What Makes for a Good Preacher?

Hi this is Bill Meyer and I want to let you know we are so thankful for our podcast audience. We want to hear from you.

Give us a call Monday through Friday at 11:30 AM Pacific time at 833-843-2673. That's 833. The core what makes for a good preacher.

That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi, I'm Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez. Happy Friday to you.

This is the radio show where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day and we would love to hear from your phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so and you can call us with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

By the way, you can also watch atrial live in the studio on YouTube right now and send us a message through our YouTube channel and you can always post your question on one of our other social media sites or email us and our email addresses questions@corechristianity.com first up today let's go to a voicemail received from one of our listeners named Joanne and Karen, my brother and his wife are Jehovah's Witnesses and my brother was talk about Jesus all the time and this is really been asked nothing in our family. Is it actually called because I know they don't eat. He doesn't eat pork anymore and this is all kind of things and I want to confront kind of talk to them about it and find out what what was the switch. Now I don't know if he's going along with his wife enough to keep peace in the family. I just don't want him being drug off hell for not being a believer anyway, thank you Joanne. I think we should begin just by praying for your brother for his wife, praying for you, asking the Lord to give you guidance in your conversations with him and then certainly to be at work in your brother's life and his family heavenly father we come before you.

Right now I want to pray for Joanne and specifically Lloyd for her brother Lord God. We know that you are the one who opens the heart Lord that got its only by the work of your Holy Spirit, and I pray for for this man that you would open his heart to understand your word to know your son Jesus as he is revealed in Scripture. Not not as the Jehovah's Witnesses, teach Jesus to be. But as your word proclaims Jesus to be father.

Would you open his heart, which open his wife's heart and I pray that you would be at work in them and would you please give Joanne wisdom understanding in your word.

The ability to have conversations about this Lord and to bring your your gospel to bear in the midst of those conversations, and so would you be with her.

I pray in Jesus name, amen Joanne, you asked the question.

You know you are Jehovah's Witnesses in a cult is the watchtower organization occult and I would say yes. I mean there been different ways that people have defined what a cult is not think that I see in in and among Jehovah's Witnesses that that raise concerns in my mind besides the doctor to me. The doctrine is the most concerning thing, but it seems to me, and in the times I've had conversations with Jehovah's Witnesses that there really isn't a lot of room to question I five sat down on multiple occasions with Jehovah's Witnesses times with with the same group trying to dig into the Scriptures, and in I realize that over it.

Especially if you're if you're challenging them. If you're asking hard questions if there beginning to doubt their immediately told to back away not to continue to have that discussion is in the that they're taught exactly how to believe how to think. There's not a lot of room for questioning and and if you do begin to question or if you leave, you know that they they they have this disfellowshipped to fellow shipping process that makes it really scary for people that are a part of this this organization to to leave that they're just basically cut off from from everything those things concern me but the most concerning thing is, I think that they don't understand who Jesus is and because they don't understand who Jesus is. They don't have the true gospel people who embrace the doctrine and the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be Christians are not believers because they reject core tenets of the Christian faith like the deity of Jesus Christ that Jehovah's Witnesses basically revived what was known as the what is known as the ancient Arian heresy this idea Arianism was was was an ancient heresy that was Webb essentially responded to by the church early on, confronted with the truth of Scripture.

And it's this idea that Jesus is not God of the creator, but that he himself is a created being. He was the first creature created by God in the still try to go to certain passages like in Colossians chapter 1 and elsewhere in the third twist, those verses around to it to make that point but they really can't and so that that the key focus I think in your conversations with your brother and with his family has to go to who Jesus is and what the gospel is only the eternal son of God could be the perfect representative of mankind come in the flesh, and provide the perfect atonement for our sins. If you misunderstand who Jesus is and you misunderstand his work.

