Jesus commanded the apostles, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mk. 16:15, 16). In Romans 1:16, the apostle Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: For it's the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." And in 1 Corinthians 1:21, it is written, "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by .the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

When we consider all the foregoing and remember that James said, ". . . Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21), it would seem that preachers would be awed and driven to fulfill their great responsibility to preach. You would think that every professed preacher would be motivated to accept the charge to "be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2).

However, in our perilous times, it seems that many professed preachers have little time to preach. Many are so busy running off to "retreats," going camping, taking the young people skating, to amusement parks and to workshops that there is little time left to prepare or deliver sermons. Some are so busy promoting boy scouts, homecoming celebrations or blood donation programs that gospel preaching is neglected: Some are so busy with marriage counseling, community services or local politics that there is precious little time left to tell anyone the grand old story about Jesus. Many are so involved in promoting schools, aggrandizing themselves as professed miracle workers or amassing money through secular endeavors, God's word goes begging.

What a shame that the world's masses are going off to hell while professed preachers go off to the retreat, the camp or the convention.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 10, p. 313
May 19, 1983