By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen
This post is about the fact that one of the responsibilities of Christian preachers is to warn their Christian listeners and readers about specific dangers in the Christian life. These dangers include, but are not limited to, sin, temptation, and false doctrine. Another common danger is neglect of those things which promote our daily walk with Jesus Christ, such as Bible reading, prayer, confessing and forsaking sin, church attendance, and fellowship with Christians.
The preacher must also warn non-Christians about the fact that, unless they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior before death, they will go to a horrible place called "hell," which is a place of conscious punishment of both body and soul, and from which there is no escape.
Warning is not always a pleasant and positive activity, but it is a vital part of being in the ministry. Preachers cannot neglect it, and be faithful to their calling. While we should seek to be uplifting and encouraging to Christians in the struggles we all face, we must warn of the spiritual dangers along life's pathway. What the apostle Peter told Christians 2,000 years ago is applicable to us. He wrote these important words in 1 Peter 5:8 and 9: "8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." And the apostle Paul wrote the following to the Colossian Christians. He said this in Colossians 1:28 about Jesus Christ: " Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." So, this was part of the preaching ministry back then. It should be now, too.
We should not be always warning about dangers. But we will often do so as we carry out the ministry to which we have been called. One of the great values of preaching and teaching through books of the Bible is that it will keep us balanced. For example, if we preach or teach through Paul's letter to the Philippians, known as "the letter of Christian joy," we will deal with both positive and negative subjects. We will both encourage and warn others, because that is what this letter does. We Christians understandably love to read the book of Psalms, for it has great ability to encourage us. But the book of Psalms is balanced, sometimes encouraging us, sometimes warning us. Psalm one as an example of this fact. In it, we read about the blessed man (or woman). It tells us what he doesn't do, and what he does do. It tells us the different results that come into the lives of those who follow the Lord, and those who do not do so.
Let us now consider some examples from the Bible of men who, though they did not only warn as they preached, had it as an important aspect of their ministries.
- Noah
- Moses
- Elijah
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Daniel
- John the Baptist
- Jesus Christ
- John
- Paul
- Peter
- Jude
Warning is important. But how should we warn others in our preaching? Let me suggest two ways, based on Biblical examples. 1.) Sometimes warning should speak directly about specific dangers, but without giving any names of those who promote the dangers. 2.) And sometimes we need to identify who it is that we need to be aware of.
We find it done both ways by the apostle John in his last two letters, which are given below with the verses in red. In his second letter, he warned about persons who were deceiving others with their false doctrines about Jesus Christ. But he did not name them. In his third letter, he gave a specific warning about a man named "Diotrephes" who was a one-man church discipline committee who opposed the apostle John and anyone who supported John. It seems circumstances determine if and when we identify who, specifically, is a danger we need to beware of.
It is very helpful when Christians are well-taught in the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. This enables us to know a false doctrine when we hear it without having first been told that so-and-so is a false teacher. We preachers should seek to ground our listeners in these core doctrines for that reason.
2 John 1
New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting the Elect Lady
1 The Elder,
To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Walk in Christ’s Commandments
4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
Beware of Antichrist Deceivers
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
John’s Farewell Greeting
12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
3 John 1
New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting to Gaius
1 The Elder,
To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Gaius Commended for Generosity
5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.
Diotrephes and Demetrius
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.
Farewell Greeting
13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.
Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved." It was taken from this website: www.biblegateway.com.
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