Who Can Preach the Gospel?

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Kristina Larsen: How can we tell if God is speaking to us through a pastor?

Brother Bob Pellien: Thank you so much Kristina for that very insightful question. We say insightful because there might be some who have never been concerned with or even thought to wonder if their pastor, their priest, their bishop, their minister or whatever they call their preacher is actually preaching the true word of God to them. And of course on the flip side of that is the mentality, which is that well there doesn’t even need to be a preacher in order to hear the word of God. 

Dear friends as we always do in this program and in every program produced by the Church Of Christ we will address these questions by reading the answers right here recorded in the Holy Bible. Kristina’s question of how can we tell if God is speaking to us through a pastor.

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Question: How can we tell if God is speaking to us through a pastor?

Brother Bob: It’s actually perfectly aligned with the instruction to us from the apostles. And let’s read one of those in this recorded in 1 John chapter 4, verse 1:

My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere.

[1 John 4:1 Good News Translation]

False Preachers

Brother Bob: According to what is written here, dear friends, we should not believe—were instructed not to believe just anyone who may be claiming to have the spirit or presents [themselves] as a messenger sent by God. Why? Because there are many false prophets according to the Apostle John, many false prophets who have gone out into the world. Therefore, Kristina you are on the right track or Kristina has the proper frame of mind to ask that question, how can I tell? How can we tell, dear friends, know even if the one is sent by God or not?

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Question: How can we tell if God is speaking to us through a pastor?

Brother Bob: The Bible’s instruction was clear. He said test them to find out. So obviously the next question that we have to pose together is, what’s the test and how do we test those who would be presenting themselves as a preacher or a spokesperson of God, true preacher?

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Question: What’s the test? How do we test those who present themselves as a “preacher” or a “spokesperson” of God?

Brother Bob: But before we delve into the Bible’s explanation of how to test the preacher to see if he’s really sent by God, let’s first understand, why is it so important to do that? 

“How can they hear without a preacher?”

Brother Bob: Why do we need to know that? Dear friends, because what would be the harm if one ended up listening to and following a preacher that is not sent by God? Maybe many would think that, “Well, they’re safe as long as they’re holding, as they’re reading from the Bible. That should be good enough.” But listen to the response of the Holy Scriptures, this time in the writings of Apostle Peter. Second Peter 3:16 , he wrote:

This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they so with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.

[2 Peter 3:16 Good News Translation]

Brother Bob: So we can clearly see here, dear friends that there are people who are explaining the passages of the scriptures, but doing so falsely. And although all you know they might sound like they know what they are saying, what did the Bible call them? The Bible calls them ignorant and stated here that they are bringing on their own destruction. So consider this, if the false preacher is headed to destruction where do you think all those who listen, all those who follow him are also heading? Destruction too, of course. Exactly.

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It’s so vital to know if a preacher is truly from God.

Brother Bob: That’s why it’s so vital to know if a preacher is truly sent by God. So dear friends, what is the benefit of actually hearing a genuine preacher of God? Again, we go to the Bible for the answer and this time is recorded in the book of Romans, Chapter 10, in fact verses 14 and 15. It says this:

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? . . .

[Romans 10:14-15 New King James Version]

Who can preach the gospel?

Brother Bob: So the benefit of hearing a genuine preacher of God is actually learning then how to properly call upon God. Notice the sequence of events that was recorded in these verses in the Bible so that that could happen. First, one cannot properly call to God or have his or her prayers heard by Him if they don’t believe in the Biblical instructions that God established to be heard.

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One cannot properly call to God if he doesn’t believe in God’s biblical instructions.

Brother Bob: Then next, there’s no way that one would be able to believe in those biblical instructions if in fact they have never been taught those instructions.

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One cannot believe in those biblical instructions if he has never been taught those commands.

Brother Bob: And one would not correctly be taught God’s commands if they never encounter or hear a genuine preacher sent by God.

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One would not correctly be taught God’s commands if he never encounters or hears a genuine preacher from God.

Brother Bob: Therefore, dear friends, finding a genuine preacher is the first step that one has to take in order to be able to call upon God. Again, that’s why it’s so vital to know if a preacher is truly from God or not. So we should take notice that a genuine preacher has the authority from God to preach.

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A genuine preacher has an authority from God to preach.

Brother Bob: It’s not just their own proclamation, “I’m a preacher.” Why? Because God is the one who sends him. That’s what we just read. And if one is not sent by God he will not be able to correctly preach God’s words. That’s what the Bible says. And how so they preach unless they are sent? 

Preaching the gospel: The difference between true and false preachers

Brother Bob:So now that we know the value of a true preacher sent by God, let’s find out, [how] are we going to be able to tell if one is true or not true? Well what’s the test that only a true preacher, one who has the spirit and is truly sent by God? What is the test that only he can pass? Well, listen to what’s recorded here in the Holy Scriptures. The writings of the Prophet Isaiah 8:20 says:

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word. It is because there is no light in them.

[Isaiah 8:20 New King James Version]

Brother Bob: Dear friends, the Bible clearly states that one has to speak according to the law and speak according to the testimony, in order to prove that there is light or truth in him. It’s the criteria that a preacher has to meet in order to prove or demonstrate that they are indeed sent by God to preach. So what is that law mentioned here? What’s the law and what is that testimony referred to here in the prophecy of Isaiah that will serve the evidence that a preacher is truly sent by God? Let’s take a look at those two criteria. Let’s find out first, what is that law that was mentioned there and how would a true preacher speak according to the law?

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Question: What is the law and how would a true preacher of God speak according to the law?

Brother Bob: Jesus Christ, of course being an undisputed true preacher sent by God, well he’s the one who gives the answer and he does so here in John Chapter 7 verses 16, 17 and