Sabbath, January 6, 2007  Pastor: Thomas M. Hughes, MA

Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Newark / Zanesville, Ohio

“The Passionate Pulpit”

Our sermon today was basically inspired by an e-mail I got from one of the church members who had sent a copy of my Christmas sermon (“God with Us” - December 2, 2006) to a friend.

Now you remember when I came here (April 2004); one of the first Sabbaths (that) I was here I started up my chain saw and I cut down the “pastor’s pedestal.” Do you remember that? Oh, you forgot that? Some of you forgot it? Oh, how could you forget something like that?

All right, let’s do it again. [imitating sound of a chain saw] There’s the pastor’s pedestal that the people love to put pastors on. The great holy man of God up on his pedestal telling everyone what to do and how to do it (demonstrates cutting it down). There it is; lying on the ground – the pastor’s pedestal, the pastor is the biggest sinner in here. (Smile) The pastor needs the most help of anybody. The pastor does all the sins that Pharisees do only worse! He’s the biggest one (sinner).

Paul said he was the chief of sinners. Pastor Tom disagrees with him. Okay? I’m a sinner saved by grace. I put my socks on one sock at a time just like you do, and the ground is level at the foot of the Cross! Every sinner is welcome no matter what your hang-up, your habit, your problem. God loves you and accepts you just as you are. And I’m going to have to share some things that were said that were positive about your pastor. By telling you this, I’m not trying to lift myself up. I’m an imperfect example; I’m a sinner just like you.

Now, the pedestal is on the ground, I’m at the foot of the Cross with you, I’ve already confessed my sinfulness; in that context, I’m going to share this with you.

As I was reading one of my e-mails one day, one of my church members wrote a note of thanks to me. In that note, she said she had rarely seen a pastor who had shown such a passion from the pulpit. Now that remark startled me a bit. I had never heard it put that way, a “passion from the pulpit.” I thanked for her remark and proceeded to think about its implication. It made me happy to think she appreciated all the work and passion I put into preaching, especially in this hi-tech age when preaching is so unappreciated. As I thought about this, I came to realize that it wasn’t that I was passionate about preaching. What she was picking up on was my passion for Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

When I step into the pulpit, I take it very seriously and to me, it is a sacred privilege from Christ Himself. My love for Jesus and my desire to be obedient to Him is what fuels my passion for the pulpit. Many today do not appreciate this sacred duty. Even in the church, people today tend to downplay or denigrate the preaching of God’s Word. How many times have you heard people say, “Don’t preach to me!” How many husbands have said to their wives, “Quit preachin’ to me. You’re always preachin’ at me. Lay off! Oh, little miss ‘holier than thou!’” Nobody likes to be preached at. And yet, God commands us to preach.

Now, some feel the pulpit implies superiority or an unwarranted abuse of power. With cell phones, computers, I-pods, Blackberry’s, cable television, and many other means of communication, people act as if preaching were out of step with the times. “It’s passe, pastor. It’s irrelevant and, at times, it’s boring!” Uh oh! Maybe they’re right sometimes. Perhaps if we lose our passion for the pulpit it can get boring. But then again, Pastor Tom used to tell his children, “Only boring people get bored!”

If I had a dollar for every time a church member said to me, “Pastor, preach 20-minute sermons!” I’d be rich! To that, I always reply, “‘Sermonettes’ make good ‘Christianettes.’”

People can watch 30-minute sitcoms all day long! (Chidingly) Friends. Everybody Loves Raymond. And you can put your own in there. 20-minute “dope” operas, no problem. The Young and the “Lustful.” That’s fine. Hour-long specials are just fine too. Two-hour movies are very interesting indeed. And nobody gets as passionate as a “(Ohio State) Buckeye” as he watches his football game for three hours! Hoorah! But to listen to a 30- or 40-minute sermon on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “Well, Pastor Tom, it’s just unbearable! It’s way too much to ask, you longwinded person, you!” To which I always reply, “Hogwash! Balderdash! Baloney!”

