Mar
11
2015
Use Words
Posted in Bible 2 Comments
Growing up, news was reported in the newspaper, on the radio, and on television.
You would always see people on a train or bus with the newspaper tucked under their arm.
You knew that most people tuned into their local news station and 6:00 and 11:00.
If a major news story happened, a special report broke into the daily programing.
There was no need for twenty-four hour news reports.
Journalism was a trusted profession.
The times between broadcasts were used to gather information.
It was the time to check and double-check the facts before they aired.
In the rare instances when something was misreported, apologies were made.
It was a disgrace to misrepresent truth.
It was an insult to those who faithfully watched the broadcast each night.
There was a competition to report the news first; report first but report accurately.
In the presidential election of 1948, the Chicago Tribune made a huge mistake.
Their post-election issue went to press before the East Coast states reported their results.
Their trusted political analyst, Arthur Sears Henning, predicted the winner.
Henning relied on the polls and predicted the winner incorrectly.
Dewey Defeats Truman was the incorrect banner headline that ran on the front page.
President Harry S. Truman is seen in famous photos holding the Chicago Tribune.
He is holding the newspaper with a huge smile on his face.
Truman won an upset victory over Dewey.
Many important news stories have unfolded during our lifetime.
We have trusted our news sources to report the news in an unbiased fashion.
We all remember Walter Cronkite who could read the dictionary with authority.
And that’s the way it is was his famous sign-off each evening.
Unfortunately, that is not the way it is now.
One wonders if the facts have been checked and double-checked.
Obvious biases fill the airwaves and the computer screens.
The news is not reported as much as it is spun, and we all know the stickiness of webs.
History is being revised.
Comparisons are made that are not compatible with each other.
Facts are not checked with the meticulous precision they once were.
News is no longer trusted.
That presents a problem for the church.
The Church, the Body of Christ, is to tell the Good News.
The Church is to share the Gospel.
The Gospel that we are commanded to tell and tell accurately.
I was listening to D.A. Carson, a reformed theologian and New Testament professor.
He was speaking on the topic of how we should understand the Gospel.
Dr. Carson spoke about the fact that first and foremost, the Gospel is news.
The Gospel is news that we are commanded to share.
The Gospel is Good News, which can also be dangerous news. It’s the great news of what God has done in Christ Jesus especially in His death and resurrection to redeem His people for Himself, for his own glory and that of His Son…It’s news. It’s God’s news. It’s news about what God has done. What you do first and foremost with the Gospel is proclaim it! That’s what you do with news. (D.A. Carson)
Dr. Carson alluded to a well-known quote that is not attributed to anyone with surety.
Preach the Gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words.
Dr. Carson said that this quote makes no sense at all.
You cannot preach the Good News and not use words.
It would be the same as saying to a newscaster at 10:00, “Tonight, at 10:00, I want you to announce the news and if necessary use words.” That makes no sense. (D.A. Carson)
Our faith is a Word based faith.
God put His Word in place to tell others about what He has done through His Son.
Anything less than using God’s Word is simply a testimony that points to us.
We hope that by our lives we tell others how we have changed and how we have grown.
God has trusted us with His Word.
God’s Word is not something we can paraphrase or distort to our liking.
God’s Word is not something to which we can add or subtract one iota.
God’s Word is inspired, infallible, inerrant, complete, and eternal.
What a privilege to be entrusted with God’s news.
What a responsibility to be accurate in our proclamation.
We must be like the Bereans, the ones who received the message with great eagerness.
They examined the Scriptures every day to see if what the apostle Paul said was true.
A changed life is a great testimony to the Resurrection, but it is not sharing the Gospel.
Stories can be effective to help people understand, but stories are not the Gospel.
Only the Gospel is the Gospel.
We must be very sure about what we are proclaiming.
Preach the Word: be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2)
We do not want to be like the 1948 Chicago Tribune and report the wrong facts.
We need to be accurate in our proclamation of God’s News.
We need to say, with authority, That’s the way it is.
We need to use words to proclaim God’s Word.
Mamma G! I love your posts. Always so encouraging. I do agree. Using words, the right Words is definitely our job especially if our story can help others find Christ.
But my spin on the “preach the gospel, and If necessary, use words” is that the gospel is much more than words, but also action.
You know those bullies that are “all talk” and have nothing to back it up? Or those dogs that are “all bark and no bite”. I don’t want to be the Christian that proclaims Jesus is LORD yet fails to show it in my life.
“They will know that we are Christians by our love”
Some people receive love through words, others action, gifts, quality time, etc.
The WORD of God contains the gospel. So we must share His Word. But let’s also be mindful of all the different ways we can present the WORD.
In word and in deed.
Love you!
Thank you, Greg. What a thoughtful response.
To walk the walk and talk the talk is the tension we live with every day. You and I know that our actions proclaim Christ to the world. Confusion occurs if there is a disconnect between our walk and our talk. I think that we can get trapped into relying on our actions to preach for us. The word of God is the only thing that will change a heart. Our actions solidify the faith we confess to a watching world. YOU are doing a wonderful job with both your walk and your talk. Press on.
Gina (“Mama G”)