Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: March 1, 2009
WHAT SHOULD I PREACH?
Wayne Coats
A very aged Christian related an incident which happened many long years ago. A young preacher asked an
old preacher the question "what should I preach?" The aged gospel preacher replied, "Son, preach the word."
The old preacher could have talked to the young preacher for decades but no better advice could have been
given.
Some two-thousand years ago, Paul the aged, told Timothy the younger to "preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2; 3:16-
17). Paul did not tell Timothy to preach and leave it to his discretion as to what he might choose to say. He
told him to preach "the word." If a man cannot understand this, he has no use trying to be a preacher.
When a man utilizes thirty minutes of my time babbling a bunch of mundane illustrations about secular and
material matters, he has wasted my time as well as his. Two passages of scripture and twenty five
illustrations given in a speech is hardly doing what Almighty God wants us to do. Yes, God has commanded,
mandated, circumscribed and restricted that which is to flow forth from the preacher.
Our Lord commanded us to "preach the gospel" as long as the ages last (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). I do
not know that Jesus has rescinded those orders. The audience may not like the word as much as they like
twenty-five illustrations during a talk, but they need to be taught by the word of God to love, respect,
appreciate and revere the word. I do not believe the people will respect the inspired word if the preacher
substitutes a lot of graffiti instead.
Someone has said that illustrations are like windows which let light into the house. That may be so but a
house is hardly a house made up of all windows. I am not averse to illustrations. I have just penned one
above. It would be fool-hearty to have every issue of the Plumbline to consist of nothing more than eight
pages of illustrations.
The late beloved brother Gus Nichols admonished the young preacher students at Freed-Hardeman College,
to use Bible illustrations. When we do that, the audience can tell that we are not copying sermon material
from a shelf filled with denominational books.
The issue is not whether the people will like or appreciate a Bible content sermon but will the Lord be
pleased? We should not stand on a podium and attempt to tickle the ears of those in the pew, nor should
those in the pew attempt to scratch the back of the fellow who uses smooth words and fair speeches. This
will deceive the hearts of the simple minded, but we must not assume that everyone in the church building
is simple minded.
When Paul had an opportunity to preach to the people, he knew what to preach and what not to preach. He
declared, "for though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me: yea, woe
is unto me if I preach not the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16). I sincerely believe with all my heart that I can say what
Paul said as a preacher. Can your preacher say this?
— via “Plumbline,” August, 2000
HAIRY LEGS AND TATOOS
Wayne Coats
I have learned that in one of the congregations here in Wilson County some of the men are in the habit of
wearing shorts to the Sunday morning worship service. The complete disrespect, rudeness, crudity,
incivility, irreverence, impudence and stupidity could not be more obvious than that which is demonstrated
by a crew of numbskulls who bare their legs with an assortment of tatoos thereon. Of course such actions
are but an effort to get attention. When brains are atrophied and heads are empty, some creatures will work
hard to get attention with hairy legs and tatoos, whereas others will moan and groan.
I was invited by the elders to speak at the Sunday services of the aforementioned congregation some years
ago. They wanted me to speak about "liberalism in today's church." During my lesson some grown man kept
talking and sniggering to his female companion. He was disturbing people who saw what he was doing. I
stopped my lesson and said to the fellow, "Sir, it is obvious that you do not want to listen to what I have to
say. Your behavior is disturbing to others who desire to listen. Would you please leave or else behave
yourself."
The above is what the elders need to recite to the hairy ones. Such jerks have no respect for others so I ask
what is wrong with trying to get people to attire themselves in a becoming manner? The outward appearance
mirrors what is inside a preacher or others. Such pagan thinkers need to be taught some simple Bible
lessons, but such is most unlikely to happen. We need to memorize and practice I Corinthians 14:40.
I have always tried my best to wear the best clothing I have to any gathering together of the church. I know
man looks not where God looks, i.e. on the heart. What a person wears mirrors what is in the heart. We
need to act like, talk like, and look like the followers of Christ -- rather than following the world to hell and
destruction.
— via “Plumbline,” July, 2000