Justin Adams Posted March 30, 2021 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 25 Topic Count: 61 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 9,605 Content Per Day: 3.97 Reputation: 7,795 Days Won: 21 Joined: 09/11/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted March 30, 2021 RESPONSIBILITY: Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation. --Charles G. Finney, December 4, 1873 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starise Posted March 31, 2021 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 13 Topic Count: 279 Topics Per Day: 0.21 Content Count: 13,081 Content Per Day: 9.75 Reputation: 13,561 Days Won: 149 Joined: 08/26/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted March 31, 2021 I dunno Justin. Many good godly men have preached to many deaf ears, so does the blame always rest only on the pulpit? Some maybe. Possibly a similar way to look at this is to examine Christians who shirk their responsibilities. All Christians. Not only the payed ones preaching behind pulpits. No doubt false teachers will mislead droves of people. Those pretend preachers and prophets. Even if everyone did their jobs well there would still be plenty who would go the wrong way. It was put to me once the idea that if the Lord told me to speak to someone and I passed it up, if that person ended up in hell. Would that be my responsibility? More likely, I would be held to answer for it. The Lord would still make a way for that person through some other means to accept Him since ALL men will have no excuse before Him if they reject Him. I see these callings as opportunities and responsibilities if and when they come along. Larger concentrations of Christian people in an area seem to usually be blessed. They in turn bless others from what I have seen, yet this is a residual effect on outward blessing and community stability that has no individual eternal consequence for lost souls. I see the pulpit as primarily calling to the saved with maybe a few curious involved unsaved stragglers. The larger ministry is out there, outside of the church I think. The evangelist OTOH is a sort of structured point to point missionary. Sometimes they visit churches in an attempt to shake a few of them out of their stupors. The church...the pulpit has lately been reaching out through streamed services more and more as a result of COVID, taking on a dual role of both missionary, evangelist and local preacher. The success of this can only be measured in the genuine interest it generates. Some weeks there's a small number of people who actually dropped buy to listen, and a few of them were absentee members. Actual effectiveness is minimal IMO as compared to personal one on one ministry from Christians to the world in real time. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddyv Posted March 31, 2021 Group: Royal Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 4,264 Content Per Day: 2.93 Reputation: 2,302 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/03/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted March 31, 2021 We are all called to be salt and light. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael37 Posted March 31, 2021 Group: Servant Followers: 21 Topic Count: 241 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 6,946 Content Per Day: 3.27 Reputation: 4,868 Days Won: 2 Joined: 07/05/2018 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/23/1954 Share Posted March 31, 2021 19 hours ago, Justin Adams said: RESPONSIBILITY: Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation. --Charles G. Finney, December 4, 1873 Do away with pulpits then if they are such a problem . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heleadethme Posted March 31, 2021 Group: Royal Member Followers: 15 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,371 Content Per Day: 1.36 Reputation: 3,268 Days Won: 5 Joined: 07/10/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted March 31, 2021 On 3/30/2021 at 6:40 AM, Justin Adams said: RESPONSIBILITY: Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation. --Charles G. Finney, December 4, 1873 I see the point, those who teach will receive a stricter judgment, and if they are leading others astray they will have more to answer for. Though everyone will be judged for their own part.....when the priests bear rule by their means, and the people love to have it so, 'the people' will have to answer for themselves as well. The whole idea of pulpits and 'pulpit ministry' is an invention of man to start with, in departing from the simplicity of Christ. So no wonder it eventually leads astray and produces fruit that God didn't intend. He wants the whole Body to be lifted up and functioning with all its gifts, not just one gift functioning in a way that keeps all the others from functioning. The right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing applies to everyone including leadership, as well as the concept of being hidden in Christ. Maybe we could say it applies especially to them since they are to lead by setting the example. Shepherds in the middle east lead their flocks from behind, that is something to think about. We've been doing things all wrong in the churches for so long. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alive Posted March 31, 2021 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 22 Topic Count: 194 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 11,053 Content Per Day: 6.54 Reputation: 9,015 Days Won: 36 Joined: 09/12/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/09/1956 Share Posted March 31, 2021 May I suggest a good book to read? 'The Torch of the Testimony' John W. Kennedy It will both educate on church history and provide encouragement...and perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamL Posted June 13, 2021 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 99 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 5,117 Content Per Day: 1.48 Reputation: 2,555 Days Won: 4 Joined: 11/06/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/01/1950 Share Posted June 13, 2021 On 3/30/2021 at 4:40 AM, Justin Adams said: If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. Tell that to Noah, who preached repentance for 120 years. And the result? 8 souls saved. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedragon Posted May 12, 2022 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 26 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 289 Content Per Day: 0.39 Reputation: 131 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/20/2022 Status: Offline Share Posted May 12, 2022 I have said for a long time. "On the day after the Great Rapture. Churches will be filled with pew sitters and in some cases led by their pastors, looking around and wondering what in the world just happened? " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selah7 Posted May 13, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 11 Topic Count: 56 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 2,610 Content Per Day: 2.44 Reputation: 3,182 Days Won: 11 Joined: 05/25/2021 Status: Offline Share Posted May 13, 2022 11 hours ago, Bluedragon said: I have said for a long time. "On the day after the Great Rapture. Churches will be filled with pew sitters and in some cases led by their pastors, looking around and wondering what in the world just happened? " What is the Great Rapture? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted May 13, 2022 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 71 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,137 Content Per Day: 7.06 Reputation: 13,089 Days Won: 97 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted May 13, 2022 7 hours ago, Selah7 said: What is the Great Rapture? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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