1. Why Is It the Great Duty of Ministers?
Thomas Brooks
Ephesians 3:8. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
I shall, by divine assistance, say something on two observations from these words. The first is: It is the great duty of preachers to preach Jesus Christ to the people. I shall prove it, and then open it up to you.
In Acts 5:42, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach” what? “Jesus Christ”. So in Acts 3:20, “He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you”. So in 2 Corinthians 4:5, “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (compare 1 Cor 1:23, 24). So in Acts 9:20. As soon as Paul was converted, “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (compare Acts 2:22, 4:2).
Now for the opening up of the point, I shall only attempt two things. (1.) To give you reasons why it is the great duty of ministers to preach Christ to the people. (2.) To show you how they are to preach Christ to the people. This will be the main point.
I confess this a very useful point in these days, when many men preach anything, indeed everything, but a crucified Jesus. Christians, remember this: as it is your duty to take heed how you hear, so it is as much your duty to take heed who you hear. There are many who count and call themselves ministers of Christ and yet have neither skill nor will to preach Jesus Christ – to exalt and lift up Jesus Christ in lip or life, in word or work. These will have to make a sad reckoning at last.
1. Why it is the great duty of ministers to preach Christ to the people.
[1.] Because that is the only way to save them and win them to Jesus Christ.
There is no other way of winning and saving souls but by preaching Christ to the people: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12). You may preach this and that, and a thousand things, to the people and yet never better them, never win them. It is only preaching Christ that allures and draws souls to Christ: “This is life eternal, to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (Jn 17:3).
Nothing melts the hearts of sinners, or wins their hearts, like the preaching of the Lord Jesus. It is true that the teaching of this and that opinion may please many a man’s fancy, but it is only the preaching of Christ that changes the heart, that conquers it, that turns it. When Peter preached a crucified Christ, 3000 souls were converted at once (Acts 2:41). If Christ was preached more, men would be more enamoured with Him. He is only precious to them that hear of Him and that believe in Him. Christ is in all respects incomparable; therefore, as you would honour Him, and win others, make Him more and more known to the world (1 Pet 2:7).
1Taken, with editing, from Brooks’ Works, vol 3. Brooks was one of the better-known Puritans.
[2.] Because it is the choicest and the chiefest way to endear Christ to poor souls.
This brings Christ and the soul together, and this keeps Christ and the soul together. Nothing endears Christ to the soul like this. We see, by woeful experience, Christ neglected, despised, scorned and trampled on by most; and no wonder, for many preach themselves more than Christ, and they preach men more than Christ, and their own notions and impressions more than Christ. Surely Christ owes but little to such ministers and, I think, the souls of men owe them as little. O that these ministers were so wise as to consider it and lay it to heart! Surely a real Christian does not care for anything that does not have something of Christ in it. There is a strange, strong energy or forcibleness in hearing Christ and His beauties and excellencies displayed and discovered.
The daughters of Jerusalem, by hearing the Church presenting Christ in so high a character, and by describing and painting him in such lively colours, are so enchanted and inflamed that they would be at any pains to seek Him if they might only know where to find Him. When Christ is set forth in His glories, with much affection and admiration, others fall in love with Him (as you may see by comparing Song 5:10ff with 6:1).
[3.] Because the preaching up of Christ is the only way to preach down Antichrist, or whatever goes against Christ.
Some would have Antichrist brought down; they would have him brought down root and branch, but there is no such way for his total and final overthrow as the preaching of Christ; for the more the glory, fullness, perfection and excellency of Christ is made known, the more the horrid vileness and matchless wickedness of the man of sin will be discovered and abhorred. “And then shall that Wicked [one] be revealed” (2 Th 2:3,4,7-10). The Greek word properly signifies a lawless, yokeless, masterless monster; one that holds himself subject to no law. Pope Nicholas I said that he was “above law”, because Constantine styled the pope God; and most of the popes were of the same opinion. “Whom He shall consume.” The Greek word signifies to consume by little and little, till a thing come to nothing. “With the spirit of His mouth”; that is, with the evidence and glory of His word in the mouths of His messengers. The ministers of the Word are as a mouth whereby the Lord breathes out that glorious, mighty and everlasting gospel which shall, by degrees, bruise Antichrist and all his adherents, and break them asunder like a rod of iron.
When Jesus Christ comes to be lifted up in a nation, in a city, in a town, in a family – indeed, in any heart – then all idols without and within will fall before the power, presence and glory of Jesus. Since Luther began to lift up Christ in the gospel, what a deal of ground has Antichrist lost! And he will lose more and more, as Christ comes to be more and more manifested and lifted up in the chariot of His Word. Many in these days, that speak much against Antichrist, have much of Antichrist within them. And certainly there is no such way to cast him out of men’s hearts, and out of the world, as preaching Christ and making Him known, as exalting or lifting up Christ in the gospel of grace.2
[4.] Because otherwise they bring upon themselves the blood of souls.
There is no other way for them to avoid bringing the blood of men’s and women’s souls upon themselves but by preaching Christ to them. Now a man would be better to have all the blood of the world upon him than the blood of one soul. The blood of souls cries loudest and wounds deepest. The lowest, darkest and hottest place in hell will be the sad and dreadful portion of those on whose skirts the blood of souls shall be found at last. Hence that passage of Paul: “Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel” (1 Cor 9:16). The motto that should be written on preachers’ study doors, on their walls, on all the books they look at, on the beds they lie on and on the seats they sit on should be this: The blood of souls, the blood of souls.
The soul is the better, the nobler part of man; it bears most of the image of God; it is capable of union and communion with God. Christ sweat for it and bled for it; therefore woe to those merchants that make merchandise of the souls of men. It was a comfort and an honour to Paul that he kept himself from the blood of souls (Acts 20:25-27). He appeals to the elders of Ephesus that they were witnesses that he was “pure from the blood of all men”. Paul had held out Jesus Christ in His natures, in His names, in His offices and in all His excellences and perfections, and so frees himself from the blood of all men. And ministers can no way secure themselves from the blood of souls but by preaching up and living out a crucified Jesus.
[5.] Because the preaching of Christ contributes most to their comfort here and to their reward hereafter.
When Luther was dying, this was no small joy and comfort to his spirit: “Thee, O Lord, have I known, Thee have I loved, Thee have I taught, Thee have I trusted, and now into Thy hand I commend my spirit”. There can be no greater joy to a minister than, by preaching Christ, to win souls to Christ: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Th 2:19,20). They that by preaching Christ win souls to Him shall shine as the stars in the firmament (Dan 12:3). Every soul won to Christ is a glorious pearl added to a preacher’s crown. “When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory” (1 Pet 5:4). A crown implies perpetuity, plenty, and dignity, the height of human ambition.
Without doubt, those ministers shall be high in heaven who make it their heaven to hold forth Christ and to win souls to Christ; who are willing to be anything, to be nothing, that Christ may be all in all to poor souls.
2Bellarmine [the leading Roman Catholic controversialist of the time] confesses, to his great grief, that ever since the Lutherans declared the pope to be antichrist, his kingdom has not only not increased but every day has decreased and decayed more and more.