Recently I read about a retired preacher who was cleaning out the dresser when he found 5 eggs and $1000 in $20 bills.
Calling his wife he inquired about what it all meant.
"I saved one egg for every bad sermon."
"Whew, five eggs in all those years.
Not bad, what's the money for?
"Every time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them."
Helmut Thielicke, a German Protestant theologian, insighfully pointed out, "The Gospel must be preached afresh and told in new ways to every generation, since every generation has its own unique questions. The Gospel must be constantly forwarded to a new address, because the recipient is repeatedly changing his place of residence."
Today I am going to try to "preach afresh...in new ways" in an effort to forward His Message to "new addresses" and new "places of residence."
When I read scriptures like I Corinthians 12:1, I shake my head....
"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."
And then in Romans 10:14...
"How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"
John Wesley's brother Charles encountered opposition because of his preaching and singing. Wesley's account reveals their dissatisfaction..."the day following at St. Ives, the service was broken up by the mob throwing eggs and stones..."
I am not sure which is worse...eggs stored in a dresser or eggs stored in a coat pocket waiting to be thrown. Hopefully I will not encounter either as I head off to the "safe place to hear a dangerous message."
It is humbling to declare His words. My prayer is that my words will not get in the way of His this morning.
See you at the House!
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