“We
see that God, who might perfect his people in a moment, chooses not to bring
them to manhood in any other way than by the education of the church. We see
the mode of doing it expressed: the preaching of celestial doctrine is
committed to pastors.”
John Calvin
Institutes of the Christian Religion, (4.1.5)
“Christian preaching is an immense tool. No reader of the Bible can fail to
be impressed by its place in the forwarding of God’s purposes and the coming of
His kingdom. It has changed the face of world history. Anyone who has sat under
authentic preaching must long for it to be the norm; and it can be.
The fact is that the preached word is the chief evangelist and pastor in a
church. There is no experience quite like that encounter with God when he makes
the Scripture, reverently and rigorously unleashed, his life-giving agent. By
it he imparts Christian salvation, rips up the conscience, comforts the
trembling, enlightens our understanding and empowers our obedience; yet how
rare is such a living voice, week by week!”
Peter White
The Effective Pastor
It is incredible to think of the influence that the Bible has had in world history. It is a beautiful mystery that the Lord has chosen to use a relatively small collection of writings - including histories, prayers, and prophecies - to advance His kingdom and work grace on behalf of His people.
ReplyDeleteHi Gregg! Thank you for your recent visit to my blog to check out my Reflections Post. I'm still making my way to all of the other blogs who posted Reflections Posts. Have a great day!
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