Think then you cannot be saved. And so I would say praying for your brother opening up the Scriptures with him talking about these things in one resource that I would recommend to you is, is a book that we recommended on this broadcast many times I told core Christianity, written by by my friend Dr. Michael Horton and I think is the first chapter of his is just about the identity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and he goes to a number of passages of Scripture talks about some of the ancient heresies that that the church had to deal with, including the Arian heresy and why it's false. And again that's that's sort of what Jehovah's Witnesses are are trying to revive essentially and I think that resource that book. That book will help you and in thinking through how to have these discussions with your brother, and then other passages of Scripture may be that you could go to them.

The one actually that I mentioned, Jehovah's Witnesses will often go to sing in Colossians chapter 1, which is all about, that the supremacy of Jesus Christ that the preeminence of Jesus and what they'll say in in Colossians chapter 1 the quote verse 15 where it says he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, and thus I will see it says he's the firstborn of creation, but they misunderstand that the word firstborn, especially in light of that, the context that doesn't have to do it being the first created thing has to do with preeminence. David is called the firstborn Psalm 89 verse 27, even though he wasn't the firstborn amongst his brothers wisely called the firstborn because he had the preeminence of the power that's what what Paul is highlighting there in Colossians chapter 1, Paul makes it clear that by Jesus. All things were made.

That is, he is not a creature is in the category of creature like we are created being key is in the category of creator. He is the creator God.

John, in the beginning of his gospel John chapter 1 is by him all things were made and apart from him nothing was made that was made. There isn't one thing that exist in the universe that wasn't created by the true and living God by Jesus Christ and so these are number of of things that you can bring up but certainly sister continuing to pray to provide resources to keep the doors open for conversation and and just see what the Lord does God bless you your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine or theology. Maybe a question on what's going on in our culture right now and how the Christian faith intersects with that.

We would love to hear from you. You can call us for the next 15 minutes or so. And here is the phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, we have a great Bible study that we are offering today and it really is perfect for starting off the new year yeah and if you started reading the Bible is a part of your New Year's resolutions. I think this resource will really benefit you that the study is called how to read the Bible in one of the reasons it's so beneficial is because it helps to unpack. You know this. The significance of the different genres that we see in Scripture.

The relationship between the old and the New Testament said something that trips a lot of people up. You know what rules are we supposed to follow how we supposed to interpret the be prophecies in Scripture apocalyptic literature. It's important that that we study the Scripture, as it were in the word of God. Reading, but it's also important that we understand how to read the Bible and so get a hold of this resource. It's yours for donation of $20 or more over at core, Christianity.com is really an excellent study.

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That's what Eduardo did earlier.

He's watching us on YouTube right now. He says in Matthew chapter 5 Jesus seems to speak a lot about the kingdom of heaven, and how he is wondering how important is it for Christians to know what that kingdom is and is it here now yeah is sometimes the way people talk about this is that the kingdom is already and not yet that is that Jesus and his first coming did inaugurate the kingdom of God through preaching, through binding Satan through establishing his church and that the church here on earth really is a manifestation of God's kingdom.

Local churches right in your community that we might refer to them as kingdom outposts for the powers of the age to come, that the powers of God's kingdom or breaking in already.

Now, in this present world is on in a real sense than what Jesus Christ is accomplishing his life, death and resurrection. The kingdom of God is here present today in our midst. Jesus said were also looking forward to the consummation of God's kingdom. The new creation and so so so we said the kingdom is already in that it is also not yet now it is important for us to understand this one because I think it's just it's just how the Bible speaks Jesus talks about the kingdom of God here now present to his ministry to the church but but it's also clear that were looking forward to something were looking forward to the second coming of our Lord to the finalized establishment if you will, of the new creation where the whole world is glorified with the kingdoms of this world are done away with. And so that's the best way to think about it it's not that the kingdom of God is is just something that's for the future that we don't experience the power of God's kingdom now, and it's not that it's fully here today already know there's still a lot that that needs to happen there there there still the new creation that the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. And so were in that sort of already, not yet. Space will we could see the kingdom of God advancing we can. We pray for it's it's fullness to come. And isn't that what Jesus taught us to pray our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, bring the new creation. Jesus and so we pray in that way. Thank you for that question Eduardo God bless. Thanks Eduardo and thanks for being a regular listener to core Christianity by the way, you can email us your question anytime.

