Rev. Richard J. Venema, pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church of Pella, Iowa, writes:
“Last year [1971] a member of our congregation donated $1,000 to Dordt College to sponsor an essay contest. This contest was open to all young people of the enc with the awards to be use as scholarships at Dordt College. Papers were to be written on the topic: What Is Ahead for the Christian Reformed Church? The donor’s primary interest was to promote an understanding of and appreciation for the heritage which is ours in the CRC . . . As a pastor I am grateful for such a positive attitude towards om young people.
“This year [1972] $1,000 was given to our consistory with the intent that the young people of Pella I would be encouraged to participate . . .” Second place winner ($250) was Sheryl Van Gorp, a senior at Pella Christian High School, who plans to attend Dordt in the coming year. In addition to winning top academic reward at school, Sheryl is pitcher on the Girls’ Softball Team and she also plays forward on the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team.
Rev. Venema’s cooperation in complying with our request to make these prize-winning essays available for publication in THE OUTLOOK is greatly appreciated.
As long as the church has existed, so hus the preaching of the Word. Preaching is the central strength of Protestant Christianity. Wherever there is great preaching, the church is bound to be much stronger. As preaching weakens or fails, so the strength of the church will weaken and fail. If the preaching is sound, doctrinally and biblically true, the church is determined to grow. Preaching must remain the central pillar of the church. The entire worship service must be built around it.
H. C. Brown, Jr., states this emphatically: “Whenever Christianity has made substantial progress, great preaching has led the way. In the history of Christianity, there have been five great centuries of growth and development. These same five periods are the five centuries of great preaching: the first with the apostles, the fourth with Chrysostom and Augustine, the thirteenth with Francis of Assisi and Dominic, the sixteenth with Luther and Calvin, and the nineteenth with Spurgeon and Maclaren.
“Contrariwise, whenever preaching has declined, Christianity has become stagnant. In the Dark Ages, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in most countries, preaching was weak and ineffective.”1
Already in the first century, the Christian religion was brought by missionaries and preachers such as Amand of France, Eloi of Eligius, and Wilfred and Willibrod of Great Britain. The Christianity brought by these preachers was saturated with unscriptural doctrines, common to the Roman type of church life. This continued on during the following centuries, until a general Reformation resulted. Actually there had been many attempted reforms but the conditions were not suitable for a general Reformation until the early part of the sixteenth century.
The Reformation brought many new ideas, practices, and doctrines. Many different religions resulted. Two leaders of the Reformation, Calvin and Zwingli, were responsible for many of the concepts which our church follows today.
Preaching in early days of CRC – In Holland, Calvinism gained a strong foothold, due mainly to strong preaching of the Word. A few decades later, a secession movement spread in Holland. This movement was started in response to a growing number of unfaithful preachers and corrupted doctrines. Many Dutch then left Holland in search of religious freedom. After coming to America, they settled down with zeal to the task of preaching and spreading God’s Word to others.
Our early church experienced difficulties due to a lack of ministers. When the Christian Reformed Church separated from the Reformed Church, only two of the ministers, Rev. H. G. Klyn and Rev. K. Vanden Bosch, wished to join and remain independent in the Christian Reformed Church. One of these two pastors, Rev. Klyn, returned to the Reformed Church.2 Under these conditions, our church experienced a shaky start. It is evident from this example that strong preaching is a pillar of a strong church.
The church grew and progressed. By 1880, there were only nineteen CRC pastors in the United States. That meant that less than ol1e half of the congregations had regular pastors. In Iowa there were only four ministers.3
By 1900, the ministry numbered 98, but by 1920 there were 186 ministers. These preachers not only excelled in numbers, but also in quality.4 With more ministers and laymen who preached and taught the Word, the church was strengthened over the years.
