Why has doctrinal preaching disappeared from churches?

A pulpiteer entertains goats;
A minister of the word feeds sheep.

 

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Feb 27, 2025

Sir, I noticed that churches tend to stay clear of theological  doctrines in their sermons. And even Dr.bc also prefer to focus on the application side of the Scriptures only. Is this the correct way to preach?
========

What you observe is a common phenomenon; it's sad and tragic. Often, the preachers themselves are clueless about the vital doctrinal issues involved. ALSO, that's what the congregations want, and demand too.

Doctrines will choke many. Heb 5:12-14

However, sound theology/doctrine is the ground/foundation on which the applications/practical godliness thrive.

Read the Epistles to the Romans and Hebrews, for example, and observe closely the many "therefore" of applications AFTER careful laying down of doctrines line by line.

Apostle Paul would labour to lay out the theology/doctrine first, followed by the applications of the theology/doctrines. That's the apostolic precedent and pattern for the NT ministers of the word.

2Tim 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Titus 2:1 "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine."

Many modern churchmen and pulpiteers LOATHE sound doctrines.

Why did Christ, the head of the church, give the FOUR teaching offices to His church?

(only the last is normative; the first three were unique to the apostolic church.)

Ephesians 4
¶ 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

How many believers are still like children TOSSED TO AND FRO and carried about with every wind of doctrine!!!!!

If we need to assume anything...

Let's go to church, Betsy!

 

[2/23/2021, 12:58 PM]

Sir, I have a question:
Someone I had invited to attend Sunday worship together attended! Can I assume this person must have been a child of God waiting for his spiritual regeneration because he is already alive? Normally, I would not ask these sorts of questions, but since you invited us to ask, I asked. Whatever answers you gave, I promised I will meditate before His throne for truth from above. No hard feelings.

--------

[If "this person must have been a child of God" then he must have been REGENERATED; why is he still waiting for his spiritual regeneration???????

Maybe you meant "waiting for his CONVERSION!]

️I know you have asked your question with soft, tender feelings! 😊

If we need to assume anything, there is more than one thing to assume.

Perhaps, it is best to inquire directly with the invitee instead of us assuming anything, "eh, put your right hand to your heart, and tell me why did you accept my invitation to attend our church?"

There may be various reasons your invitee responded to your invitation:
- just wanted to oblige his kind invitor,
- curious what a church meeting looks like,
- hoping to make more friends like you,
- networking for business/career opportunities,
- etc.

During the Lord Jesus' earthly ministry, many were following Him for various reasons:

- John 6:26 "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."

- John 2:23-24 "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men"

They followed Him for material gains and curiosity about the signs and miracles, etc.

Your question: Can I assume this person must have been a child of God waiting for his spiritual regeneration because he is already alive?

Let's rehearse some basic truths:

i. *A child of God* is an elect whom God has already regenerated.
- All children of God are elect; NOT all elect are children of God yet. Why?
- Some elect of God are not even conceived yet.
- Some elect of God are already conceived but not born yet; they are still in the womb.
- Some elect of God are already born into this world, and are at different stages of life; of these, some are already regenerated by the Spirit of God - they are children of God since they are already born of God.
- Some children of God are already converted to Jesus Christ through the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ; others are not yet. Those converted and made the public profession of faith through water baptism in obedience to Christ are called Christians; they are disciples or believers.
- Of these Christian disciples, there is a WIDE spectrum... There, are Pauls and there are Demases.

Back to your question:

Can I assume this person must have been a child of God waiting for his spiritual regeneration because he is already alive?

If you assume that the person must have been a child of God, then he is already regenerated or born of God.

Perhaps you intended to ask, "Can I assume this person must have been *AN ELECT* of God waiting for his spiritual regeneration...? I don't know.

Your question again,

"Can I assume this person must have been a child of God waiting for his spiritual regeneration because he is already alive?

If he is already alive, that is, already quickened (Eph 2:1) from spiritual deadness (another biblical term for regeneration, and born of God), then why is he waiting for his spiritual regeneration?

I'm saying all these, trying to understand your question!

It is best not to assume anything, especially the eternal salvation of a person.

