Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-12-12

God-called preachers are those VINO
have experienced the new birth. With
out such an experience no one, though
he have all the equipment the schools,
colleges and seminaries can give, is
ready to preach the gospel. We fear
that the new birth, which is so funda-
mental to a call to preach, has not
been the experience of some who oc-
cupy our pulpits, and as result we
have from these men the preaching of
that which is not the gospel. Pitiably
blind themselves to the glorious gos-
pei Of the grace of God, they are lead
ers Of the blind and both leaders and
led have fallen into the ditch.
The second fundamental requisite
to preaching is a knowledge of the
gospel. No one is ready to preach the
gospel who does not know it. The
gospel is constituted of facts. These
facts must be known by the preach
er If he is to make them known. Paul
sets them forth In Cor. Is IA. They
are that "Christ died for our sins ac-
cording to the Scriptures" How
much preaching there is today that
leaves out these great fundamental
facts Of the gospel, and, as result,
how few people, comparatively, are
being saved. Is not this because many
preachers do not know the constitu-
ent facts Of the gospel, or, if they do
know them, have lost faith in them as
the power Of God unto salvation?
This leads me to say in the next
| place that the third fundamental
requisite to preaching the gospel is
faith in it. Paul gives ringing testi-
mony along this line. He says of the
gospel that it is the power of God
unto salvation. Do we lack such a
| faith? If so, we are not ready to
preach the gospel, for faith in its eff.
fectiveness is essential to preaching
An audience quickly discovers
preachers lack Of faith. His utter
ance, tone of voice, face and manner
will betray him. He cannot speak
with burning enthusiasm that carries
conviction if he himself lacks conf
dence in his message. It is this very
|
to preaching that which is not th'
gospel. They have taken up some
thing else and with it hope to do tha
which only the gospel can accomplish
How such preachers, If they know tn
gospel, need our prayers that thei
faith in it may be restored!
Another fundamental requisite t
preaching the gospel is the endue
ment of power. Though preache
be born again, know the gospel an
believe it to be the power Of God unit
salvation, he is not ready to preac
J it until the power Of God rests upo
him. That which does more harm 1
pulpits, next to heresy, is powerles
| orthodoxy that is pharisaical in it
exactness but dead spiritually. Veril
in such cases the letter killeth. Wha
) is needed is power to rest upon tn
preacher, that the words he speak
may indeed be spirit and life.
,, God never purposed the gospel t
be preached with enticing words 9
mans wisdom, but in demonstrate
Of the spirit and power. 1t is Ie
, more interesting to hear a Hvel
4 hereto hold forth than to hear pow
erless orthodox mouth over the tenet
of the faith. No wonder people, wh
know not the gospel, go where the
can be entertained by the hered
rather than to place where they wi
!, be put to sleep by the dronings OF
dry orthodox.
May God give us preachers toda
q who know the gospel theoretically an
n experimentally, and who believe it
!, be the power of God unto salvation
: And, o God, endue them with powt
from on high, that their preaching
n not in vain, but in the fullness an
energy Of the Holy Spirit!