Threats to preaching – All through its history our church has emphasized the preaching of the Word. But the Bible and the preaching of this Word have been denounced in many ways. Misinterpretations and limitations on the Bible are commonplace. There arc those who tend to place scientific views and reason before God’s Word. The infallibility and holiness of God’s Word is “taken away.” In this manner, the Word of God is undermined, but Christ’s triumph over death also triumphs over these “heresies.”
False prophets and preachers also “harm” the Word of God. Gradually they tear it apart, criticizing it as improbable or even impossible, but the Bible as the Word of the living God and true preaching are powerful. In Jesus’ ministry of the Word, the Holy Spirit kindled the hearts of men to be opened to Christ and His true message.5 The Word of God, through preaching and other means, can overcome these false prophets, but there will also be many difficulties and trying times in their influence.
Another threat to God’s Word is the adding to or subtracting from it by various individuals. As early as 140 A.D., men such as Marcion attempted to organize sects. These sects were usually developed in order to “purify and strengthen” the church.
Marcion attempted to purify the church by urging a complete break with the Old Testament. Moreover, Marcion also wished to dispose of the writings of Peter, James, and John. In fact, he wished to keep only his own gospel based on the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul’s epistles. Marcion did not consider the rest of the Bible to be pure or to aid the strength and growth of Christianity.6
There have been other examples of diverting God’s Word. Many supposed “reformers” of the chl1rch have reduced God’s written Word. Critics tear the Bible apart, declaring its improbabilities, or even the impossibility of such an ancient book.
The preaching of the Word in a of worship services is also denounced today. In our worship services, many people regard the sermon time spot as an empty void. This could be one reason for the movement toward other forms of worship.
Fixing the blame – Frequently the ineffectiveness of a sermon is blamed on the minister or the poor quality of the sermon, but possibly the failure of the sermon to reach man’s heart can be blamed on man himself. We often criticize the sermon without taking time to consider ourselves. The congregation must put something into the sermon in order to get something out of it. So, the effectiveness of the sermon relies partially on the minister who prepares the sermon, but also on the congregation.
As members of the congregation we are given a responsibility to make the church service more effective by making ourselves better listeners to the preaching of the Word. If we listen to the sermon, it can change and refresh our lives. It helps to educate us in our roles as witnesses. It assures us of the blessed truth found in the Gospel. It provides hope of a better life eternally. The sermon itself does not really provide these benefits, but Christ, through the preaching of His Word, provides these benefits. Therefore, if the worship service is effective, the church will be strengthened as a body.
Preaching in the Confessions – Our church emphasizes the preaching of the Word. The confessions of our church stress the need for preaching. In our Belgic Confession it is stated: “The marks by which the true church is known are these; If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein . . . in short, if all things arc managed according to the pure Word of God, Hereby the true church may certainly be known, from which no mall has a right to separate himself.”
In the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day XXI, Questions and Answers 83 and 84, it is stated: “What are the keys of the kingdom of Heaven? The preaching of the holy gospel, and church discipline or excommunication out of the church. By these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and shut against unbelievers.” Question 84 goes further in describing the importance of the preaching of the Word. In summary it states: The preaching of the Word proclaims and witnesses to believers that their sins are forgiven them for the sake of Christ’s merits. The preaching of the Word also serves to warn unbelievers of the eternal wrath of God and condemnation which waits for them as long as they are not converted. It also stresses that God will judge according to the witness of this gospel.
Purposes of preaching – The Word of God, itself, also repeats many times the need for the preaching of the Word. “For the preaching (Word) of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).
The preaching of the Word is absolutely necessary as it serves many purposes for us. The preaching of the Word can impart spiritual enlightenment. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3).
The preaching of the Word serves to strengthen our faith. By teaching us more about Christ and His redeeming work toward us and our salvation, our faith is strengthened. “So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
The preaching of the Word also serves to strengthen the church in its task of witnessing to the world. “But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
It is quite evident that the preaching of the Word, a key of the kingdom, strengthens the church in many ways.