When God calls a man to the ministry, He gives him a commission to preach the Gospel; that no man inside the church or out can deny: preaching is a God-commanded activity that always was, and always will be, relevant as long as the earth shall last! I dare say that someday we’ll even have the privilege of listening to a sermon from Jesus Christ Himself in heaven or in the new earth!

How many of you got excited when I said that?

To sit at the feet of Jesus and hear a sermon from Christ Himself! How many of you want to have that experience? What do you think you’re doing here? What do you think you’re doing here today: worshipping God! If Jesus Christ isn’t here in person right now, let’s all leave instantly! You’re already sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to the impressions of His Holy Spirit; as the Word of God is proclaimed, Christ Himself personally walks up and down the aisles of this Sanctuary. Does not our Bible teach us: “Where two or three are gathered I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20)? You’ve got to start seeing Jesus where He is and not just where you think He is. Christ Himself is here every Sabbath to worship with you!

When you come here, you don’t come to hear a preacher. It’s doesn’t matter whether it’s me or one of the most godly elders I’ve ever worked with, Brother Leon Brown. I love that man! Of course, I love all my elders, but Leon and I go back a long way. I’ve known him since Seminary; I mean 25 plus years!

But whether Leon’s preaching, or Donna’s preaching, or Pastor Tom is preaching, or Clyde, Ralph, Joe or Gloria, or any of the elders God has blessed you with – when they stand in this pulpit, is it their word that’s being proclaimed? Is their message based on the authority of their life? Their authority for standing in this pulpit is the Word of God! And it doesn’t matter what human instrument God uses, this is the power; the power is in the Word of God. And when God’s Word is proclaimed, people’s hearts are changed, their lives are changed. They walk out the door never to be the same again! And it wasn’t Pastor Tom who did it; it is Jesus who converts.

You know: surgeons operate but only Christ can heal. Pastors preach but only Jesus can save! Pastors proclaim, but only the Holy Spirit can convert the heart and do like Ralph says, “open heart surgery” and take that hard heart out and put a heart of flesh in. It’s only God and Christ and the Holy Spirit that can do that. What do you think we’re coming here for? Yes, we’re building an earthly building, we’re renovating, but it’s all about the spiritual kingdom that we’re building so that when Christ comes there is a beautiful house made of precious stones: you and me. And God can take His house (the Church) back to heaven with Him when Jesus comes.

I have a hope that Jesus will come soon and all the death and destruction will be behind us and we can be with Him in person. But I’m with Him in person today.

I wouldn’t dare get in this pulpit and preach by myself in only my own power. Now you may say, “Now, pastor, you’re full of yourself.” Yes, I am. I know it. It’s a character flaw. I am a “born-again barbarian.” I am not a second-, third-, or fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist. I am a “born-again barbarian” that God scraped up off the street and put in this pulpit. And I feel sorry for you, but that’s just your tough luck. I am going to say what Jesus tells me to say and, by His grace, try to do what He tells me to do, though I fail, so often I have to weep at His feet. I’m a mess, but I’m God’s mess. I have a lot to learn. That’s why I have John and Ardyth, and Fran, and Ralph, and all the rest of you people to teach me. And I am learning much – except from Joe Gatten. (Smile) I’m probably learning a lot from him, too, but I just won’t admit it to him, ‘cause you know how he is!

We have been having fun trying to get this work done (church carpeting, etc.) and, of course, we’re way behind, and it’s going slow, but God is blessing us. We’re getting’ through it and here you are! Right? We’ve cleared a path, we made do. You’re all here. Isn’t this great? Did you appreciate church when you couldn’t have it? You know sometimes, when you lose something you have, you realize how much it means to you. This place means a lot to us; doesn’t it, and being here together? I appreciate the privilege.

Now, I want you to know that our preaching of this Gospel message is not based on anything that we, as elders, are trying to do for ourselves. We’re not proclaiming ourselves to you; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

In Mark 16:15 (NKJV), Jesus said, “…, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” In other places (see Revelation), it says, “every language, kindred, and tongue.” It says to preach in every language. Is rap music a language? Yes, it is. Is music a universal language? Now, there are people who are not going to hear the Gospel unless God raises up “rap” preachers to go to the rap kids and rap their language.

