“Our Daily Bread”  http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

Matthew 28:19-20… Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰ teachingthem to observeallthings that Ihavecommandedyou; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.  (NKJV)

For anyone not familiar with the opening scripture…it is the last spoken words of our Lord Jesus Christ (as recorded in the gospel of Matthew)…  This was recorded just before Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father…  It seems to me, that Jesus would have deemed these words to be some of the most important words that He spoke…being it was Jesus’ last chance to verbally tell His disciples (and us) what their role (and ours) would be in growing His church, after He was gone…

I was asked by someone a few days ago, to show them where in the Bible it tells me to teach them what God has revealed through His inerrant Word, the Bible…  I always try to point people to Jesus Christ, and what the Bible clearly reveals, as to what God wants all of us to know and understand as the truth from His Word…  It is this truth that will set sinners free from the bonds of Satan and the world…1 John 2:15-16…

But even Christians who are not abiding in God’s Word, will not be able to “Walk in the Spirit”, as the apostle Paul pens, in…Galatians 5:16… Isay then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall notfulfill the lust of the flesh. (NKJV)   Un-confessed sins in their lives will destroy their God given supernatural peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7); and their joy from being filled with the love of Christ (John 15:11) will be turned into bitterness, and resentment, and a separation from God’s sweet fellowship…along with His richest blessings…

The apostle John says this best, in…John 8:31-32… Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  (NKJV)

I was listening to an audio sermon by Pastor Alistair Begg the other morning, which he titles “What Happened to Expository Preaching ??” (Part 1 of 2), dated October 7, 2013…that can be heard @  http://www.truthforlife.org/broadcasts/2013/10/07/what-happened-to-expository-preaching-part-1-of-2-//

Let me first start out by explaining what “Expository Preaching” is all about…  This is preaching which presents the meaning and intent of a chosen biblical piece of scripture…providing some examples to help explain the passage, to make it clear and understandable…  I like what www.gotquestions.org has to say about “Expository Preaching”…that can be read at the following link…  http://www.gotquestions.org/expository-preaching.html

The point of Alistair Begg’s preaching, is that far too many churches today, do not base their church doctrine strictly from what God teaches us in the Bible…  I remember hearing from one person I was speaking to about what the Bible clearly reveals, tell me that they really didn’t know too much about the Bible…  Their church cites a few Bible verses during their service…but the sermons are not totally Bible based, with biblical scripture backing up all of the church’s doctrine that is being preached…

Friends, this is a recipe for disaster, when people are being taught doctrine that is clearly not what the Bible (including teaching from Jesus) clearly states, as what God requires for entrance into heaven…  I am reminded about this warning spoken by Jesus, in His “Sermon on the Mount” teaching…  Jesus tells those around Him that they will be turned away from the gates of heaven, if they die believing that their good works that they have done in the name of the Lord will have their sins forgiven…  Here is what should be viewed as an “eye opening” warning by Jesus…

Matthew 7:21-23…  “Noteveryone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Yourname, cast out demons in Yourname, and done many wonders in Yourname?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knewyou; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”  (NKJV)

Church Pastors who are not using “Expository Preaching”…were titled by Pastor Begg, as preaching from one of five categories…  He lists them as Cheerleaders, Conjurers, Storytellers, Entertainers, or Systematizers…  Though some of these types of preachers were discussed with humor by Alistair Begg…it is no laughing matter…  It saddens me that so many people are going to church (or skip church entirely)…and they are not being fed by the truth from God’s Word… 

Church for many, has become a place to go to fulfill one’s weekly duty…or to be entertained for an hour or so…or to go, and leave believing that God loves everyone, and there will be no wrath to pay if one dies in their sins (John 8:24)…or any other kind of false security that anything other than truthful expository preaching, that is totally based upon God’s Word, will provide… 

One can also read some of my past writing about this important subject…by going to www.Godsmanforever.wordpress.com and typing in 1/05/2013 for…”The Right Church”…and 1/08/2013 for…”Church Doctrine Starts and Ends with the Word”…  Both of these will give good suggestions for finding a Bible believing, Bible teaching church, that will share nothing but the truth that God wants all of us to hear and understand from His Word…

Let me finish with the apostle Paul’s excellent description for why we should all spend time reading and feeding upon God’s Word (Matthew 4:4); and why we should be being taught by church doctrine that is derived exclusively from the Bible…

2 Timothy 3:16-17… All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word, and those of Your humble servant Pastor Alistair Begg, if listened to…would urge us through the power and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to see the truth that all churches are not preaching from Your inerrant Word, the Bible…  I pray Lord, that You would cut right to the very core like a two-edged sword, of the soul of those in need of seeing this truth…Hebrews 4:12-13…  I pray Lord, that blind eyes would now see…  I pray for this fullness of Christ in all of our lives, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…