We must assume the preaching of the Word has been and is very signi6cant. As there is a purpose for everything, certainly the perfect, infallible Word of God must have a great purpose. The Bible is very clear as to how God inspired earthly men to write as God wished them to write. The Bible is also very clear as to God’s divine calling of Old Testament men to be prophets. “And I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I command him” (Deut. 18:18). In the New Testament, God also called and qualified apostles to write and preach the Word. “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen the Lord?” (I Cor. 9:1).
The Bible is the product of many men inspired by God, over many centuries of time. Therefore the Bible owes its origin, perfection, and authority not to earthly men, but to God.
In His Word, God unfolds His plan to us. Actually the Christian religion roots in God’s Self-manifestation to men. Unless He speaks first, we shall not be able to say anything about Him and His plan of salvation with any assurance or accuracy:
Although the Bible has been inspired by God, the Holy Spirit, we still need the illumination of the Holy Spirit to understand its message. The Holy Spirit has been promised to us by Christ. “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you unto all truth, . . . and He will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). God has graciously given us His Word, and graciously grants us the illumination of the Holy Spirit, so we can understand the message of the Scriptures.
Whose task? – Whereas God has provided His children with everything necessary to use His Word, He also has commanded us to witness and spread this Word to others. We often assume this task rests on ministers and missionaries. It is true that preaching is the main task of the ministers and missionaries, but they are really ordinary men, who have accepted God’s calling. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (II Cor. 4:7). They have a difficult responsibility which they can fulfill only with God’s help. The effectiveness of a preacher may vary, depending on his qualities; but in order for a preacher to be really effective, he must be one with the message which he preaches. He must be a sincere Christian, who follows God, not the mere wishes of people. His life must be devoted to God and to this calling of preaching the Word.
The task of the preaching of the Word does not rest only on the ministers and missionaries. Neither does this task rest only on the elders, who are appointed to preach and teach the Word in our churches. This task relies also on the entire body of believers. Christ has given us all a great responsibility in His command: “Go ye therefore, and teach, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19).
No easy task – This commission is no easy task, for this world is a scary place. Not only is man driven to survive in an environment of poverty, war, disease, and conspiracy; but the task of witnessing by Christians to this world is often rejected and ridiculed by unbelievers. “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). The world may be difficult to witness to, and the results may be discouraging and fruitless. “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Tim. 4:4). This verse also emphasizes the trend toward new religions and cults. Today, many people are searching for answers. Their lives are empty and they realize this emptiness. Drugs, fantasies, and new religions are introduced to fill this void. But all these “fables” cannot accomplish this. Only Christ is the real solution. We must bring Christ to others by the preaching of His Word.
I am afraid we do not always fulfill this immense responsibility. Although we are very incapable without God’s help, He assures and gives us the strength to witness if we only render ourselves to His will. As Christ said to His disciples: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers unto His harvest” (Luke 10:2). As Christians we experience the assurance that Christ is always with us, and will guide us. As He said: “And lo, I am with you always. even unto the end of the earth” (Matt. 28:20).
As Christians, we also have a responsibility to hear the preaching of the Word in our churches. Being able to attend a church where the faithful preaching of the Word is exercised Sunday after Sunday is a gift of God. Here it is that blessings are given to those who wait. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). As these believers were gathered together, the Holy Spirit was sent to the church on Pentecost, and He inspired men to biblical preaching centuries ago. It has survived many trials and tribulations through the ages. Here is our hope and strength for years to come.
1. H.C. Brown, Jr., quoted by Roger S. Greenway in “Biblical Preaching,” The Banner, April 14, 1972, p. 10.
2. Dr. Henry Beets, The Christian Reformed Church (Eastern Avenue Book Store, 1923), p. 62.
3. Ibid., p. 73.
4. Ibid., p. 74.
5. John Vander Ploeg, “How to Kindle a Fire,” THE OUTLOOK, April, 1972.
6. Peter Y. De Jong, The Church’s Witness (Pella Publishing Company, 1960), p. 183.
7. Peter Y. De Jong, The Church’s Witness to the World, (Pella Publishing Company, 1960), p. 1051.
“Last year [1971] a member of our congregation donated $1,000 to Dordt College to sponsor an essay contest. This contest was open to all young people of the enc with the awards to be use as scholarships at Dordt College. Papers were to be written on the topic: What Is Ahead for the Christian Reformed Church? The donor’s primary interest was to promote an understanding of and appreciation for the heritage which is ours in the CRC . . . As a pastor I am grateful for such a positive attitude towards om young people.
