Moment With The Master
“A Model for Preaching”
Categories: Moment With The MasterTo them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus". (Colossians 1:27-28 NKJV)
As an Apostle and servant of Christ, Paul also served as a model for evangelism. Paul was a suffering saint and prisoner of the Lord. All of his strivings were motivated by man’s greatest cause – the cause of Christ. In his life’s work, Paul can be a model for us.
The subject of his preaching is Christ. Paul says: “we proclaim Him”! His message did not consist of vain philosophy or religious tradition (Colossians 2:8). Thus, our mission is to uphold Christ – to proclaim his death, burial, and resurrection, to draw portraits of His life, to herald His grace, and to clearly spell out His demands.
The scope of his preaching is all mankind. Paul says, “We admonish every man”. C.S. Lewis stated: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, marry, snub, and exploit- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” What a sobering thought. No one is safe without Jesus! All men are accountable to God. Thus, our mission is to generously scatter the seed.
The method of Paul’s preaching is practical instruction – “warning and teaching”. The goal must be to convict the sinner of his guilt (Romans 3:23), and encourage them by the offers of the gospel. The terms of pardon are "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Acts 20:21) This also includes submission to God in baptism. (Acts 2:28)
The goal of gospel preaching is to “present every man perfect in Christ”. The work of the preacher is to mold lives and develop character. Redeeming the sinner of guilt and saving the eternal soul are important, but the work is not finished with conversion. It only begins there. In fact the eternal goals will not be realized unless one grows on toward perfection in Christ.
It was to this work Paul devoted all of his energy. It is to this same ministry Christians are also called. There is not a more important endeavor.
By George Slover