Here's her email address its questions at core, Christianity.com and were open to pretty much any question you might have about the Bible of the Christian life we got this email from Eric and he says I'm wondering how I should express myself when I'm writing about the Bible passages in Timothy and Corinthians warned against clever words and departing from the straightforward teaching of the Bible. Does this mean it's wrong to say things in a memorable way. I consider myself as having something of a way with words. But I'm wondering if this is really legit. I don't want to go against God's word. But I also don't want to give up, articulate, notice and saying things in a memorable way either. Can you please help me yeah yeah I know I five wrestled with this myself because in as a preacher your your wanting to communicate in a way that's clear and also in a way that that is can it keep people engaged and are to be interested in their gonna remember the things that you said but we also know that preaching is not supposed to you know be all about the preacher and you don't want people to walk away from your sermon and think boy, he has just such a great way with words in the passage of Scripture that you mention is want to read what Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 2, I think. I think this is key. So this is fundamentalist as you think about this.

He says when I came to your brothers.

Chapter 2 verse one of first Corinthians. I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling in my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God and other was central to our preaching has to be the cross of Christ and the gospel so that people are walking away thinking wow God is powerful. My faith is in here my faith is not in this individual how entertaining they are.

How how well they can string words together know I'm walking away with the clear image if you will of Jesus Christ. It's been placarded before me. It's what Paul said he he did for the Galatians he billboard it Jesus for them through the preaching and that's what good preaching does.

It applies the law of God to the people to the world that convicts us of sin and it also applies that the balm of the gospel that the hope that we have in Christ, the forgiveness of our sins so that we leave thinking Jesus is amazing. Not this person is amazing.

But Jesus is amazing. Now, does that mean that your preaching should be incoherent in this is try to let us try to meet or take away everything and no note. I think it's still important to interview with you want to use illustrations. I think that's helpful.

I use illustrations in my preaching your wanting to communicate the word clearly and your wanting to help apply it to the people that your preaching before and so ask God for wisdom. Make sure that Christ and his crossed it crosses central and and communicate in ways that are understandable with it are clear ways that that draw people in an appeal to the needs in the community where you're serving and apply Christ to to the people there preaching Jesus into the hearts of the people there, and may the Lord bless you as you do that no April 1 of the things I've noticed about your preaching as you have a lot of illustrations about Mexican food. Yeah, yeah, that sexy not true built but conflict that I got to try to think of Savino like what we were talking about the new creation earlier and everybody knows that the new creation is going to be huge taco bar and that it's gonna be super good. So there are no applications but I don't really make the those kinds of illustrations in this is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. We still have our phone lines open.

If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can give us a call at 833-843-2673. That's 833 the core. You can also leave a voicemail on that number as well.

Let's go to Linda in St. Louis, Missouri Linda, what's your question for Pastor Israel have a question, it was to a minister on TV and they he said that the Angels today still have a choice and I believe that could to answer that question. Hey, thanks for that question, Linda, and thanks for listening to our broadcast I don't see anything in Scripture that would indicate that angels are are going back and forth making the choice. Now it seems to me that their number is is set and so you have angels that fell with Satan and who are currently wicked angels, demonic beings, and then there's no repentance for them. There's no hope for them and then then then the angels who are good the author to the Hebrews refers to them as ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. That's Hebrews chapter 1 verse 14 we know that they they minister for the sake of God's people.

That is, they come to our aid. It really is this we can't see it. I wonder if one were in the presence of the Lord when were in heaven. Words can be shocked at how God used angels to strengthen us to sustain us to keep us and to encourage us in our walk with the Lord you you can't see it but but Jesus even makes this clear in the gospel of Matthew in Matthew chapter 18 verse 10, when Jesus talking about the little ones right who believe in him. He says that there angels always see the face of the father in heaven.

