Several years ago a poll was taken among preachers concerning the different
duties of the ministry: (1) administration, (2) teaching, (3) preaching,
(4) pastoring, (5) priestly work, and (6) church business. The question
was asked to hundreds of preachers, "What do you think is the most important
of these ministries?" Overwhelmingly the response was, "Preaching."
The second question was asked: "Which occupies most of your time?"
To that question the answer was overwhelmingly, "Adminis-tration," and
preaching was last on the list.
How tragic! That which we feel is most important is what we do the least.
Oh, how America needs preaching! When John Knox left Scotland, the country
had deteriorated morally and spiritually. Finally John Knox decided to
return to Scotland. It is said that on every street corner the word was
being spread, "Knox is coming! Knox is coming! Knox is coming!" The entire
country was filled with electricity because the preacher was returning.
Scotland needed Knox. England needed Spurgeon. America needed Moody, and
this old sin-cursed world needs preaching again! In Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah
called himself a preacher. In Luke 4:18 Jesus was a preacher. In II Peter
2:5 Noah was called "a preacher of righteousness." In Ecciesiastes 1:1
Solomon was called "the Preacher." In I Timothy 2:7 Paul said that he was
"ordained a preacher." In Mark 1:14 we find that Jesus came to Galilee
"preaching the Gospel." In Matthew 3:la we find, "In those days came John
the Baptist, preaching." In Jonah 3:2 Jonah was admonished to preach to
Nineveh the preaching that God bade him to preach. Acts 8:4 says, "Therefore
they that are scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word." In
Acts 14:1 we find that they "so spake" that multitudes believed. Oh, how
we need some "so-speakers!" Preaching is exactly that. It is "so-speaking."
The most important hour of the week in a nation is the hour when God's
men approach the pulpit. Several years ago the mayor of our city called
our offices. Our receptionist answered the phone, whereupon the mayor asked
if he could speak with Jack. Our receptionist replied that there was no
one here who answered to the name Jack. The mayor told her that there was
such a person there, and that he was the pastor, and he said, "Let me talk
to Jack!"
Our receptionist said, "Your honor; we have nobody here who answers
to that name. We have a Brother Hyles, we have a Preacher Hyles, we have
a Pastor Hyles, we have a Dr. Hyles, but no one answers to the name Jack."
The mayor told her that he wanted her to know that he was the mayor.
She replied that she wanted him to know that she was the receptionist and
that she would connect him to my office if he would call me the proper
title! Finally he yielded and she put the call through. She was not being
stubborn; she was simply giving to the preacher his proper position and
to preaching its proper place!
Years ago I was on an airplane flying to Denver; Colorado. I sat down
beside a man who appeared to be a businessman. He had on a very beautiful
navy blue suit and was very neatly dressed. We talked for some time before
we introduced ourselves by name. I finally asked him what business he pursued.
He replied that he was a chemical engineer. He then asked me, "Do you know
anything about chemistry?"
I replied, "Yes, I know a little." (I did know a little. I knew that
H2O was water; that AU was gold, and that I dropped chemistry in college
for
the safety of the student body!) Re informed me that he was so impressed
that a layman was knowledgeable about chemistry I assured him that I did
know a little-a little is exactly what I knew! He called off a long formula
and said, "What do you think about that?"
I replied, "I like the good in that formula, but I am concerned about
the bad."
He said, "Put her there! That is exactly how I feel. I am so refreshed
to know that you know a little about chemistry." He then called off another
formula that made the other look very simple.. He said, "What do you think
about that one?"
I said, "Well, I feel that we should not make an opinion on that one
until we are sure and that a person should not make a hasty decision."
Again, he said, "Put her there! That's exactly how I feel. How refreshing
it is to meet someone who is a layman who knows something about chemistry!"
Then he asked me the $64,000 question: "What is your business?" he asked.
I suddenly replied, "I am an ambassador."
He sat up in his seat and said, "Sir; do you mean that you are a real,
live ambassador?"
I said, "That's exactly right."
He said, "I've never met an ambassador before. May I shake your hand?"
I said, "You certainly may" After we had shaken hands, he said,
"Sir, let's get this straight. You mean your citizenship is in another
country, and you represent a king here in America?" Well, praise
God, that's exactly what I've been doing for years, so I said, "Yes, sir.
My citizenship is in another country, and I represent a King in America!"
He said, "Sir; could I ask you, what country and what king?" I replied
that the country was Heaven and that the King was Jesus! He smiled and
in fifteen minutes he too was an ambassador and a citizen of my country.
Years ago I read a famous Southern preacher's sermon entitled, "I Magnify
Mine Office." How important it is to magnify the office of a preacher!