“This year [1972] $1,000 was given to our consistory with the intent that the young people of Pella I would be encouraged to participate . . .” Second place winner ($250) was Sheryl Van Gorp, a senior at Pella Christian High School, who plans to attend Dordt in the coming year. In addition to winning top academic reward at school, Sheryl is pitcher on the Girls’ Softball Team and she also plays forward on the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team.
Rev. Venema’s cooperation in complying with our request to make these prize-winning essays available for publication in THE OUTLOOK is greatly appreciated.
As long as the church has existed, so hus the preaching of the Word. Preaching is the central strength of Protestant Christianity. Wherever there is great preaching, the church is bound to be much stronger. As preaching weakens or fails, so the strength of the church will weaken and fail. If the preaching is sound, doctrinally and biblically true, the church is determined to grow. Preaching must remain the central pillar of the church. The entire worship service must be built around it.
H. C. Brown, Jr., states this emphatically: “Whenever Christianity has made substantial progress, great preaching has led the way. In the history of Christianity, there have been five great centuries of growth and development. These same five periods are the five centuries of great preaching: the first with the apostles, the fourth with Chrysostom and Augustine, the thirteenth with Francis of Assisi and Dominic, the sixteenth with Luther and Calvin, and the nineteenth with Spurgeon and Maclaren.
“Contrariwise, whenever preaching has declined, Christianity has become stagnant. In the Dark Ages, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in most countries, preaching was weak and ineffective.”1
Already in the first century, the Christian religion was brought by missionaries and preachers such as Amand of France, Eloi of Eligius, and Wilfred and Willibrod of Great Britain. The Christianity brought by these preachers was saturated with unscriptural doctrines, common to the Roman type of church life. This continued on during the following centuries, until a general Reformation resulted. Actually there had been many attempted reforms but the conditions were not suitable for a general Reformation until the early part of the sixteenth century.
The Reformation brought many new ideas, practices, and doctrines. Many different religions resulted. Two leaders of the Reformation, Calvin and Zwingli, were responsible for many of the concepts which our church follows today.
Preaching in early days of CRC – In Holland, Calvinism gained a strong foothold, due mainly to strong preaching of the Word. A few decades later, a secession movement spread in Holland. This movement was started in response to a growing number of unfaithful preachers and corrupted doctrines. Many Dutch then left Holland in search of religious freedom. After coming to America, they settled down with zeal to the task of preaching and spreading God’s Word to others.
Our early church experienced difficulties due to a lack of ministers. When the Christian Reformed Church separated from the Reformed Church, only two of the ministers, Rev. H. G. Klyn and Rev. K. Vanden Bosch, wished to join and remain independent in the Christian Reformed Church. One of these two pastors, Rev. Klyn, returned to the Reformed Church.2 Under these conditions, our church experienced a shaky start. It is evident from this example that strong preaching is a pillar of a strong church.
The church grew and progressed. By 1880, there were only nineteen CRC pastors in the United States. That meant that less than ol1e half of the congregations had regular pastors. In Iowa there were only four ministers.3
By 1900, the ministry numbered 98, but by 1920 there were 186 ministers. These preachers not only excelled in numbers, but also in quality.4 With more ministers and laymen who preached and taught the Word, the church was strengthened over the years.
Threats to preaching – All through its history our church has emphasized the preaching of the Word. But the Bible and the preaching of this Word have been denounced in many ways. Misinterpretations and limitations on the Bible are commonplace. There arc those who tend to place scientific views and reason before God’s Word. The infallibility and holiness of God’s Word is “taken away.” In this manner, the Word of God is undermined, but Christ’s triumph over death also triumphs over these “heresies.”