Sort of. The closest proof text that you're getting it for this idea of guardian angels if you will but but they served, they guardedly protect you see this throughout the Bible book of Genesis, not on wealth preaching through the situation. Sodom and Gomorrah were God judged and yet Angels that came in delivered lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah and so you have good angels you have bad angels and the good angels are sent out to minister for the sake of those who can inherit salvation. That's, that's, you and me, Linda, and so I don't I don't see any warrant for what this with this pastor on TV was saying that this the Scripture doesn't doesn't teach that anywhere.

As I think you're right for rejecting your listing to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez, just a reminder we have this great Bible study available on how to read the Bible.

If you just started reading the Bible for the very first time and this is a great resource to really help you understand the Bible more clearly and then apply it to your life and you can get a for donation of $20 or more by going to core Christianity.com/Bible again. Core, Christianity.com/Bible. Let's go to YouTube question that came in from one of our listeners.

When is the right time to leave the church and to like is a question that that a lot of people have believed that we answered a very similar question earlier this this week. Here's here's also the time it gets the right time to leave a church when Jesus has left that church unit Revelation chapters 2 and three. You have these these letters given to the seven churches. They are in Asia minor, Jesus speaking to them and calling them to repent and some of them were were really going off the deep end in terms of unit what what they believed and how they were living, and some of the churches. Jesus even even threatened to to close them down to remove their lampstand. Why because they were rejecting the truth. They were living in ways that were not honoring to the Lord.

And so if if a church has the name of church of said this before. This is called the church doesn't mean it's actually a church is mean Jesus is present there. How do we know Jesus present while his present by his word and spirit are the ordinances that he gave for the body of Christ.

And so if you have a church that you know they get together and the word of God is not being faithfully taught worship is not being conducted according to what Jesus said in his word. There is no accountability. They don't take sin seriously. Those kinds of things will then you you really need to ask yourself the question is Jesus here. If the word of Jesus isn't being preached and the presence of Christ is communicated to us to the word to be ordinances. The sacraments of those things aren't happening then is Jesus here is this just a fun sort of group of people of the other like to get together and maybe talk about moral issues and whatnot all or have a nice sort of self-help talk that they hear it makes you feel good about themselves and if that's what it is I would say leave the church, don't. Don't be a part of. But if the word of God is being faithfully taught and you have sinners that are gathering their under the gospel seeking to grow together in the word on us.

I would say strive to continue to be a part of that body to grow together with with the people there to serve with the gifts that God is given to you. You know, each of us are gifted by the Lord in unique ways.

Paul makes this clear in first Corinthians chapter 12 and that the judge the church as healthy as each of us with the gifts that God is given to us are contributing to the building up of the body and so you need the church and in a very real sense the church needs you, your gifts, the ways in which Jesus has gifted you specifically and so if it's a faithful Bible teaching church, Christ is exalted where sin is dealt with. Our people are growing together. You may not know like the style of music they may not have all the programs that you enjoy your or would like for them to have. But I would say stick it out and fight to grow together their under the word with other believers. God bless by the way, we have a great core question on this topic. How do I choose a church you can find that@corechristianity.com/downloads just look for how do I choose a church. It really is a question that came in via email from Kristin. She says how do we know which son Abraham really took up to the mountain to sacrifice Isaac or Ishmael. Why does Genesis 22 say take your only son to be sacrificed.

That is why Muslims believe it to be Ishmael as he was the firstborn. How can be weekly. Be sure which Scripture is correct yeah why mean II think that Genesis 22 and following is pretty clear that the sun that was was taken up was Isaac with a limit is beginning in verse one of chapter 20 after things God tested Abraham and said him, Abraham, and he said here I am, he said take your son, your only son Isaac. You love and go to Lynn abrazo, I'm right there it's identified that the sun is identified as Isaac. But if your question is why is he called the only son when we know that that before Isaac. Abraham had Ishmael. Well, it's because Isaac is the son of promise.

Ishmael was was the son that was born as a result of Abraham's relationship with Hagar, it was him trying to take God's promise into his own hands and guts of this is not this is not that the child through my promises and to be carried, the only son in whom that's it happen.

His eyes again and ultimately do Isaac comes the son of God Jesus, who died for the forgiveness of all of our sins. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together