Whenever one of the apostles wrote to a local church, it was to be regarded as a call to action from God. That’s because they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit with apostolic authority. Their writings were filled with godly advice for the churches they wrote to.
In their writings, the apostles addressed things that were happening in the churches that should not have been happening. They also addressed things that should have been happening in the churches but were not. Church members were to be doers of the Word and not passive hearers or readers only. For it is only when we put God’s Word into practice that it can help us.
We can benefit greatly from the apostles’ letters. The guidance found in those letters is practical because it addresses actual events happening in real churches. The guidance is reliable because it is divinely inspired. Furthermore, the truths found in those writings apply to all generations.
Take for example, the letters to the seven churches, recorded the book of the Revelation. Jesus instructed John to write to those churches in Asia. In each letter, Jesus says through John, “I know your works.” That means He knew exactly what was happening in each of those churches. Afterward, Jesus issues a corresponding call to action to each church.
Preaching Today with a Call to Action
Now let’s expand on this subject to talk about the ministry of the Word in our churches today. Those of us who minister the Word of God must be prayerful about the things we preach and teach. We need God to speak to us through His Word so we can in turn speak to His people through His Word.
Like the apostles’ writings and Jesus’ teachings, the ministry of the Word today should issue a call to action to God’s people. When I am preparing a sermon, for example, I don’t only want to understand what God is saying through the verses. I also want to know what God wants me say to His people through the text.
In other words, what is God’s call to action to His people? We have not effectively delivered God’s message to His people until we tell them what God wants them to do about what we have communicated. This is the kind of preaching that opens the door for the Holy Spirit to bring about conviction and positive responses to the gospel.
This principle applies equally to preachers, Sunday school teachers, youth ministers, and Bible study leaders.
In the epistle of James he writes, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22, KJV). No one benefits much from passively reading the Bible or listening to sermons or teachings that fail to convey a relevant call to action.
The Word of God is life-changing only when a call to respond to the gospel is communicated clearly to the people, inviting them or challenging them to be doers of the Word. That was true during the days of the apostles when they wrote their epistles and when they preached. That must also be true today when we preach and teach the Word of God.
Would you characterize yourself as a doer of the Word or a passive hearer and reader only?
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.