I recently read a sermon by Dr. Elliott of Kingswood University. He made a profound statement about pastors. Here’s an excerpt:
On any given Sunday, in addition to being mindful of peoples’ eternal destiny, the survival of a marriage, the possibility of suicide, choices about employment, how someone will deal with bitterness, unforgiveness, financial ruin or an unwanted pregnancy, all may hang in the balance based upon what we say from the pulpit.
Searching For A Person
Dr. Elliott is right. There are desperate needs all around each of us. So many people are on the brink of disaster, and they’re searching for someone that cares about them; those people are us.
As a disciple of Jesus, we need to be bold (not harsh or insincere). Jesus never hesitated to speak to strangers (John 4:1-42) and draw out what troubled them so they could be healed.
There is an account about the Apostle John that Saint Jerome recorded. It is said that when the Apostle John was very old, he would be carried on a platform to various churches. Each time, the Apostle John preached the same sermon, which was very brief. He would say, “My dear children, love one another.”
Not Just In The Pulpit
One time the Apostle John was asked why he always preached the same sermon. His answer was, “Because it is the precept of the Lord (John 13:34), and if you comply with it, you do enough.”
It’s not just in the pulpit, but in our daily walk where we rub shoulders with people that are dealing with their eternity, the survival of a marriage, the possibility of suicide, choices about employment, bitterness, unforgiveness, financial ruin, an unwanted pregnancy; all may be hanging in the balance. Jesus said, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
Photo by Cindy Tang on Unsplash
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https://rockexcavationservice.org/2019/10/02/deserts-are-not-just-gps-coordinates/