The Worshiping Church: A Preaching Church

In a recent essay for Christianity Today Fleming Rutledge decries the fuzzy spirituality of our age where our religious ideas are “born out of illusion, wishful thinking, and a failure to look radical evil straight in the face” and “human potential itself . . . has become an object of worship.” The remedy? “We need substantive, biblical preaching that drives home our need for justification through Christ.”

In an age where the church seems to be obsessed with musical style, we need to be reminded that words are at the heart of worship. Specifically, God’s words are at the center of the church’s worship service. In tomorrow’s study we will see this is true even of the church’s musical worship.

As the return of Christ draws near, the church’s preaching grows ever more important. One of the characteristics of the end of the age is an unwillingness to listen to sound teaching from the Scriptures. People will be eager to listen—but to the wrong things. They will “abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (v. 1). As a result, the church will be tempted to set aside the Bible and focus on “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (v. 7).

The age that Paul describes in these verses sounds much like the age in which we now live. The antidote he prescribes is the ministry of the Word of God. It begins by making sure that we ourselves are “nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed” (v. 7). This is coupled with a determination to keep away from false teaching and instead train ourselves for godliness (v. 8).

Pray with Us

During your prayer time today, please mention our faculty from the department of Pastoral Studies: Craig Hendrickson, John Koessler, and Laurie Norris. Ask the Lord for His strength, peace, and joy in their lives.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.