Probably 100% of people will assume wrongly about Lot.

I'm HAPPY when my people ask questions; asking questions indicates that they are thinking.

I'm worried and concerned when they keep their elegant silence.

I fear for myself.
=========

Comments

David A. Scott
I can agree that the invitee would not have come unless there was a desire, but we all know the saying about sitting in church don't make ya a Christian

Fred Detwiler
Amen, brother, thanks for sharing! ❤️

The LORD's Passover

 

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It is the LORD's Passover

Exodus 12:1-11
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.

 Let us be impressed by the precise and detailed instructions concerning the LORD'S Passover lamb

1. The lamb:
a. When the lamb is picked:
- on the 10th day of the 1st month

b. What kind of lamb to pick
- it must be without blemish,
- a male in his first year,
- whether from the sheep or from the goats.

c. When to slay the lamb
- The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening of the 14th day.

d. what to do with the blood of the lamb slain:
- they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses.
- the house wherein they shall eat the passover lamb.

e. how the lamb to be cooked:
-  roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the entrails thereof.

f. where to eat the lamb:
- in the house where they have applied the lamb's blood on the doorposts and lintel.

g. when to eat the lamb:
-  they shall eat the flesh in the night of the 14th day

h. how is the lamb to be eaten:
- they shall eat it in haste, with their loins girded, their shoes on  their feet, and staff in their hand;
- they shall not raw, nor sodden at all with water,

i. What to do with any remains of the lamb:
- any remains must be burned by fire.
- nothing of it to remain. by morning

Why such precise and detailed instructions?

Is the LORD too exact and detailed for you?

It's about the LORD's Passover Lamb - foreshadowing Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

2. A wise and practical arrangement
a. A lamb for each house: "they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house."

b. If a household is small, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; two or more households share a lamb.

Ah, how generous and considerate is the LORD our God and Father.
Amen, and amen,

Was the Great Commission Fulfilled by the Apostles Before 70 A.D.?

Did the Apostles of Christ fulfil the work
they were commissioned to do?
What do the Scriptures say?

Feb 27, 2019

Did the Apostles of Christ fulfil the work they were commissioned to do? What do the Scriptures say?

Was the Great Commission Fulfilled by the Apostles Before 70 A.D.?

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in ALL THE WORLD for a witness unto ALL NATIONS; and then shall the end come.

Mark 16:20
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Colossians 1:
5  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Colossians 1
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Romans 10:
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Romans 1:
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Romans 16
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men.

Romans 16
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Acts 17
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Acts 21
28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

Acts 24
5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

I Timothy 3
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

 

Sin/Condemnation/Death, and Righteousness/Justification/Life

Sin/Condemnation/Death, and Righteousness/Justification/Life

 Feb 27, 2015

Sin/Condemnation/Death, and Righteousness/Justification/Life

Rom 5:18
Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation [of death]; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Condemnation of death, and justification of life.

Concerning justification:
- At the heart of justification is righteousness, Christ's righteousness, even the righteousness of God's own provision.
- At the cross, the righteousness of Christ was LEGALLY IMPUTED to each and every elect; thus, legal justification of all the elect took place at the cross, even as the legal condemnation of the whole race of Adam took place in the garden. The legal imputation of righteousness DOES NOT require the vital existence/being of the beneficiaries.
- At effectual calling, the righteousness of Christ is VITALLY APPLIED to each elect personally; thus, vital justification of each elect takes place at his effectual calling out of his native state of sin and death to that state of grace and salvation. The vital justification requires the personal existence/being of the beneficiaries.

To call an elect out of his native state of sin and death:
- his state of vital condemnation needs to be dealt with, thus requiring vital/personal justification,
- his state of spiritual deadness needs to be dealt with, thus regeneration,- his state of alienation needs to be dealt with, thus adoption into God's family, and the gift of the Spirit of adoption to dwell with him.

Without all these, a man is NOT in the state of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus.

The experiential justification by faith (the believing activity of God's children) - faith having been worked in him by the indwelling Spirit - even though the gospel ministry does not come into the picture YET. It is made possible by all of the above.

There may be conversion when there is true and faithful gospel ministry. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."