False prophets and preachers also “harm” the Word of God. Gradually they tear it apart, criticizing it as improbable or even impossible, but the Bible as the Word of the living God and true preaching are powerful. In Jesus’ ministry of the Word, the Holy Spirit kindled the hearts of men to be opened to Christ and His true message.5 The Word of God, through preaching and other means, can overcome these false prophets, but there will also be many difficulties and trying times in their influence.
Another threat to God’s Word is the adding to or subtracting from it by various individuals. As early as 140 A.D., men such as Marcion attempted to organize sects. These sects were usually developed in order to “purify and strengthen” the church.
Marcion attempted to purify the church by urging a complete break with the Old Testament. Moreover, Marcion also wished to dispose of the writings of Peter, James, and John. In fact, he wished to keep only his own gospel based on the Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul’s epistles. Marcion did not consider the rest of the Bible to be pure or to aid the strength and growth of Christianity.6
There have been other examples of diverting God’s Word. Many supposed “reformers” of the chl1rch have reduced God’s written Word. Critics tear the Bible apart, declaring its improbabilities, or even the impossibility of such an ancient book.
The preaching of the Word in a of worship services is also denounced today. In our worship services, many people regard the sermon time spot as an empty void. This could be one reason for the movement toward other forms of worship.
Fixing the blame – Frequently the ineffectiveness of a sermon is blamed on the minister or the poor quality of the sermon, but possibly the failure of the sermon to reach man’s heart can be blamed on man himself. We often criticize the sermon without taking time to consider ourselves. The congregation must put something into the sermon in order to get something out of it. So, the effectiveness of the sermon relies partially on the minister who prepares the sermon, but also on the congregation.
As members of the congregation we are given a responsibility to make the church service more effective by making ourselves better listeners to the preaching of the Word. If we listen to the sermon, it can change and refresh our lives. It helps to educate us in our roles as witnesses. It assures us of the blessed truth found in the Gospel. It provides hope of a better life eternally. The sermon itself does not really provide these benefits, but Christ, through the preaching of His Word, provides these benefits. Therefore, if the worship service is effective, the church will be strengthened as a body.
Preaching in the Confessions – Our church emphasizes the preaching of the Word. The confessions of our church stress the need for preaching. In our Belgic Confession it is stated: “The marks by which the true church is known are these; If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein . . . in short, if all things arc managed according to the pure Word of God, Hereby the true church may certainly be known, from which no mall has a right to separate himself.”
In the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day XXI, Questions and Answers 83 and 84, it is stated: “What are the keys of the kingdom of Heaven? The preaching of the holy gospel, and church discipline or excommunication out of the church. By these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and shut against unbelievers.” Question 84 goes further in describing the importance of the preaching of the Word. In summary it states: The preaching of the Word proclaims and witnesses to believers that their sins are forgiven them for the sake of Christ’s merits. The preaching of the Word also serves to warn unbelievers of the eternal wrath of God and condemnation which waits for them as long as they are not converted. It also stresses that God will judge according to the witness of this gospel.
Purposes of preaching – The Word of God, itself, also repeats many times the need for the preaching of the Word. “For the preaching (Word) of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).
The preaching of the Word is absolutely necessary as it serves many purposes for us. The preaching of the Word can impart spiritual enlightenment. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3).
The preaching of the Word serves to strengthen our faith. By teaching us more about Christ and His redeeming work toward us and our salvation, our faith is strengthened. “So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
The preaching of the Word also serves to strengthen the church in its task of witnessing to the world. “But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
It is quite evident that the preaching of the Word, a key of the kingdom, strengthens the church in many ways.