Now, it doesn’t matter. A song is a song and music is music. I can take any hymn and do it in a rap style. It’s the same hymn. I can take “Love Is A Seven-letter Word” and do it in a rap, and it’s the same song, the same message – just a different method. Now we might not agree with it. It might not be the kind of music we want to have in our worship service or something, but it can still be used by God to carry a message to people who wouldn’t listen any other way but through that. (Singing “Love Is A Seven-letter Word” in a rap style.) I can do any song. I can do “The Old Rugged Cross.”

You would not criticize me if I were to going to Russia and I studied the culture of Russia to learn the language, learn how they think and how they live so that I could preach the Gospel to a Russian, you wouldn’t fault me for that one bit. But if I study the culture of a young person in Columbus (Ohio) who only listens to rap music and who walks that lifestyle and talks that lifestyle, if I study his culture, and go and preach to him, I’m criticized for denigrating the church! You can’t have it both ways. You have to allow God to use any language, any means to preach His Gospel! Now, I’m not going to do that (rap), that’s not my ministry, and they’d look at me and laugh! But there are people like D. C. Talk and others that are doing that. Now I’m using that as an extreme example to show you how God is going to preach to everyone and you have to be open-minded. God may use you to preach!

Whom did Jesus tell to go preach? He told His disciples. Are you a disciple?

“Oh, Pastor, I could never preach!”

I’ve got news for you: you’re preachin’ every day! That “my way or no way” attitude is preaching a sermon. Trust me. That self-righteous, kind of Pharisaical holier than thou attitude, where you’re looking down at your neighbors, your children, and people who don’t measure up to your concept of what the Bible teaches are getting a sermon that’s rich. You’re hypocritical, preaching of one thing and then your children seeing you do something else, oh that’s preaching volumes! So let’s admit it. We’re all preaching something every day! God calls us to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Acts 5:42 (KJV)—“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

In every house, they preached Jesus; they taught Jesus. Teaching and preaching are different. I’m not going to go to seven-day-a-week sermons. Okay? And I’m not going to come to your house and preach in your house. Okay? But they did it. Do you know why they did it: They didn’t have a church. The church was in the house. But, every day, they taught and preached Jesus.

Now, in 1 Corinthians 1:23 it says, “…we preach Christ crucified…”

2 Corinthians 4:5—“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord…”

So they preached Christ; they preached Christ crucified. What is our message for today: Jesus Christ! It’s all about Jesus.

I’ll give you the three “R’s” for preaching to your family, your friends, and your neighbors:

The most important thing you have to talk to anybody about is a real relationship with Jesus. Christianity is relevant for their life, and it’s about relationship – not just the rules and regulations.

Now when I say, “Keep it real,” get off the sanctimonious, “holier than thou,” “I’m better than you” attitude. Okay? You’re not better than anybody, and neither am I. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross. You have just as many faults and sins as your kids. So, get off their back and admit to them that you’re just a sinner, same as they are and that you’re all going to go together, and try in a way that shows respect for each other, to the Cross and then to heaven together. Keep it real. Cut the phony stuff. Okay?

We’re not all vegetarians. We don’t all wear exactly what we should all the time. Sometimes people wear stuff they shouldn’t, sometimes people don’t. We’re not all perfect little people doing everything right. That’s why the Bible says, (James 5:16) “Confess your faults one to another…”

Let’s get real!

Yeah, Seventh-day Adventists don’t go to movies. Oh my! Maybe in the 1940s in The Review and Herald, you know, they printed that. Things change! Times change! It’s not just the movies now; the movies are on your cell phone! I can take my cell phone and watch. I can take my computer (and watch)! I mean, you know, they have miniature DVD players; they have ‘em in the backs of cars! Some of you probably have ‘em! Kids are rowdy, you throw a Happy Feet (movie) with the little penguins walkin’ around and stick it up on the van TV: and the kids are quiet for hours; you know, it’s a great thing. (Movies are now the coin of the realm for communication in the 21st century the way books were in the 19th century.) Let’s face it; the world is changing so fast it’s hard for the church to keep up. But are we relevant? Are we doing things in the church that are relevant for your lifestyle today? Is the church connected with you and Jesus Christ in a way that’s relevant for you and your life?