Preaching is teaching with a tear in the eye. Preaching is truth on
fire. Preaching is the Word of God in the hand, the fire of God in the
heart and the zeal of God in the soul. Preaching is the gift of God wrapped
in an excited voice. Preaching is the moral conscience of a nation. Preaching
is the soul of the church. Preaching is the throne room of society Preaching
is the scepter and crown of the preacher. Preaching is the moral level
of the succeeding generation. It was preaching that originally built our
secular colleges. It was preaching that originally built our public school
system. It was preaching that originally established our law system, and
in the early days of our country, a degree in theology was a prerequisite
to a law degree. Every great denomination was founded on preaching. It
was John Wesley who said, "I just set myself on fire and folks come to
watch me as I burn."
Sam Jones, the famous Methodist evangelist, went to a workers' conference
one day with a friend. As they rode their horses home, Sam Jones looked
to his friend and said, "I learned something today"
His friend asked what he had learned, whereupon Sam Jones replied, "I
learned that my pulpit is my throne, and I am a king." Richard Baxter
said, "I preached as never sure to preach again, as a dying man to dying
men.
John Hall said, "A strong and faithful pulpit is the safeguard to a
nation's life."
Thomas Betterton said, "Actors speak of things imaginary as if they
were real; preachers speak of things real as if they were imaginary"
Philip Brooks said, "Preaching is truth delivered through personality.
Preaching is personal counseling on a group scale."
Hugh Latimer said, "Preaching is the delivering of meat, not strawberries."
John Newton said, "Preaching is breaking the hard heart and healing
the broken one.
William R. Nicoll said, "Of all vocations, the Christian ministry is
the most sacred, the most exacting and the most humbling."
Richard Whately said, 'Preach not because you have to say something
but because you have something to say"
Abraham Lincoln said, 'When I hear a man preaching, I like to see him
act as if he were fighting bees."
Preaching is the answer. Let nothing take its place. Let no concert
be given at preaching time. Let no cantata be given at preaching time.
Let no movie substitute for the preaching of the Gospel. Let no vespers
take the place of preaching. Let no play or dramatical presentation be
given at preaching time. Preaching is the loftiest of the professions and
the greatest of the arts.
Preaching is truth set on fire. Preaching is demolition of error. Preaching
is doubt's healing balm. Preaching is the Holy Spirit's amplifier. Preaching
is the Saviour's projector. Preaching is fact on fire and truth aflame.
Preaching is worship's entree. Preaching is the adornment of the Bible.
Preaching is the power of God unto salvation. Preaching is revival's forerunner.
Preaching is the church's heart. Preaching is doctrine clothed in excitement.
Preaching is love's smile. Preaching is sin's greatest adversary. Preaching
is frustration's funeral. Preaching is doubt's demise. Preaching is fear's
failure. Preaching is depression's death. Preaching is disappointment's
decline. Preaching is faith's food. Preaching is profundity delivered in
simplicity. Preaching was the first thing done by the Mayflower pilgrims.
Preaching is the mender of broken relationships. Preaching is the healer
of broken hearts. Preaching is the revival of broken dreams. Preaching
is Hell's greatest enemy Preaching is the sinner's best friend. Preaching
is the saint's diner. Preaching is genius with a halo. Preaching is fire
in the pulpit that melts the ice in the pew.
Preaching saved Nineveh, ignited Pentecost and turned the Judean wilderness
into a Baptist revival.
When the man of God approaches the pulpit, let angels stop flying, let
Heaven's hosannahs hush, let adults hearken and children listen, let young
people be alert, let E. F Hutton pay attention, let Heaven respond, let
Hell tremble, let ushers sit down and listen, let the church wait in holy
expectation, let all eternity tremble, let Satan and his angels be anointed
with fear!
Oh, how I love preaching! I have preached on street corners. I have
preached in jail houses. I have preached in taverns. I have preached in
brush arbors. I have preached in tents. I have preached from the back of
pick-up trucks. I have preached in city parks. I have preached in barber
shops. I have preached in living rooms. I have preached on vacant lots.
I have preached in school rooms. I have preached in city auditoriums. I
have preached in coliseums. I have preached in football stadiums. I have
preached in gymnasiums. I have preached in opera houses. I have preached
in many of our states, including Hawaii and Alaska. I have preached in
Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Jerusalem, Egypt, Japan, St. Thomas,
Cyprus, Lebanon, Germany, Jordan and other countries around the world.
Over 42,500 times I have stood and pro- claimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is nothing like it! Thank God for preaching, and thank God for making
me a preacher!