We must assume the preaching of the Word has been and is very signi6cant. As there is a purpose for everything, certainly the perfect, infallible Word of God must have a great purpose. The Bible is very clear as to how God inspired earthly men to write as God wished them to write. The Bible is also very clear as to God’s divine calling of Old Testament men to be prophets. “And I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I command him” (Deut. 18:18). In the New Testament, God also called and qualified apostles to write and preach the Word. “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen the Lord?” (I Cor. 9:1).
The Bible is the product of many men inspired by God, over many centuries of time. Therefore the Bible owes its origin, perfection, and authority not to earthly men, but to God.
In His Word, God unfolds His plan to us. Actually the Christian religion roots in God’s Self-manifestation to men. Unless He speaks first, we shall not be able to say anything about Him and His plan of salvation with any assurance or accuracy:
Although the Bible has been inspired by God, the Holy Spirit, we still need the illumination of the Holy Spirit to understand its message. The Holy Spirit has been promised to us by Christ. “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you unto all truth, . . . and He will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). God has graciously given us His Word, and graciously grants us the illumination of the Holy Spirit, so we can understand the message of the Scriptures.
Whose task? – Whereas God has provided His children with everything necessary to use His Word, He also has commanded us to witness and spread this Word to others. We often assume this task rests on ministers and missionaries. It is true that preaching is the main task of the ministers and missionaries, but they are really ordinary men, who have accepted God’s calling. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (II Cor. 4:7). They have a difficult responsibility which they can fulfill only with God’s help. The effectiveness of a preacher may vary, depending on his qualities; but in order for a preacher to be really effective, he must be one with the message which he preaches. He must be a sincere Christian, who follows God, not the mere wishes of people. His life must be devoted to God and to this calling of preaching the Word.
The task of the preaching of the Word does not rest only on the ministers and missionaries. Neither does this task rest only on the elders, who are appointed to preach and teach the Word in our churches. This task relies also on the entire body of believers. Christ has given us all a great responsibility in His command: “Go ye therefore, and teach, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19).
No easy task – This commission is no easy task, for this world is a scary place. Not only is man driven to survive in an environment of poverty, war, disease, and conspiracy; but the task of witnessing by Christians to this world is often rejected and ridiculed by unbelievers. “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). The world may be difficult to witness to, and the results may be discouraging and fruitless. “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Tim. 4:4). This verse also emphasizes the trend toward new religions and cults. Today, many people are searching for answers. Their lives are empty and they realize this emptiness. Drugs, fantasies, and new religions are introduced to fill this void. But all these “fables” cannot accomplish this. Only Christ is the real solution. We must bring Christ to others by the preaching of His Word.
I am afraid we do not always fulfill this immense responsibility. Although we are very incapable without God’s help, He assures and gives us the strength to witness if we only render ourselves to His will. As Christ said to His disciples: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers unto His harvest” (Luke 10:2). As Christians we experience the assurance that Christ is always with us, and will guide us. As He said: “And lo, I am with you always. even unto the end of the earth” (Matt. 28:20).
As Christians, we also have a responsibility to hear the preaching of the Word in our churches. Being able to attend a church where the faithful preaching of the Word is exercised Sunday after Sunday is a gift of God. Here it is that blessings are given to those who wait. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). As these believers were gathered together, the Holy Spirit was sent to the church on Pentecost, and He inspired men to biblical preaching centuries ago. It has survived many trials and tribulations through the ages. Here is our hope and strength for years to come.
1. H.C. Brown, Jr., quoted by Roger S. Greenway in “Biblical Preaching,” The Banner, April 14, 1972, p. 10.
2. Dr. Henry Beets, The Christian Reformed Church (Eastern Avenue Book Store, 1923), p. 62.
3. Ibid., p. 73.
4. Ibid., p. 74.
5. John Vander Ploeg, “How to Kindle a Fire,” THE OUTLOOK, April, 1972.
6. Peter Y. De Jong, The Church’s Witness (Pella Publishing Company, 1960), p. 183.
7. Peter Y. De Jong, The Church’s Witness to the World, (Pella Publishing Company, 1960), p. 1051.