These are things we have to ask:

Is the church just a club where if you eat the right thing, dress the right way, and do the right things?

“You dress like me, you talk like me, and you think like me, you walk like me, so okay, we’ll let you in the club?” This is our clubhouse? That’s what the church is?

No. It’s not just a clubhouse.

Culture can be dangerous because, in the culture of the church, we have these little things that we judge each other by. “Okay, well, you don’t eat that and you don’t wear that, and you do this, so we’ll let you in our club.”

That’s not what it’s all about, people.

Jesus ate with sinners and accepted them. He was at a wedding three days into the party and still there. And the sinners didn’t mind being around Him. They didn’t feel like He was judging them. As a matter-of-fact, the only people who had a hard time being around Him were the church people. I’m not lying. So if your family can’t stand you because you’re so self-righteous and “holier than thou” that they don’t even want to be around you and people who are sinners or having problems avoid you, which camp are you in?

Now you can be loving and accepting of sinners and not agree with what they’re doing or engage in their evil practices. Jesus never engaged in any of the evil things they were doing. And when He tells us to go and preach not ourselves but preach Christ, what is the Number One rule of Christianity: to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Now I’ve seen people – over bringing a donut to Vacation Bible School – driven out the door of the church. And I could stand here and give you a list of 30 things. One guy that I just worked with, who hadn’t been to church in five years, shows up at a church and they have the door locked – “‘cause they don’t want to interrupt the praise music.” And he shows up with a brand new person, who’s never been to an Adventist church, and (they) tell them both that they have to stand there for 15 minutes at the door – and they won’t let ‘em in ‘cause their lovely praise music, which I happen to be a big fan of, as you know, “is not interrupted.”

Oh my! Good thing I wasn’t there. I would have interrupted plenty! “Your very lovely service has blood on its hands if you’re driving people out the door instead of welcoming them in!”

I got a lot of criticism for saying: “I don’t care what they wear as long as they’re there; I don’t care what they eat as long as they’re sweet.”

We need to educate; teach people about vegetarianism and encourage them to rise to that level, but we also need to accept those that aren’t and we don’t need to be forcing people to live by our lifestyle by making rules about what they can eat and what they can’t. If the Bible says you can eat it, you can eat it. And that’s hard for us as a church ‘cause we want to mold them and make them fit into what our idea of what a club should be. But in Jesus’ club, sinners are welcome just as they are! And He taught them by example, not by setting up a bunch of rules and regulations. It’s about relationship with Jesus: loving God and loving man.

We don’t preach ourselves, we preach Christ. And when that person walks out because you offended them over something stupid – I saw a church once buy puppets for a woman to do puppet ministry who had done it in the Methodist Church who was baptized into their church and then I saw a half-dozen Adventists get up and walk out because they didn’t believe in drama every time she did a puppet program. After a year of that, she left. She got the message. She was tough. She hung in there. When we left, she quit. “Thou shalt not kill” is a higher principle than these picky little rules we try to impose on people. “Thou shalt not kill.” Thou shalt not drive away my little lamb. Thou shalt not quench the flax that is barely burning. Thou shalt be loving and kind and accepting and Christ-like to people who don’t know Jesus.

Now, I understand. That is hard for us. If we’ve lived in a lifestyle for 30 years and we believe it’s right, we want so bad for people to get the blessing that we have that we are willing to even force them to do it. But that is not a Christian principle. Compelling people is not a Christian principle. We’re told not to preach ourselves but only to preach the Gospel. Now, what is the Gospel? The Gospel is that we can’t earn our way into God’s good graces; that we have to accept the free gift of Christ’s righteousness and that we can’t earn it by our lifestyle, by what we eat, by what we wear…all that stuff. That doesn’t earn us Brownie points with God. It only shows God we love Him by us demonstrating we care about Him.

Now, in Galatians (1:8-9) it says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.