Years ago I was preaching in the city of Wichita, Kansas, at a convention.
The convention was held in a beautiful church au- ditorium, but the preaching
pulpit was over in a comer, and there was another pulpit in the other corner
of the platform. I stood in the corner and tried to preach, but I simply
could not do it. I had no other recourse. I just lifted up the pulpit and
carried it to the middle of the platform and said, "Ladies and gentlemen,
I simply cannot preach when preaching is put in the corner. I must preach
when preaching is the center and the focal point of the service." Hallelujah
for preaching!
Now I am not minimizing social work. I am not minimizing the importance
of the Christian being involved in politics. I am not minimizing fighting
for righteousness. I am simply exalting preaching. If I had my way, every
tavern would be padlocked. If I had my way, prohibition would return to
America. If [had my way, to make or sell alcoholic beverages would be a
penitentiary offence. If I had my way, driving while intoxicated would
be a major crime. If I had my way, one who killed another while under the
influence of alcohol would be considered a murderer. If I had my way, every
package store in America would close, and no stewardess would ever again
walk down the aisle of an airplane serving alcoholic beverages! If I had
my way, not one sweet woman would be hit again by a drunken husband. If
I had my way, not one child would see his dad walk out. If I had my way,
not one mother would be left to rear her children alone. If! had my way,
no one who sits in Congress would be allowed to drink as he governs the
affairs of our nation. If I had my way, no judge on a bench would be allowed
to drink. If I had my way, no car would ever swerve, no hotel would have
a lounge, no Playboy bunny would take liquid poison to tables of deceived
customers, no TV screen would advertise John Bar-leycorn. If I had my way,
not one child would be orphaned by alcohol, and the local tavern owner
would not be a respected member of society. Yet, in spite of my hatred
for the liquor traffic, we are not commanded in the Bible to work in Alcoholics
Anony- mous. We are not commanded to work in the Christian Temperance Union,
though I am not opposed to those who work in either organization. We are
not commanded to give our lives just to fighting liquor; but we are commanded
to preach the Gospel and to preach righteousness. Preaching will close
more taverns than Alcoholics Anonymous will, and it will dry up more cities
than the Christian Temperance Union will.
If I had my way, every adult bookstore would be burned. If I had my
way, every Playboy Magazine would be destroyed. If I had my way, all adult
movie houses would be demolished. If I had my way, every curse word would
be taken from radio and television. If I had my way, no filth would ever
appear on television screens. If I had my way, every questionable book
would be banned from the school room. If I had my way, every nude painting
would be taken from our art galleries. If I had my way, every immoral professor
would be fired. If I had my way, books like CATCHER IN THE RYE would be
declared unfit for use. If I had my way, every Playboy Club would be closed,
never to reopen. If I had my way, Penthouse and all other dirty magazines
would be made fuel for a bonfire. If I had my way, all sexy and suggestive
shows would be removed from radio and television. If I had my way, rock
music would be banned from the department stores and shopping centers.
If I had my way, our newspapers would be free of profanity, and I am for
every anti- smut organization in America. I am for the Anti-Defamation
League, I am for the Clean-Up Television movements. Yet, we are not commanded
just to be moral reformers by supporting organiza- tions that improve society,
but we are commanded to preach!
If I had my way, every office in America would be filled by a capable,
born-again fundamentalist. If I had my way, Lee Roberson would be President;
Tom Malone, Secretary of State; Bob Jones, Secretary of War; David Gibbs,
Attorney General; Wendell Evans, Secretary of Education; Bob Gray, Secretary
of the Interior; Curtis Hutson, head of the Welfare Department; Gary Coleman,
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Bill Pennell, President of
Cuba; Johnny Ramsey, President of Mexico; Raymond Barber, Secretary of
Finance; and John Rawlings, Secretary of Labor; Harold Henniger, Secretary
of Agriculture; Bruce Cummons, Secretary of Finance. If I had my way, Bob
Jones III would be Vice- President; Buddy Franklin, Governor of Maine;
A. V. Henderson, Governor of Missouri; Myron Cedarholm, Governor of Wisconsin;
Al Janney, Governor of Florida; Walt Handford, Governor of South Carolina;
Steve Byrd, Governor of North Carolina; Bob Kelley, Governor of Tennessee;
Cecil Hodges, Justice of the Supreme Court; Tom Wallace, Governor of California;
Greg Dixon, Governor of Indiana; Jim Vineyard, Governor of Oklahoma; Ed
Nelson, Governor of Colorado; Wally Beebe, Secretary of Transportation;
Bill Dowell, head of Department of Physical Fitness; Mrs. John R. Rice,
head of National Organization for Women; David Cavin, Speaker of the House;
Russell Anderson, Director of the National Budget; and Bob Billings, United
States Representative to the United Nations. Every city would have a fundamentalist
mayor; every school board would be staffed by fundamentalist deacons, every
courtroom would be occupied by a fundamentalist lawyer, the security guards
of Hyles-Anderson College would be the Indi- ana State Police, and the
politics of our nation would be run under God; but in spite of this, we
are not commanded to clean up politics, to head movements for better government
or to head political actions groups, but we are commanded to preach!
