Well I once said if I could teach with my head not showing that would be good, because people would hear what I side rather than look at me. Well I did cut off some of my face.
It seems that I am always evaluating ministry. I have from day one of ministry. What kind of ministry does the Lord want our church to have? I have spend my entire life as a servant of the Lord wanting to do the work of the Lord the way the Lord would be most pleased.
From the first position that I had as a Youth pastor/teacher at Dad's church in Roanoke VA, when I really didn't have a clue what I was doing at age 16 to 18, pre- college days and still in High School. But what I did want to do was teach the Word of God.
My Dad Everette Whisnant
Goodness, 1982 at FBC in Altoona, Kansas
C
Charles at Roanoke Baptist Temple in 1965
I loved teaching Revelation, and Colossians, and Psalms those 27 months that I was the teacher of the youth. We had such a wonderful time in working with teens our own ages. I had just a great time doing so many wonderful things, but the main thing was teaching the Word of God.
I wanted the Word of God to be the primary reason why they came to church and to come to Christ was to learn Christ and His righteousness.
I wanted people to come to our class to learn the Word of God so that they could live a holy life pleasing unto the Lord. Matthew 5:20 I believe. For me getting a person to get saved was not the motive. My motive was to see a person seeking to know the Lord and wanting to known Him and be like Him. And the best way was in my mind to do that was to teach the Word of the Lord. To know Him is to learn about Him.
I didn't want to spend my time trying to get people to be holy by methods other than teaching them the Word of God. I have come to realize the way people are saved and live a holy life is if they are drawn by the Holy Spirit of God. As a preacher, I have realize that if I try to draw them into any kind of living a holy life the change will not last. If the Word of God doesn't draw them then into holiness than the life will not be pleasing to the Lord. I used to believe I was to draw them into change by my methods other than the teaching of the Word of God.
Unless the Lord changes our hearts from the inside out we will not change. Where God is doing the persuading in our life to be like Him, then there will be genuine change and holiness. The best way in my mind is to teach the Word of God, as I have mention in the lesson Wednesday night.
So what is meant by "Teaching or Preaching the Word of God." May I say, not all those who say they "preach the Word of God," are preaching the Word of God.
