crossing to the church door looked at each other and said, oh, boy I think I am going to like this preacher.

No! No! No! But you are to preach it with all your heart as though you believed fully that your Lord would subdue all things unto himself. How is he going to do that? By preaching the gospel? No!

By social reform? No! By building bigger and better hog pens in the far country, instead of getting the prodigal home to the Fathers house? No! When he comes Apocalyptically! Listen! Listen! He’s not coming to hold a summit conference with His enemies. He is not coming to reconcile, He did that the first time, He is coming to destroy, to conquer and to subdue!

The day of reconciliation will be over; the day of retribution will begin.

Preaching must be apostolic, authoritative, absolute, affectionate, and apocalyptic! That my dear people is the way ahead, and can I say it with feeling, the only way ahead!

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