MESSENGERS WITHOUT MESSAGE

Messengers without Message

Reading: Matthew 7:21-29
"We are not, as so many, adulterate the Word of God, but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God" ( 2 Cor 2:17 )

"The Word of the Lord was rare in those days!" ( 1 Sam 3:1 ). This was one of the darkest periods in the history of the people of Israel . I am afraid those days are upon us again. We have more preachers and hear more sermons now than any time in the history of the Church. But where is the "message" of the Lord?
The rarety of the message of the Lord in our modern pulpits can be first attributed to money. The message of God in general is clearer and more definite from the mouths of preachers who are materially poorer than those who are affluent. Three snares which have fatally trapped many servants of God are gold, girls and glory. Riches top the list of these three. Manipulating people to milk money from them has become commonplace. A young boy swallowed a coin. A little girl standing nearby shouted, "Send him to that preacher. He can get money out of anybody!" Matthew Henry (1662-1714) that great Bible Commentator warned, "Preachers must not be afraid of the rich!"
Excessive desire for miracles is another reason which hinders the message of God. For many centuries the traditional Christian ministry literally excluded miracles of healing. The renewed interest in the gifts of healing has taken us to the other extreme. This overemphasis of the healing ministry has corrupted the content of the pure gospel. The loss is dual. We neither have miracles (as expected) nor the message. Both in His own ministry and while commissioning His disciples the Lord Jesus stressed healing the sick. But we shall do well to notice that it was FIRST preaching the gospel and only then healing the sick. A leper saved but not healed can go to heaven; but a sinner healed but not saved cannot!
Billy Graham (1918- ) does not pray for the sick in his Crusades. But there's little doubt that more people have made decisions for Christ in his meetings than collectively from scores of healing crusades. The secret? He has a message. Of the greatest prophet who had the spirit and power of Elijah it was said that, "John performed no SIGN—and many believed him there" ( Jn 10:41 , 42 ). He had a message! Thomas Walker who laboured in Tirunelveli, Amy Carmichael in Dohnavur, Thomas Ragland in Sivakasi and Mother Teresa in Calcutta were not outstandingly miracle workers. But their message stays resounding to generations.