The Preacher
The preacher is a link between heaven and earth; he stands between God and man.
He speaks of God and he speaks of man; he divides his sermon before God’s people between representing God and His interests and also the people and their interests.
This work of connecting divine and human interests is love in action. The typical object lesson also performed this function. It brought to the minds of the audience both heavenly and earthly things. It communicated that the things of God were not the only thing to rejoice in or to love. The things of man were also important and cause for rejoicing; this mixing together of the two by heaven’s representative declared that God cares for man and his interests.
When the preacher can speak of nothing else but God, he soon loses his audience. Although his aim is to connect the listeners with God, he must not focus solely on what God has done—as essential as God’s works are. He must bring into his message experiences of man, generally speaking, and in particular, experiences of the people sitting before him.
They people must be drawn into the message at hand, and this is done through subjects with which they are familiar—earthly things, common things, current events. Jesus did this all the time, as well did all His inspired representatives. And that gave much power to His messages and to those of His designated spokespersons.
I once read the book, The Art of Preaching. One thing I noticed was the author’s adamant thought that the pulpit should never ever be used to say anything funny. Yet, I must disagree. Jesus said some things that were on the light side and delightfully funny. Of course, this was not His constant diet for the listening multitudes. But what we read is that the people heard Him “gladly.”
What spurs me on here is that I’ve seen this in the preaching of Elder Morris Venden, preaching that blended the engaging anecdote and story, even funny antics, with appeals to the heart through the beautiful examples of Jesus’ love for mankind. Whether His dealings with Peter, John, Moses or Aaron, the love of God was blazed on our hearts and minds through the fatherly preaching of that servant of God. Those were glorious days.
But the preaching I hear anymore, even from the denomination’s most sought out preachers, is dead and absent of Jesus. Too often it is suffocating and unwelcoming. Elder Venden’s love for Jesus, his faith in Christ’s acceptance and respect of God’s Law and the Spirit of Prophecy, gave him the confidence to touch touchy subjects as well as bring some light funniness into his talks. He never failed to keep his audience’s attention and to get his message through to them.
My first introduction to Jesus was through this faithful messenger of Jesus. After each of his sermons during that week of prayer, I would just sit, glued to my seat in the college church sanctuary, not wanting to disturb the things I had just learned about God’s love.
As the vitamin and minerals are the keys to open each cell’s door for the entrance of glucose, the cell’s nutrition, so laughter and a family atmosphere paves the way for the entrance of truth to the soul and invites the soul to trust in its Savior.
I know we live in serious times. I know the work of the gospel needs to go to all the world. But, “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zech. 4:6). The preacher cannot force truth upon anyone’s mind. “He that winneth souls is wise.” (Prov. 11:30). The speaker must win the mind, win the faculties, win the allegiance of his hearers’ hearts. And this must be done by condescending to their level, stretching out his hand for them to grasp by speaking to their interests and things familiar to them, and then bringing in the holy things of God.
The work of the servant of God is a weaving together the holy and the mundane, the sinless with the sinner, the Spirit and flesh. This is our only hope. This is Jesus, who was the ladder Jacob dreamed of, stretching from earth to heaven, angels being enabled to do their missionary work for our uplifting, and principalities and powers being subject to Him. Our great Advocate, He is the “The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” (Is. 58:12).
He speaks of God and he speaks of man; he divides his sermon before God’s people between representing God and His interests and also the people and their interests.
This work of connecting divine and human interests is love in action. The typical object lesson also performed this function. It brought to the minds of the audience both heavenly and earthly things. It communicated that the things of God were not the only thing to rejoice in or to love. The things of man were also important and cause for rejoicing; this mixing together of the two by heaven’s representative declared that God cares for man and his interests.
When the preacher can speak of nothing else but God, he soon loses his audience. Although his aim is to connect the listeners with God, he must not focus solely on what God has done—as essential as God’s works are. He must bring into his message experiences of man, generally speaking, and in particular, experiences of the people sitting before him.
They people must be drawn into the message at hand, and this is done through subjects with which they are familiar—earthly things, common things, current events. Jesus did this all the time, as well did all His inspired representatives. And that gave much power to His messages and to those of His designated spokespersons.
I once read the book, The Art of Preaching. One thing I noticed was the author’s adamant thought that the pulpit should never ever be used to say anything funny. Yet, I must disagree. Jesus said some things that were on the light side and delightfully funny. Of course, this was not His constant diet for the listening multitudes. But what we read is that the people heard Him “gladly.”
What spurs me on here is that I’ve seen this in the preaching of Elder Morris Venden, preaching that blended the engaging anecdote and story, even funny antics, with appeals to the heart through the beautiful examples of Jesus’ love for mankind. Whether His dealings with Peter, John, Moses or Aaron, the love of God was blazed on our hearts and minds through the fatherly preaching of that servant of God. Those were glorious days.
But the preaching I hear anymore, even from the denomination’s most sought out preachers, is dead and absent of Jesus. Too often it is suffocating and unwelcoming. Elder Venden’s love for Jesus, his faith in Christ’s acceptance and respect of God’s Law and the Spirit of Prophecy, gave him the confidence to touch touchy subjects as well as bring some light funniness into his talks. He never failed to keep his audience’s attention and to get his message through to them.
My first introduction to Jesus was through this faithful messenger of Jesus. After each of his sermons during that week of prayer, I would just sit, glued to my seat in the college church sanctuary, not wanting to disturb the things I had just learned about God’s love.
As the vitamin and minerals are the keys to open each cell’s door for the entrance of glucose, the cell’s nutrition, so laughter and a family atmosphere paves the way for the entrance of truth to the soul and invites the soul to trust in its Savior.
I know we live in serious times. I know the work of the gospel needs to go to all the world. But, “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zech. 4:6). The preacher cannot force truth upon anyone’s mind. “He that winneth souls is wise.” (Prov. 11:30). The speaker must win the mind, win the faculties, win the allegiance of his hearers’ hearts. And this must be done by condescending to their level, stretching out his hand for them to grasp by speaking to their interests and things familiar to them, and then bringing in the holy things of God.
The work of the servant of God is a weaving together the holy and the mundane, the sinless with the sinner, the Spirit and flesh. This is our only hope. This is Jesus, who was the ladder Jacob dreamed of, stretching from earth to heaven, angels being enabled to do their missionary work for our uplifting, and principalities and powers being subject to Him. Our great Advocate, He is the “The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” (Is. 58:12).
posted by David | 3:57 AM
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