“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…” – 2 Corinthians 4:5

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” – Colossians 1:28

In his book, ‘Preaching and Preachers’ Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones referred to the fact of how many bible students (in his day) imitated the style of the Puritans; they walked and talked like the Puritans that appeared so unnatural and ridiculous. He believed that such conduct was completely missing the whole point in desiring the ‘spirit’ of the Puritans – their zeal, fire and devotion to the Lord, which is a whole different matter.

Of course, mannerisms within society and culture was different then; civilization is supposed to advance, but when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we do not water it down to the level of society; the Puritans never did, and neither did any other era where God’s Spirit moved powerfully; the message they proclaimed was timeless. The Gospel message is other-worldly – of course it is! The problem today is that we have not only ‘tweaked’ the essence of the Gospel, we have created a new one that is more palatable and comfortable for the existing generation, but it doesn’t win souls to Jesus Christ, it may win many converts to a personality, to a cause, to a church – but never to the One true God of salvation. That is why so much of the world is in the church, because the many that fill up the churches are not regenerate. I read the other week that, “Those who are not changed by the Gospel will endeavour to change the gospel” and it is exactly what we are witnessing today.

Oswald Chambers said, “If I, as a minister of God, attract attention unto myself, I have failed my mission.” The apostle Paul could have enticed many converts unto himself, but instead He realised the real power of the timeless and unchanging message of the glory of the cross of Christ – to know nothing among men but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (and of course, His resurrection); the cross is an offence to humanity; it is the blow to human pride and self sufficiency – the world hates it, but it is where God’s power has been the most powerfully exhibited in all of humanity’s history.

“Him we proclaim…”  – How different to all the celebrity speakers and leaders that riddle our churches today. Not only is it qualifications that nominate a candidate for the pastoral ministry, but big personalities; charismatic personalities are ‘guaranteed’ to attract the crowds! When did such churches sell out to the devil, to substitute the power of the God for the glorification of man? Does this not bear the hallmarks of Lucifer’s pride prior to his fall? Is it not also part of why Christ removes His candle-stick from many churches?

Do such celebrity speakers leave the people with a sense of God alone, or do people admire the speaker? If they are enamoured with the preacher, then he is nothing but a motivator, totally void of the Spirit’s power. How different are the preachers of a few decades ago. Yesterday’s preaching was a demonstration of the Spirit’s power; today’s preaching is, in essence, a display of man’s weakness foolishly mistaken for God’s power.

On one particular occasion when Martin Lloyd-Jones was preaching through his Friday night studies in Revelation, Iain H. Murray was so transfixed by a sense of the glory of God and His presence, that the number one preoccupation with his wedding to take place the following day was superseded by a greater Reality during that exposition! That is the result of dynamic preaching – people left with nothing but an awareness of the presence of God!

Not only does the church love the world today, but the world loves the church because she fails to effectively “Proclaim Jesus Christ” alone; she is no longer an offence to the world, to its pride and all its independence of God. And these are the ‘new ways’ that greatly attracts the world; these are the ‘new successful methods’ that are going to ‘reach’ a new generation only to make them twice as blind and twice as much the children of hell!