PREACHING ??? Does the style matter???

[spiritlead]

I think it is awesome that the power flows thru us when we preach, and you notice that your hearers are lit up when leaving the service

The next day it's kind of a peaceful exhaustion, I slept like14 hours Monday night, but I am going to start making a better effort to be renewed and see if the tiredness is still their.

 

[FaithfulRemnant]

I don't think the style of preaching is of great importance. I'll listen to a preacher, whether boring or exciting, if his sermon is according to the Scriptures without contrary doctrine or reference to a big portion of commentaries. What the preacher is saying(in quality, sound doctrine, etc) is more important than how the preacher is acting. Furthermore, for me, the pastor's sermon is of less importance than the reading of God's word aloud to the congregation, because a preacher's words and behavior or style is not above the proclamation of the Holy Bible, since "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." God speaking to me from his Apostles and Prophets is more important to me than a pastor's personality and style and so I prefer more verses instead of a long sermon about one verse or a passage here and there. I don't choose a church or program based on a pastor's style of preaching, but on doctrine and how much scripture is proclaimed to the congregation. Without the word of God, there is little faith, because "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." I think a popular trend today is to choose a ministry or church based on the pastor's style or a congregation's worship style, but I do not identify with this trend. Style is insignificant. If a pastor is faithful, and if the congregation is faithful, God will minister regardless of the pastor's style or the congregation's worship style. God is not dependent on us and our personalities. He will get his job done: "My word shall not return unto me void, but will accomplish..."

 

[DavidPresently]

Preaching and teaching that isn't anointed is pointless. You might as well stay at home and just meditate on the written Word. I mean, I do that anyway and we should every day and night, but I'm not going to waste my time listening to someone talk for even 15 minutes if it isn't anointed in some way.

Remember Acts 1:8. No minister truly has the right to be out there ministering until he's received power. But, there are many of them. And they can read Scripture all day, but I can read Scripture aloud to myself just as well or better. I don't need someone else to read for me. But, I do need the anointing and gifts of the rest of the Body to minister to me.

No power/anointing need not apply - we aren't hiring servants in the Kingdom unless you can wait to receive power (Acts 1:8). If you can't even follow that simple instruction of the Lord, you've already disqualified yourself from ministry. Too bad the land is full of powerless churches with powerless ministers. No wonder they are dead and dying (churches).

 

[FaithfulRemnant]

David, I have heard conflicts over tarrying or waiting. Regarding your words, I know Jesus says in Acts 1 to wait, but later we see no waiting in Acts 2:38(just repent, be baptized and ye shall receive), Acts 8(people believed then received when the Apostles came), Acts 10(The Holy Ghost falls even while Peter yet speaks the word of forgiveness in Jesus Christ), Acts 19(no waiting period at all..Paul preaches Jesus and lays hands for receiving the Holy Ghost). What's your take? Personally, I'm more for the way the Apostles did this for believers, so I'm not so big on tarrying, however, I know there are blessings for those who wait upon the Lord(renew their strength, wings of eagles, etc). Seems to me being raised Pentecostal/WoF, I heard both pros and cons. Of course, I'd rather wait than to be told you can never receive because God doesn't do that these days and you aren't supposed to seek the Holy Spirit. And that also brings up a question. What's your perspective on preachers who seem emphatic and excited yet preach a cessationist idea regarding the Holy Spirit's gifts? There are some ministers I know who just go through the motions and would be better doing something else instead of starving their congregation of blessings, so it's no doubt we have dead and dying churches and it's improper to be sent or preach unless scripturally called and blessed with the Holy Spirit. However, after breaking free of my pentecostal/WoF bubble from childhood, I've seen need to revise what I thought was a dead church because the Holy Spirit is not restrained only to a church with pentecost or faith over the door,nor are such the only churches which believe in a subsequent blessing of strength through receiving the Holy Spirit in prayer and laying on of hands. This was a liberating factor and a blessing for me. I see this more as a movement or revival instead a particular denomination and I believe this will be more evident in time, I hope and pray. There was a time when chruches shunned revivals but many now are seeing how these bring vitality. Churches need new fire and more oil..the lamps need filling so the flames burn brightly everywhere, from a large city cathedral to a country chapel.

