The Preacher

by McCormick, F. | Category: The Preacher | May 1957

The work lies to your hand every day; in street, office, and workshop we rub shoulders with those for whom Christ died. Of the early disciples it is written

"And every day ... they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5.42).

"Now it is high time ... to awake out of sleep... the night far spent, and the day is at hand" (Romans 13.11, 12). Let

purpose and action-" Go out quickly," saith the master of the house.

Call them in, the weak, the weary,

Laden with the doom of sin;

Bid them come and rest in Jesus;

He is waiting, call them in."

We have referred to the great need for preachers, and also for

active soul-winners. Let us repeat that not all are called to be

preachers. There are diversities of gifts. (See 1 Corinthians 12;

Ephesians 4.)

Moreover, it is clear that the Lord never called or appointed women to be public heralds of the gospel, though we readily agree that there are private spheres of service wherein women may serve the Lord acceptably, and we are not unmindful that the man is not without the woman in the Lord. Nevertheless, it is the man who stands in public responsibility to speak for God; we therefore address our remarks to would-be preachers, and endeavour to set forth some of the required qualifications from the Scriptures.

The preacher, from the most gifted to the least, must be one who is called and sent. I t was true of Christ, and of the apostles, and in lesser degree of others, so we read,

"He called unto Him His twelve disciples."

These twelve Jesus sent forth." (Matthew 10. 1, 5.)

Here is a call toward the Lord; the potential preacher must bear His call, and come to the Person possessed of all authority, listen to His voice and obey. They were to take their direction from Him and to Him who sent them they were accountable.

"And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and they told Him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught" (Mark 6.30).

Herein we may learn some simple principles relative to the call and accountability of the preacher, and these are amplified in other Scriptures. The same principles are seen in the sending forth of the seventy, and also in Matthew 28. Paul also was chosen, appointed, and sent (Acts 26.15-18). The Lord Himself was God's chosen and sent Servant, "And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor He hath sent Me to proclaim release to the captives ... to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD" (Luke 4.17-19).

Precious lessons may be gleaned here from the greatest of all preachers; anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, He read and conducted Himself with such dignity and grace that "the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him."

The personal demeanour of the preacher is an essential element to success in getting the message home; so is the manner in which the words are read and spoken: "And" they "wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of His mouth."

Preachers must be men endowed with the power of the Spirit of God, self-emptied and Spirit-filled. If this be so, there will be nothing of self in the message or in the demeanour of the preacher. The preacher must ever strive to do all things to the glory of God, and remember that on the one hand he is entrusted to bring the greatest of all blessings to those to whom he is sent, while, on the other hand, the most solemn issues are involved. The preacher, therefore, must be faithful to Him who sent him, and also faithful to his hearers in the proclamation of the message. Paul said, "He counted me faithful, appointing me to His service" (1 Timothy i. 12). Preachers should be men of undeviating purpose and transparent honesty, commending their message by reason of what they are in character, and manner of life.

"Seeing we have this ministry ... we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Corinthians 4.1, 2).

McCormick, F. | May 1957
The Preacher