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 Do not judge a minister... -brooks


[b]Do not judge a minister...[/b]

(Thomas Brooks, "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ")

"Consider carefully what you hear." Mark 4:24

It is sad to see how many preachers in our days, make
it their business to enrich men's heads with high, empty,
airy notions; instead of enriching their souls with saving
truths.

Fix yourself under that man's ministry, who makes it his
business, his work to enrich the soul, to win the soul, and
to build up the soul; not to tickle the ear, or please the
fancy. This age is full of such light, delirious souls--who
dislike everything--but what is empty and airy.

Do not judge a minister . . .
by his voice, nor
by the multitude who follow him, nor
by his affected tone, nor
by his rhetoric and flashes of wit;
but by the holiness, heavenliness, and spiritualness
of his teaching. Many ministers are like empty orators,
who have a flood of words--but a drop of matter.

Some preachers affect rhetorical strains; they seek abstrusities,
and love to hover and soar aloft in dark and cloudy expressions,
and so shoot their arrows over their hearers' heads--instead of
bettering their hearers' hearts. Mirthful things in a sermon
are only for men to gaze upon and admire. He is the best
preacher, not who tickles the ear--but who breaks the heart.

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and
persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's
power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom,
but on God's power." 1 Corinthians 2:4-5


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2007/1/4 0:04Profile
tjservant
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Joined: 2006/8/25
Posts: 1658
Indiana USA

 Re: Do not judge a minister... -brooks

AMEN !!

God Bless

TJ


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TJ

 2007/1/4 0:15Profile
Goldminer
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Joined: 2006/11/7
Posts: 1178
Alabama

 Re: Do not judge a minister... -brooks

quote:

He is the best
preacher, not who tickles the ear--but who breaks the heart.

This is so good, thanks for sharing it.


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KLC

 2007/1/4 0:19Profile
Smokey
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Joined: 2005/2/21
Posts: 417
Edmonton Alberta Cda.

 Re: Do not judge a minister... -brooks



Truly a word for the day. Amen

Blessings Greg


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Greg

 2007/1/4 2:00Profile
RobertW
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Joined: 2004/2/12
Posts: 4636
St. Joseph, Missouri

 Re:

Quote:
"My message and my preaching were not with wise and
persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's
power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom,
but on God's power." 1 Corinthians 2:4-5



Interesting how this passage seems to suggest that the greatness of the message and preaching was not in the eloquence, but in the dunamis (power). A simple message backed by the power of God piercing hearts and pricking the conscience. Not relying on carefully crafted sayings that come off as 'anointed', but raw power and unction meeting the hearer where they are with what is sufficient to reach them. I see 2007 as a year that renders much of what we have come to believe as sufficient as inadequite. The Gospel is sufficient always, but the mixture of so much of men and men's device has watered down its effectiveness. Too much man getting God's glory. Too much of speakers being glorified and not the God of the message. We must exalt Him. We must decrease and He must increase. Many will realize that this year. They will step out of the way and let God ________. What ever He wants to do- it will be His working. We have derived too much of our significance and personal glory from our association with Him. He will not share His glory with another in that sense. HE must be glorified in all we do. It has to be about HIM and not us in any way.


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Robert Wurtz II

 2007/1/4 10:08Profile
roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: a serious calling

Some quotes that add food for thought (by I R Hall):

What you are, your preaching is – good or bad.

The best sermon is preached by a minister who has a sermon to preach and not by the man who has to preach a sermon.

John Wesley said, “All who perish are my parish”

Unless we see the need, feel the pain, and are moved with compassion we are unlikely to minister effectively.”

When the life has gone out of the preacher,
it is not long before it is gone from the church also.

The evidence reveals the failure of those entrusted with the things of God:

Quote:
I see 2007 as a year that renders much of what we have come to believe as sufficient as inadequite.


”For Christ's love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Cor 5:14-20


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Diane

 2007/1/4 10:33Profile
myfirstLove
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Joined: 2005/11/26
Posts: 496


 Re:

Quote:
Interesting how this passage seems to suggest that the greatness of the message and preaching was not in the eloquence, but in the dunamis (power). A simple message backed by the power of God piercing hearts and pricking the conscience. Not relying on carefully crafted sayings that come off as 'anointed', but raw power and unction meeting the hearer where they are with what is sufficient to reach them. I see 2007 as a year that renders much of what we have come to believe as sufficient as inadequite. The Gospel is sufficient always, but the mixture of so much of men and men's device has watered down its effectiveness. Too much man getting God's glory. Too much of speakers being glorified and not the God of the message. We must exalt Him. We must decrease and He must increase. Many will realize that this year. They will step out of the way and let God ________. What ever He wants to do- it will be His working. We have derived too much of our significance and personal glory from our association with Him. He will not share His glory with another in that sense. HE must be glorified in all we do. It has to be about HIM and not us in any way.



amen, amen! God be glorified!

i sense the same for 2007!


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Lisa

 2007/1/4 11:45Profile
Nellie
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Joined: 2004/4/5
Posts: 952


 Re: Do not judge a minister... -brooks

Good Article, Greg.
God Bless
Nell

 2007/1/4 14:57Profile





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