%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250624223641+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250624223641+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1569 >> stream xWM6W1v"ݶ.M͡遖h]TDɮ3 P-ghJD yC.&Vp;$cat:iz+^uC>P}% J\4v8Q+^ qOC)#4#` kt _w,S74 B`J/4Nْ=t,N\Pb) ZlD}[Dnv{:QR|DK,1y'˪e5F=rA gz 2jt#schEx\>RKX뮱=rwXC+ 7r^G8t!.պ>'%GR ؈" R=5]1^Û'?X(4x]>Tt] >dSkyoHUIMfh[Kw}f)C꟣}?li担KecBmdA#5NNkZXR,Nj<υPfJS۪[UΩ I%Y))o#?AĆ:^=Ci7'8W=7NOvUp?' endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Times-Italic /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1849 >> stream xXێ6} EK^ٛ;n DHS5}[nMêSzXN4<_ |>Owx3eۊrWsM_b)o ڗc+ïZz念9ގ^9Yg;=OTL|QB^3~ƞFuMk=m!V]_Z}xX:USTk?(Ut&%نAɚT)2mGO֍&a pm*mt~F'eQ5hxr3/赩=sU-6iO@W]*Yxe)M0 ƁA#zHc :yFq nRxw3:3Np܌%0ӛWE_mXJ-u3t%øtECE+& h4R)wNStywzBtҡ 5_yyr>F=.ʚ e'#*2`ڱ%'h@|ØTnb;q\bwZ@'QQc98y_}Ƨ.핁~zzzYpm,rI+!: @J:yT)4Vnrc͵܏~"” bu:O]InZf9AK N [֢(lMh[SpqgkB?-<&qK+Ӱp @v)s]|oq*!$\b ݈&Zµ :w͎;&\KT3Y6b=U-J 2DPP]q0K=ٓ[b~a`٠8xʌ'XUf $w4h -7ȞOGB&(6]Չ?iJ֬]\d7yEB#L6 @ 9nYs KXyPIN?, +1YUOW=R)c 6XI>B J`sKs+mǪXҗ~Zwb7_ӗkx$}ɒM~ JY^,ָL``-WPLc endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002392 00000 n 0000002499 00000 n 0000002607 00000 n 0000002717 00000 n 0000002830 00000 n 0000002941 00000 n 0000002970 00000 n 0000003080 00000 n 0000008655 00000 n 0000009786 00000 n 0000009845 00000 n 0000009904 00000 n 0000010009 00000 n 0000011932 00000 n 0000011989 00000 n 0000012046 00000 n 0000017621 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<39f10597662acc04aad6c0e11a12d4f6><39f10597662acc04aad6c0e11a12d4f6>] >> startxref 18752 %%EOF What the Church Should Preach On? | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

What the Church Should Preach On?

June 13, 1999
4 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article


by Lt. John R. Van Cleef – 

What should the church preach on?

I’ve had deep and impassioned discussions with a dear Christian brother recently regarding this question. “We should preach on sin,” he says “We should preach about gambling and all of the evils that go along with it.”

On a national level, we hear the cry of the “religious right” to preach on the morality of the president. We should preach on the state of politics and the call to reform. We should preach on morality and the pervasive influence of the gay rights movement–all the way to “Tinky Winky” himself (or herself)? We should preach about the plague of abortion and those infectious minds that support it.

On a local level, we hear the cry to preach about gambling and the immoral environment it creates. We should preach about legalized prostitution and the ensuing wrath it will bring. We should preach about the drugs and alcohol which infest our schools and young people.

We live in an age where the church has become more aware and more involved in the process of politics. Countless men and women have stood up to declare that now is the time for Christians to unite and place into the halls of power their leader. A man or woman who will lead us to national redemption and morality. A man or woman who will lead us back to the throne of God. A man or woman who will bring in the day of the righteous and the conquest of evil.

If this is the goal of the church, and the preachment of ministers throughout the nation, we’ve missed the point. Am I suggesting we shouldn’t be aware of these things or vote wisely and biblically about them? Am I suggesting that the Christian church should not be the antithesis to the moral issues that vex society? Not at all.

What I am stating is that these things should not be our focus, but the natural and spiritual byproduct of lives centered on Jesus Christ.

In his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Philip Yancey makes the case, saying: “How is it that Christians called to dispense the aroma of grace instead emit the noxious fumes of ungrace?” In the United States in the 1990s, one answer to that question springs readily to mind. The church has allowed itself to get so swept up in political issues that it plays by the rules of power, which are rules of ungrace. In no other arena is the church at greater risk of losing its calling than in the public square.”

The Christian church’s unique ministry to the world is the ministry of grace–and within that ministry its members are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation between God and humankind. Yet in our preaching about the president we’ve forgotten to pray for him. In our preaching on politics we’ve gotten lost in the worldliness of it all. In our preaching on morality we’ve forgotten to love the enslaved and infirm. In our preaching against abortion we’ve neglected the poor, broken girl whose heart is deeply wounded by the choice she’s made.

In the preaching against gambling we’ve failed to proclaim freedom from slavery to the addicted. In our preaching against prostitution, we’ve not expressed God’s love and touch to those who are abused and broken and lost. In our preaching on kids, drugs, and alcohol we’ve failed to see the opportunity to reach a generation for Christ–a generation that is seeking and hungry for truth.

Jesus taught us that the greatest command was this: “To love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and strength. And the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself.”

What Jesus proclaimed is a radical thing. He’s telling us that our focus needs to be on him. Our devotion needs to be to him. Our responsibility is to him. As a direct result of loving the Lord our God with our all–in conjunction with loving God–we will love people, and in loving people we will effect the kind of change in society that needs to be wrought.

Again, in “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Yancey proclaims the following: “A state government can shut down stores and theaters on Sunday, but it cannot compel worship. It can arrest and publish KKK murderers, but cannot cure their hatred, much less teach them love. It can pass laws making divorce more difficult, but cannot force husbands to love their wives and wives their husbands. It can give subsidies to the poor, but cannot force the rich to show compassion and justice. It can ban adultery, but not lust, theft but not covetousness, cheating but not pride. It can encourage virtue but not holiness.”

What should the Christian church preach on? Those things that compel every individual member of God’s family to a life of devoted love in their relationship with our heavenly father, and a personal life of grace in relationship with their fellow man.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like