"PREACH THE GOSPEL - USE WORDS IF NECESSARY"
There are many churches which have message boards near the road. At times they announce events, speakers, sermon titles, etc. At other times these message boards are used for mini-sermons - some thought to meditate upon as you are driving down the road. Some have cute little sayings, some are truly thought provoking and others are just plain wrong. The quotation cited above is one that appears on many church message boards from time to time and we believe it is just plain wrong.
The saying is credited to St. Francis of Assisi and the story behind it goes like this:
"One day Francis said to one of the young monks, “Let us go down into the town and preach!” The novice, delighted at being singled out to be a companion of Francis, obeyed with great enthusiasm. They passed through the main streets, turned down many of the byways and alleys, made their way into the suburbs, and at great length, returned by a circuitous route to the monastery gate. As they approached the gate, the younger monk reminded Francis of his original intention. “You have forgotten, Father, that we went to the town to preach!” “My son,” Francis replied, “we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking. We have been seen by many; our behavior has been closely watched; it was thus that we have preached our morning sermon. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk.”
While there is no question that Christians are to live and behave in a manner that is consistent with their faith, we challenge that the Gospel CANNOT be PREACHED without words. Consider carefully just a few selected Scriptures:
2 Timothy 4:17 "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear."
Romans 10:14 "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"
Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
So, before you adopt a cute or catchy slogan as truth, check it out against the Word of God to see if it is really right!
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)
There are many churches which have message boards near the road. At times they announce events, speakers, sermon titles, etc. At other times these message boards are used for mini-sermons - some thought to meditate upon as you are driving down the road. Some have cute little sayings, some are truly thought provoking and others are just plain wrong. The quotation cited above is one that appears on many church message boards from time to time and we believe it is just plain wrong.
The saying is credited to St. Francis of Assisi and the story behind it goes like this:
"One day Francis said to one of the young monks, “Let us go down into the town and preach!” The novice, delighted at being singled out to be a companion of Francis, obeyed with great enthusiasm. They passed through the main streets, turned down many of the byways and alleys, made their way into the suburbs, and at great length, returned by a circuitous route to the monastery gate. As they approached the gate, the younger monk reminded Francis of his original intention. “You have forgotten, Father, that we went to the town to preach!” “My son,” Francis replied, “we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking. We have been seen by many; our behavior has been closely watched; it was thus that we have preached our morning sermon. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk.”
While there is no question that Christians are to live and behave in a manner that is consistent with their faith, we challenge that the Gospel CANNOT be PREACHED without words. Consider carefully just a few selected Scriptures:
2 Timothy 4:17 "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear."
Romans 10:14 "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"
Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
So, before you adopt a cute or catchy slogan as truth, check it out against the Word of God to see if it is really right!
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)