The Tale Of Three Preachers
This week, I went to the State Evangelism Conference at Cedarville University. This conference is always good. I am always proud of Ohio after this conference. We draw large crowds and great speakers. This year was no different.
I do not listen to every sermon. I just can't. I can only sit in one place for about an hour. I am a huge man, and pews maybe the worst things for me to sit in. After about 20 minutes I am in terrible pain. Thus, I find myself listening to sermons and then wondering the halls. I also have very little use for Church music. This makes me odd, but I could go without music. It seldom lifts me up, and it mostly annoys me.
There were three preachers that I enjoyed the most, but their styles and personalities were totally different from each other. The three men come from different backgrounds, but they all have Ohio roots. I like all three of them, but there is one that inspires me. This post will explain why the one, and why not the other two.
The first preacher is John Avant. Pastor Avant is the Vice-President of Evangelism at the North American Mission Board. His first ministry position was in Ohio. He is an incredible communicator, and kept me listening through his entire message. He said one of the most brilliant things in his address. He said, "When I am 80 years old, I want to hate everything about my church accept for the preaching of the Bible." His point was that if he likes the church, it will not reach his grand- children. He wants to hate the music, the style, the computers, the programs, and anything else that is technical. I feel the same way. Why do we minister to the most mature Christian in the Church while the younger Christians are left out in the cold.
John Avant is a Church growth advocate. He is passionate about growing Churches. I came away from his message with the idea that we are to compromise everything we believe except the Gospel. This plays well with the Church growth crowd. However, I am a Baptist. I believe that doctrines are important, and there is more to Christianity and Church than salvation. I am sure John Avant would agree with me. He would think I listened to critically to his message. Nevertheless, Church growth folks are notoriously anti-doctrine. I liked Pastor Avant's message, and I will use some of his thoughts in the future, but I do not want to follow his pathway 100%.
Dr. Ergun Caner is the second preacher. Dr. Caner is the President of Liberty Theological Seminary. He is a bulldog and a hot head. The pastors in our state just love him.
He grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He was raised a Muslim, and converted to Christianity when he was a teenager. He has written several books, in which I have two. I have read both of them, and enjoyed them. His Muslim background has made him a target. He debates vigorously and angrily with the Muslims. He is a fist waving, blood pumping, voice raising apologist for Jesus Christ. You can't help but enjoy him.
Dr. Caner goes by the mindset, "If you see a good fight, get in it." I appreciate his zeal, and I like his confrontational style. Nevertheless, I think he lacks personal demeanor. My biggest problem with Dr. Caner is his inability to love. I am a Calvinist. Dr. Caner has a red hot hatred for Calvinists. I read his work, and listen to him speak, and I do not know what is worse in his eyes: Calvinism or Paganism. I consider him a brother in Christ. He considers me something else. I wish Dr. Caner would realize that the flip side of mercy is grace. He understands mercy well, I am not certain he knows grace at all.
Finally, Dr. David Jeremiah is the last preacher. Dr. Jeremiah's father was the long time President of Cedarville University. Dr. Jeremiah is currently the Pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church. He is also the founder and President of Turning Point ministries. Dr. Jeremiah is a Calvinist, but you would not know it unless you listened long and hard to his messages. He never uses theological language to describe his thoughts. He just preaches, and allows what he preaches to define who he is.
Dr. Jeremiah is not a Southern Baptist. However, he should be. His style, wisdom, knowledge, and ability is what every preacher should strive to be. He is not the greatest communicator in the world. I am sure there are some that wax more eloquently than he. I am sure there is some that are smarter. I am sure that there are some that are more knowledgeable. Nevertheless, his hunger to grow in all of these areas is impressive. Dr. Jeremiah does not back away from truth, and he will and has called a spade a spade. The difference between he and Dr Caner is very simple. Dr. Jeremiah shows grace, and Dr. Caner shows a fist.
I follow Christ. However, there are men that I wish to be more like, because they show that they are more like Christ than I. I will always appreciate Dr. Jeremiah and his ministry. He truly is a man of grace and dignity. This is the type of Pastor we need. All three of these men are good at what they do. Yet, I will take Dr. Jeremiah every day. The other two, I will enjoy at conferences.
