Sermons - John 4:42

John 4:42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (NIV)

As a preacher of the Gospel, I put a lot of time, research, and effort into creating and writing a sermon. I try to make it both a teaching instrument, as well as a challenging one. The whole purpose of a sermon, in my opinion, is to draw someone closer to Christ. In today’s cosmopolitan world, this is not a given, even among church folks. People have so many different sources of information that it is very easy to get distracted from our Christian Gospel roots and dabble in other faiths which, although they may have some good points, actually lead people away from Christ.

            The ending of the Gospel story of the woman at the well finishes with her people becoming completely convinced that Jesus is the Savior of the entire world. They no longer need to be persuaded by her testimony; they have reached that life-changing moment for themselves. This is exactly the point of conversion that every preacher hopes their sermons will attain. It occurs when the preacher’s words become real, when the power of the Gospel actually enters the hearts and minds of the hearers of God’s Word.

            So long as I live and am able, I will continue to preach and write about the Gospel in the hope that someone, somewhere, and at some time, will make that connection to Jesus. In my opinion, it’s absolutely crucial for every person to make that decision; and it’s eternally necessary for those who want to be with Christ beyond this world.

Point to ponder

Have I accepted Jesus as the Savior of the World? If so, how do I display my faith in Him alone?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, life is beautiful and wonderful, a time and space to enjoy and explore. However, life is not a game to play, but a gift to prepare ourselves to be with You forever. Help us to both understand and accept this reality today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s bulletin cover drawings called “I Am the Way.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Way.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also send John an email to Traqair@aol.com.

May 05 devotion - Preaching Everywhere

Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. (NIV)

            Preaching has always been at the heart of the Christian Church ever since it was established. The Good News of the Gospel has been constantly proclaimed in every nation and generation since the time of Christ sending out His disciples. Without preaching, Christianity would never have expanded beyond Judah and Galilee. With preaching, even people who live in the remotest areas of the world can hear and respond to Christ’s mission.

            In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, the quality of sermons was the number #1 reason why people choose to go to church. Even after two thousand years of progress, technological advances, and sophisticated communication gadgets, preaching still draws people to Christ. I guess this is why Jesus sent out His disciples to preach in order to continue His mission on Earth. Preaching was, still is, and possibly always will be the bridge between God’s Word and Christ’s people.

            You may think that as a preacher, I am personally biased about this. To some degree that may be true, however, it places a serious burden of responsibility on me to preach the Gospel truth, even though I may not want to because some folks in the pews may not like to hear what God has given me to say. It would be only too easy to preach a message of being nice, pleasant, and courteous to one another, but the Gospel of Christ is often hard to proclaim, tough to receive, and difficult to embrace. If this wasn’t the case, Jesus would never have been crucified.

            As each Sunday approaches, I and preachers like me greatly appreciate the prayers of the people for both the preparation and presentation of the sermon. It is a unique opportunity to teach the faith, preach the truth, and help the church. It is also a solemn responsibility to present God’s Word and reveal Christ’s Way for the world, as it always has been for almost two thousand years. J

Point to ponder

How does preaching affect my faith? What is the best sermon I have heard?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, be with your preachers throughout the Earth who are busy preparing their sermons. Let Your Spirit guide their words and may Your people be inspired by all that is truly proclaimed. Bless us all through Your Holy Word. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s is image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called ‘Spirit of ‘17’. You can view a larger version at this link: Spirit17.