 

[DavidPresently]

David, I have heard conflicts over tarrying or waiting. Regarding your words, I know Jesus says in Acts 1 to wait, but later we see no waiting in Acts 2:38(just repent, be baptized and ye shall receive), Acts 8(people believed then received when the Apostles came), Acts 10(The Holy Ghost falls even while Peter yet speaks the word of forgiveness in Jesus Christ), Acts 19(no waiting period at all..Paul preaches Jesus and lays hands for receiving the Holy Ghost). What's your take? Personally, I'm more for the way the Apostles did this for believers, so I'm not so big on tarrying, however, I know there are blessings for those who wait upon the Lord(renew their strength, wings of eagles, etc). Seems to me being raised Pentecostal/WoF, I heard both pros and cons. Of course, I'd rather wait than to be told you can never receive because God doesn't do that these days and you aren't supposed to seek the Holy Spirit. And that also brings up a question. What's your perspective on preachers who seem emphatic and excited yet preach a cessationist idea regarding the Holy Spirit's gifts? There are some ministers I know who just go through the motions and would be better doing something else instead of starving their congregation of blessings, so it's no doubt we have dead and dying churches and it's improper to be sent or preach unless scripturally called and blessed with the Holy Spirit. However, after breaking free of my pentecostal/WoF bubble from childhood, I've seen need to revise what I thought was a dead church because the Holy Spirit is not restrained only to a church with pentecost or faith over the door,nor are such the only churches which believe in a subsequent blessing of strength through receiving the Holy Spirit in prayer and laying on of hands. This was a liberating factor and a blessing for me. I see this more as a movement or revival instead a particular denomination and I believe this will be more evident in time, I hope and pray. There was a time when chruches shunned revivals but many now are seeing how these bring vitality. Churches need new fire and more oil..the lamps need filling so the flames burn brightly everywhere, from a large city cathedral to a country chapel.

I don't believe in tarrying now after the initial Pentecostal outpouring in Acts 2 for believers to "wait" for the outpouring of the Spirit. He's already been sent from heaven and the outpouring been done. Now we are to receive BY FAITH. The only thing anyone needs to wait on in this regard is for their faith to be built up to truly believe and receive.

What I meant by waiting was that I've known a lot of ministers who think they are qualified by degrees and because religious men said so, but have never received the fullness of the Spirit for empowerment as mentioned in Acts 1:8 and fulfilled first in Acts 2.

So, I was speaking of those ministers who just go running out there with zeal, but no power. Usually because they don't believe in it for today. So, no amount of waiting would really help them until they get their believer fixed.

I believe most believers today will receive by the laying on of hands, just as we see in the scriptural examples after the first outpouring. I also happen to operate in that gifting to lay hands on for others to receive. Notice, Philip didn't have it, but Peter and John did. Philip did have power and other gifts, however. Each part of the Body has its purpose.

Sometimes others do receive without laying on of hands, because of quick faith or something. I did. Cornelius and house did. And I know several others of my friends that received without the laying on of hands. It is like healing. Healing may be received by faith in the promise of the Word (his stripes = healed), but it is often easier for people to receive from someone with the tangible anointing for laying on hands and the gifts of healing to be in operation - which is tangible - like electricity/power flowing out of them into the recipient who is receiving.

So far, I've never laid hands on someone to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues and magnify God without the tangible manifest anointing being in action and causing the successful results. 100% have received when I did lay hands on them. I've watched others not gifted in the Body in this area try to do it and struggle to even get 1 in 10 receiving.

My wife happens to carry the same anointing in this regard, and most of those 100% we ministered to simultaneously by the laying on of hands. She's my better half anyway.

The main thing is receiving, and not how one receives. Just as with healing - it doesn't matter if Jesus spits in mud to heal the blind or just points and says, "be healed," or "go and wash." What matters is the results. To the glory of God.

 

[FaithfulRemnant]

Thanks David. I agree with you here, especially the part about ministers. I believe many lay folks are better prepared than many of the officially ordained ministers. Speaking of ministers, it was announced in church yesterday that there is a need for some assisting ministers(assist the pastor at worship, etc.), so I'm considering this..at least ask about what is involved in this position of service. Maybe I'll do this...I do feel there's more for me besides just warming a pew anyway .