I do not listen to every sermon. I just can't. I can only sit in one place for about an hour. I am a huge man, and pews maybe the worst things for me to sit in. After about 20 minutes I am in terrible pain. Thus, I find myself listening to sermons and then wondering the halls. I also have very little use for Church music. This makes me odd, but I could go without music. It seldom lifts me up, and it mostly annoys me.
There were three preachers that I enjoyed the most, but their styles and personalities were totally different from each other. The three men come from different backgrounds, but they all have Ohio roots. I like all three of them, but there is one that inspires me. This post will explain why the one, and why not the other two.
The first preacher is John Avant. Pastor Avant is the Vice-President of Evangelism at the North American Mission Board. His first ministry position was in Ohio. He is an incredible communicator, and kept me listening through his entire message. He said one of the most brilliant things in his address. He said, "When I am 80 years old, I want to hate everything about my church accept for the preaching of the Bible." His point was that if he likes the church, it will not reach his grand- children. He wants to hate the music, the style, the computers, the programs, and anything else that is technical. I feel the same way. Why do we minister to the most mature Christian in the Church while the younger Christians are left out in the cold.
John Avant is a Church growth advocate. He is passionate about growing Churches. I came away from his message with the idea that we are to compromise everything we believe except the Gospel. This plays well with the Church growth crowd. However, I am a Baptist. I believe that doctrines are important, and there is more to Christianity and Church than salvation. I am sure John Avant would agree with me. He would think I listened to critically to his message. Nevertheless, Church growth folks are notoriously anti-doctrine. I liked Pastor Avant's message, and I will use some of his thoughts in the future, but I do not want to follow his pathway 100%.
Dr. Ergun Caner is the second preacher. Dr. Caner is the President of Liberty Theological Seminary. He is a bulldog and a hot head. The pastors in our state just love him.
He grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He was raised a Muslim, and converted to Christianity when he was a teenager. He has written several books, in which I have two. I have read both of them, and enjoyed them. His Muslim background has made him a target. He debates vigorously and angrily with the Muslims. He is a fist waving, blood pumping, voice raising apologist for Jesus Christ. You can't help but enjoy him.
Dr. Caner goes by the mindset, "If you see a good fight, get in it." I appreciate his zeal, and I like his confrontational style. Nevertheless, I think he lacks personal demeanor. My biggest problem with Dr. Caner is his inability to love. I am a Calvinist. Dr. Caner has a red hot hatred for Calvinists. I read his work, and listen to him speak, and I do not know what is worse in his eyes: Calvinism or Paganism. I consider him a brother in Christ. He considers me something else. I wish Dr. Caner would realize that the flip side of mercy is grace. He understands mercy well, I am not certain he knows grace at all.
Finally, Dr. David Jeremiah is the last preacher. Dr. Jeremiah's father was the long time President of Cedarville University. Dr. Jeremiah is currently the Pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church. He is also the founder and President of Turning Point ministries. Dr. Jeremiah is a Calvinist, but you would not know it unless you listened long and hard to his messages. He never uses theological language to describe his thoughts. He just preaches, and allows what he preaches to define who he is.
Dr. Jeremiah is not a Southern Baptist. However, he should be. His style, wisdom, knowledge, and ability is what every preacher should strive to be. He is not the greatest communicator in the world. I am sure there are some that wax more eloquently than he. I am sure there is some that are smarter. I am sure that there are some that are more knowledgeable. Nevertheless, his hunger to grow in all of these areas is impressive. Dr. Jeremiah does not back away from truth, and he will and has called a spade a spade. The difference between he and Dr Caner is very simple. Dr. Jeremiah shows grace, and Dr. Caner shows a fist.
I follow Christ. However, there are men that I wish to be more like, because they show that they are more like Christ than I. I will always appreciate Dr. Jeremiah and his ministry. He truly is a man of grace and dignity. This is the type of Pastor we need. All three of these men are good at what they do. Yet, I will take Dr. Jeremiah every day. The other two, I will enjoy at conferences.
posted by Foundes Community Church @ 6:36 AM
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