If I had my way, not one Communist would ever speak on a college campus.
If I had my way, Cuba would be blockaded until Russian troops are pulled
out. If I had my way, every Communist book would be taken off the library
shelves of every classroom in America, and every person found guilty of
spreading Communism would be tried for treason. If I had my way, no Communist
would ever again appear on a talk show, and the Communist party would be
outlawed in the United States! If I had my way, no pink professor would
ever again criticize George Washington; yet, in spite of this fact, we
are never commissioned to head the Committee of Un- American Activities
and we are never commanded to join the Anti- Communist League, but we are
commanded to preach!
If I had my way, a person found guilty of growing or selling marijuana
would be placed in prison. If I had my way, never again would a teacher
teach evolution in our schools. If I had my way, the classroom would never
be a place of profanity again. If I had my way, sex education would be
turned back to the parents. If I had my way, it would be illegal to bottle
or sell alcoholic beverages. If I had my way, there would not be a coeducational
dorm in America. If I had my way, there would not be another half-time
chorus line at a football game. If I had my way, no Christian child would
be again ridiculed for refusing to dance at the local high school. If I
had my way, not one girl would be allowed to attend school in a mini-skirt,
shorts or pants. If I had my way, no Madalyn Murray O'Hair would be allowed
to shake to faith of our youth, and yet we are never commanded in the Bible
to join "Clean-up America" campaigns. I am for all of them, but there is
no Bible command about it. There is a Bible command to preach!
If I had my way, there would be a fundamental Christian school in every
city, town, village and neighborhood in America. If I had my way, every
child would sit under a soul-winning teacher. If I had my way, no Christian
young people would ever go to a heathen school. If I had my way, every
school in America would be built on the Bible and its principles and would
be bathed in prayer, but we are not commissioned to be educators primarily
or to leave our pulpits for Christian education; we are commanded to preach!
If I had my way, America would be the strongest military power in the
world again. If I had my way, America would have won the Vietnam War. If
I had my way, we would never have relinquished the Panama Canal. If I had
my way, not one gun control law would ever be passed in the United States
so that only thieves and crooks would have guns and the common citizen
would be at their mercy
If I had my way, America would never again enter into an arms treaty
with Russia. We would simply become the most powerful nation on the face
of the earth and ready to defend ourselves at any cost! If I had my way,
the Bay of Pigs would not have failed. If I had my way, America would stand
up in defense of Taiwan. If I had my way, America would pull out of the
United Nations, and draft dodgers would be convicted of treason. If I had
my way, our Navy would be second to none, our Air Force would be the greatest
in the world, our Army would be the mightiest on earth, and we would stop
Communist aggression in Cuba, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cam- bodia, San Salvador;
Iran, Poland, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Mexico. If I had my way, nobody
on the face of the earth would live in fear of the slavery of Communism,
and every free nation on earth would sleep peacefully because of our dedication
to their independence and freedom. If I had my way, the mightiest military
defense in history would be ours; and yet, we are not commanded in the
Bible as God's men to spend our time improving the armed forces, but we
are commanded to preach!
The Pentagon needs to be improved, but the hope of this nation does
not rest in the Pentagon. The White House needs to be improved, but the
hope of this nation does not rest in the White House. God knows the Supreme
Court could use a world of improvement, but the hope of this nation does
not rest in the Supreme Court. Congress needs improving, but the hope of
this nation does not nest in the Congress. Our city halls need cleaning
up, but the hope of this nation does not rest in the city halls. The United
Nations General Assembly could use some housecleaning, but the hope of
this country and this world does not rest in the halls of the United Nations.
It was preaching that saved Scotland under John Knox. It was preaching
that spared England under Whitefield, Wesley and Spurgeon. It was preaching
that spared America under Moody and Sunday, and it is preaching that will
save America again if she is ever saved. I Corinthians 1:21b, "It pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." It was
preaching that inspired Pentecost. It was preaching that saved Nineveh.
May God take us back to old-fashioned, Spirit-filled, Christ-honoring,
sin-hating, soul-winning, Bible preaching! It is the hope of the church!
It is the hope of the nation! It is the hope of the world!
