What Do You Say

What Do You Say?

October 29, 2006

Introduction

It’s Sunday morning, 11:15. We’ve sung the last song before the sermon. It’s time to speak: what do you say? You call someone who has not been in church for three weeks: what do you say? You have a new neighbor that has just moved in. You want to meet them: what do you say?

Last Sunday, we talked about doctrine. We did little more than introduce the subject. It’s part of a bigger problem: the church! It is easy for some of us to think about the “glory days of the church.” Move us back to the ‘50’s, 60’s, and probably even the 70’s. Things seemed to be great! The church was growing, but things have changed.

Al Maxey, the preacher for the Church of Christ in Alamogordo, New Mexico, makes the following quote in his current issue of Reflections: Bro. Samuel Dawson, in his book "What Is Wrong With Most Churches of Christ & How They Can Avoid Extinction," points out at the very beginning that "In the 50 years from 1955 to 2005, Churches of Christ have dwindled from 3.0 to 1.267 million members and from 18,000 to 12,963 congregations. While the population has doubled in this same period of time, membership within Churches of Christ has declined 58%. At the average rate of decline of 34,600 members per year (1.16% per year), Churches of Christ will vanish by the year 2042." A rather grim assessment in many ways, to be sure, if one is strictly viewing the matter externally and statistically.

If you are interested in reading the entire article, you can go to my web and find the link in the lower right hand corner of my homepage. I will not repeat the article here, but some of the things I say today may be reflections of some of the things that Al wrote about in the article I just mentioned.

After last Sunday’s sermon, there were many comments. One comment was that I had raised a couple of questions in one of our members mind. One question was, how do we determine exactly what is doctrine? Last Sunday, we said that the early church ". . . continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42 NKJV) We said that the apostles' doctrine and teaching were basically the same. What did the apostles teach?

Body

I. What did the apostles teach?

Paul preached Christ.

(1 Cor 2:2 NKJV) "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

1. What does it mean to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified?

Phillip preached Christ to the Ethiopian Eunuch.

(Acts 8:35 NKJV) "Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him."

1. In the case of Phillip, we have some clues as to what he preached.

(Acts 8:29-35 NKJV) "Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." {30} So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" {31} And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. {32} The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. {33} In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." {34} So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" {35} Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him."

a. Clearly, Phillip had a wonderful opportunity to preach the gospel of Christ.

b. The opening was to talk about “Christ and Him crucified.”

c. Phillip apparently made it plain to the Eunuch that we are baptized into His death.

II. But Who is Jesus? How do we preach Jesus?

We have to preach by who we are.

(John 13:34-35 NKJV) ""A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. {35} "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.""

1. This is a statement that we overlook too often.

2. Too many in the church today are not interested in this statement. We want to define being a Christian by holding the right doctrine.

3. Is doctrine important? Yes, it’s like our skeletons, but graveyards are full of dead men’s bones.

4. We need the flesh, the heart: the feelings.

I'd Rather See a Sermon

I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one any day;
I'd rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do;
I may misunderstand the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.
When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind.
When a weaker brother stumbles and a strong man stays behind
Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me
To become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be.
And all travelers can witness that the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way.
One good man teaches many, men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noticed is worth forty that are told.
Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language which to everyone is clear.
Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one any day!
--Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)

B. How do we preach Christ?

1. What was His reputation

a. He was known as One Who went about doing good.

(Acts 10:34-40 NKJV) "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. {35} "But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. {36} "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all; {37} "that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: {38} "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. {39} "And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. {40} "Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,"

b. He was known as One Who sympathized with others

(John 11:33-36 NKJV) "Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. {34} And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." {35} Jesus wept. {36} Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!""

But how do we preach Christ?

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