Short devotion: Crazy Preachers - Acts 7:51

Acts 7:51         “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”

            Stephen was a mighty preacher and spoke the truth bluntly, but in the end it cost him his life. He was convinced in his heart that his own people needed to be challenged and convicted by the Holy Spirit before they could be changed. He wasn’t doing it out of malice or malcontent; he was doing it because he wanted the people to humbly come to Christ and be saved. The pity about his passionate preaching was this: the people refused to listen to what God called upon him to say.

            Prophetic preaching is very rarely heard these days. People like us go to church to be lifted up, not sorted out. We are looking for words of encouragement and spiritual means of support to get us through each week. We need to know that God loves us and approves of who we are, what we are doing, and what we hope to achieve. We seek meritorious blessings from God and practical ways to fulfill our dreams. We come for something from God and feel empty when we get nothing from the service, the preacher, or the worship.

            Stephen didn’t last long as a preacher. Acts chapter 7 contains most of what he passionately preached on that ill-fated day. The people were infuriated and turned into an ugly mob. They reacted that way because Stephen was meddling with their cherished beliefs, their own understanding, and spiritual feelings for God. To be told that they were doing it all wrong was just unthinkable, unacceptable, and blasphemous. So they did the very thing that he was preaching about: they killed another prophet. In their fury, they did not realize or refused to recognize that they were guilty of the very things that Stephen was pointing out. The preacher preached the truth in order to change their lives; all his hearers did was to deny his words, his message, and then take his life.

            Stephen wouldn’t last long in our society either. He would upset our comfort zones and tread on our toes. He would meddle through his preaching and push us away from God. We wouldn’t stone him; we would just completely ignore him. That’s why prophetic preachers are so rarely found these days – they just don’t want to rock the boat or upset the church. Preachers and church people are alike because they suffer from the same condition: they just can’t handle the Truth.

Questions for personal reflection

Have I ever been ‘stung’ by a sermon? What did I honestly think about the preacher?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, Your Gospel is not easy to preach, teach, or even accept. We want to live our own lives peacefully and happily, freely and prosperously. We forget that our faith costs lives, even in today’s world. Speak to our spirits today and express to us what we need to change in our lives in order to truly follow You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com. John welcomes your comments and questions.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Psalm drawings. It’s based on a verse from Psalm 134. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8574831320_492585350d_b.jpg

Christmas Advent devotion: Not Just Words - Matthew 12:37

Matthew 12:37            For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

As a preaching pastor and teaching elder, this verse is taken very seriously by me. I’ve preached since I was 21 in various churches, meeting places, and streets. I’ve often expressed the Gospel in challenging ways and I’ve also experienced some sharp criticisms for doing so.

I don’t like to see people upset with what I preach, but at the same time, I won’t preach a Gospel that is watered down or untrue. The words that I use and how I say them are all under Christ’s judgment; so in the end, it’s not what other people’s feelings or opinions that are important, it’s about the truth of the Gospel and the uncompromising demands that Christ expects of all of us.

Over the decades that I’ve preached, I’ve dealt with various people who feel they’ve been picked upon by the pastor and pressured by a bully pulpit. However, in almost all of the cases, personal dislikes, questionable lifestyle choices, and selfish addictions or obsessions were at the root of their protests. They didn’t care if Jesus was actually challenging them; they didn’t give a hoot if it was clear from statements made in the Gospels. If it offended them, it was clearly wrong in their eyes. Rather than be challenged and changed, they chalked it up to bad preaching and a misguided messenger.

Life is too short to get sermons wrong. Souls will end up in jeopardy by pointless preaching. Preaching the Word, teaching the Truth, and healing the people are not easy in a society that is self-absorbed. It always comes at a cost to the preacher; it always comes down to Christ’s judgment of our words.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we live in a world that thinks it can get along without Your challenging ways; some of us even belong to churches that are keen to please society and go along with the maddening crowd. Remind us that our allegiance is to You alone, and not the world or culture we live in. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest nativity drawing called “Massai Madonna.” It’s a depiction of Mary and Jesus as if they had been living in Africa. You can view a larger version of the image at the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6450888287_328ef9574d_b.jpg

Lent Devotions: Puzzling Preacher

Mark 6:20b         When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

There’s a story told about a Protestant pastor who was arrested by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. As well as being tortured and interrogated, he was also summoned into the presence of Hitler to talk about faith and theology. On each occasion, the pastor was so terrified that he could hardly say anything. Years later, when the war ended, he regretted the fact that he didn’t use his faith to make the evil dictator change his course. Hitler had appeared ready to listen, but the pastor couldn’t get over his fear.

It appears that Herod, the cruel king of Judah, was also willing to listen to a preacher. From the Gospels we learn that Herod liked to listen to John the Baptist, but was greatly puzzled by what he had to say. John must have challenged Herod’s thinking and stirred his conscience in ways that other men could not. Herod was so used to having his own way on his own terms that John’s words were so different. The preacher was telling the king to repent and this puzzled Herod because he ruled absolutely and had no trouble with his decisions. But there was something in John’s preaching that left him troubled and unsettled, possibly because Herod came up against direct honesty for the first time in his life.

I read a survey this morning from the Pew Research Council which seems to reveal that young people between the ages of 18-29 believe in God, but that they have no need for institutionalized religion or preachers. It makes me wonder what kind of faith that they really have (or don’t have). I know that Christ, the Holy Son of God, still went to worship in traditional institutionalized faith gatherings each week. I also know that it was His preaching that changed the world and that after Pentecost, all the remaining disciples became preachers. They shook up the world and, I firmly believe, they are still capable of doing that today.

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of preaching and for the preachers who have influenced our lives, affected our ways, and challenged our ideas. We pray that You will raise up a new generation of young preachers who can relate to their peers in honest, direct, and challenging ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s drawing of a bluebird and is called “First of Spring.” It’s part of his bird series which you can view online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/sets/72157623366524553/detail/

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Effective Preaching

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

I’ve been preaching for more than thirty years and throughout that time, some people have asked me how can I stand up before other people and preach the Word. They often tell me that they are terrified of speaking in public, so they wonder how I do it week after week.

The secret is twofold: firstly, preaching is not public speaking. Making a speech before your business associates or presenting a project to a group of peers is entirely different. That’s part of a marketing transaction or a management structure. You present what you know and hope that everyone buys into the product. The success of the presentation is based upon how effectively you manage to persuade potential customers or team members. It’s a sales pitch and although some Christian writers would have us believe that preaching is the same, it isn’t.

And that brings me to secret number two: effective preaching depends upon the presence of the Holy Spirit, not the oratory of the preacher, nor the content of the sermon. I’ve heard some life changing sermons given by the meekest of preachers. They have not been dynamic or extroverted, but their words have been endowed by the Holy Spirit. True preachers do not believe in themselves; instead they have confidence in God and present their sermon through the power of Christ living in them.

So this Sunday, when your pastor steps into the pulpit, or stands behind a lectern, or walks across the sanctuary floor to present his or her sermon, open your hearts and minds to this important question: what is the Holy Spirit communicating to me through this sermon? I guarantee that if you have confidence in seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance at that time, you will be richly rewarded through what the preacher offers with the sermon.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we thank You for the power of preaching through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Open our hearts and minds this coming Sunday to what You want us to hear. Help our preachers to seek Your favorable and guiding presence as they set out to preach God’s Word to God’s people. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.