Preaching More Accurately
Don’t you love it when you read Scripture and come across something that reaffirms a thought you have had. Even if that thought was based on Scriptural principles all along, it still feels great to find something that really expresses the idea. That is what happened to me yesterday as I was reading Acts 18. I love reading Acts because it is such a wonderful depiction of what the church was created to be. I will actually touch on that a little more in depth in my next blog entry, but today we are talking about preaching and teaching.
Unfortunately, we have many today that sit in positions of authority in the church that are inaccurate teachers and preachers. Heresy is rampant in our society and our churches. However, I am not talking about the inaccurate teachers. In fact, I am talking about a problem in our churches with the accurate teachers and preachers. Here’s the thing: you can be accurate and not complete. If you don’t believe me, then read Acts 18: 24-28 below.
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scripturesthat Jesus was the Messiah.
Apollos had a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures and taught accurately about Jesus, but Priscilla and Aquila saw it necessary to teach him more accurately. He was accurate, but not complete. This was a problem that Priscilla and Aquila wisely fixed, and it is a problem in our churches today that often does not get addressed at all. We have many genuine, sincere, well-intentioned men and women of God accurately teaching the Word of God but not completely teaching the Word of God. Allow me to explain.
How often do you hear a sermon on physical health or gluttony? How about adoption and foster care? Divorce and remarriage? Money? Homosexuality? Missions?
All of these subjects are addressed greatly in Scripture. They are important to God and are certainly important in our lives today. We know divorce is not God’s will, but how many Christians know what He says about remarriage? We know homosexuality is a sin, but how many Christians know why it’s a sin or how to minister to homosexuals? We think being healthy would be nice, but do we really consider the sin that food can bring into our lives and how it can impact our usefulness for Christ? We want to scream pro-life at all of the politicians and young ladies in our world, but we have not done our job to take care of our orphans. We say, “Money is God’s” but our lives are spent tied to debt and comfortable lives. We know missions is important, but are we even taught to know what it means for our lives?
This is just a small portion of where this list could go. You see it is not only important to be accurate in our teaching of the Scripture but also to be complete. We often settle for what we consider to be “good” in our churches, but we fail to do what is best. I urge you to not settle for accurate but rather to pursue what is both accurate and complete. Do not settle for good but seek what is best. When Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos more completely, Apollos was able to go and do even greater things for the Lord. This is my prayer for you today and for our churches.
Commanded and Called,
Matt Atwell
