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Is preaching a positive way to inform others? Why or why not
- Thread starter Rex
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Runt
Well-Known Member
All paths lead to the same place. There are many ways to discover God. Everyone will learn on their own time, of their own volition, about the spiritual reality. There is no need to seek unready individuals out and try to teach them the way things are; they will discover it for themselves in their own due time.
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
I believe I have a responsibility to those who come to me willingly seeing help or guidance, and if I am able to help them in any way, even if they do not believe the same as me, I have been successful. I do not have an obligation to force my beliefs on others however, and do not feel as though it is my duty to convert as many people as I can to my way of thinking. Honestly, I admire the intentions of those who feel they are preaching what they believe purely out of love and concern for others, even though I do not agree that's how it should be done. But in my experience, far too many do it just because they feel it a duty to do so, because they're told to. I am well and firm in my faith and beliefs, but that does not mean I discount others beliefs or that I am not open to new ideas and philosophies. While I don't mind people discussing their beliefs, and sharing mine with them, I have a hard time with the pushing and used car salesman approach. It's kind of like my vegetarianism is to me; I live it, and let people come to me and ask me about it, instead of telling people what they're doing is wrong.
There is good and bad to preaching...
In the sense of Sunday morning (or other time) at church with someone preaching to a willing congregation, that is great - that is why the people are there, hopefully. It is a great atmosphere for learning. The only problem with this is that it creates a sort of classroom atmosphere, less opportunities for question and answer and little critical thinking about (but that is on the shoulders of the receiver of the message). I really like small discussion groups for learning.
But if preaching is getting on your stump and trying to make people agree with what you have to say, that is wrong. I'm writing from a Christian world view, and our job as such is not preaching as the latter description. We are supposed to be witnesses. Jesus used that as a noun, not a verb. A witness is a witness all the time, even if there is no talking going on. Witnessing does not mean I go around yelling (or even whispering) at people in a condemning way, it is living your life in a real way that reflects what you have witnessed. Witnesses only share their information when asked or necessary.
I hope you all get what I'm saying. I've been accused of making entries that are too easy or simplistic. I'm just trying to keep them kinda short. (I can get extremely long winded if I'm not careful.) The key really is if we are sharing our faith in love (good) or prideful agenda (bad).
In the sense of Sunday morning (or other time) at church with someone preaching to a willing congregation, that is great - that is why the people are there, hopefully. It is a great atmosphere for learning. The only problem with this is that it creates a sort of classroom atmosphere, less opportunities for question and answer and little critical thinking about (but that is on the shoulders of the receiver of the message). I really like small discussion groups for learning.
But if preaching is getting on your stump and trying to make people agree with what you have to say, that is wrong. I'm writing from a Christian world view, and our job as such is not preaching as the latter description. We are supposed to be witnesses. Jesus used that as a noun, not a verb. A witness is a witness all the time, even if there is no talking going on. Witnessing does not mean I go around yelling (or even whispering) at people in a condemning way, it is living your life in a real way that reflects what you have witnessed. Witnesses only share their information when asked or necessary.
I hope you all get what I'm saying. I've been accused of making entries that are too easy or simplistic. I'm just trying to keep them kinda short. (I can get extremely long winded if I'm not careful.) The key really is if we are sharing our faith in love (good) or prideful agenda (bad).
From what I've seen, a lot of negative preaching (telling others what you think is wrong with them) is based on a superficial understanding of what others are doing. It seems to me that negative preaching is often enough done more to make the preacher feel superior, than it is to help the person being preached to.
There are two very slightly different definitions to 'preaching'; the first is :-an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service). Yes, that is a positive way to inform others. The congregation have gone to the Church specifically to pray and to be preached to. They are there in the full knowledge that they will be preached to, and, by inference are 'asking for the preaching'.
The second is ;- a moralistic rebuke; "you're not supposed to do that, its immoral......"
That form of preaching is destructive. It merely promotes bad feelings. If it is done in a religious pretext, it has an even worse effect. People do not like being told that they are wrong ; there is a great sense of resentment at being told what to do and what not to do.
The second is ;- a moralistic rebuke; "you're not supposed to do that, its immoral......"
That form of preaching is destructive. It merely promotes bad feelings. If it is done in a religious pretext, it has an even worse effect. People do not like being told that they are wrong ; there is a great sense of resentment at being told what to do and what not to do.
Melody
Well-Known Member
I can't improve on what djFiddles said. So I'll frubal him (her?) instead.Sunstone said:
I may debate about what the Bible says and why Christians believe that way (and I certainly hope I don't sound preachy
), but it's not to convince anyone that they're sinners and need to repent. It's only for me to help *me* define my own beliefs. Preaching to someone about what they're doing wrong is putting the cart before the horse. If they don't accept that Christ died for their sins and that through this sacrifice and God's Grace their sins are forgiven (assuming they've repented), then what does anything else matter? They're still lost (according to the Bible).
Our lives should be a positive testimony to our faith with no need for "negative preaching."
Jesus taught his followers to be preachersRex_Admin said:
. The inspired Bible record says: "Every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." (Acts 5:42)
"This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.(matthew 24;14)so is kingdom preaching for christians,
The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, viewed the preaching work as important ,in fact, as the primary reason why he came to earth. He explained to his followers: "Let us go somewhere else, into the village towns nearby, that I may preach there also, for it is for this purpose I have gone out." (Mark 1:38) And showing clearly what message it was that he came to preach, he said: "I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth."Luke 4:43; 8:1.so if we claim to be a follower of jesus christ we would view the preaching important too.of course, we must remember that jesus told us to preach about the goodnews of the kingdom, not to go and point the finger at others.
EarlyChristians did not simply think of theirs as just another religion, one they personally happened to prefer. Not at all! They firmly believed that they possessed the truth about Jehovah God and his purposes, and that others needed this knowledge for salvation. (John 17:3) Their conviction moved them to vigorous preaching activity.
Included in Jesus work was the training of his followers to share in Kingdom preaching. This, too, was to be their primary work. Jesus indicated this when he instructed twelve of those to whom he had given special training: "As you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near. So Jesus told his disciples to call right at the homes of the people with this vital message. He even explained to them how to greet the household and present the Kingdom message. Later, he sent out seventy trained disciples with similar instructions. (Matt. 10:5-7, 11-14; Luke 10:1-11) Even after his death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers to urge them to carry on the preaching.so yes ,if it was good enough for the early followers of chirst ,its good also for christians now
I find statements like this more than a little vapid, not to mention demonstrably unfounded. Some paths, for example, led to the Crusades, the "Summis desiderantes", and the destruction of the WTC.Runt said:
Melody
Well-Known Member
While I agree with just about everything you said, I think we can also teach people about our faith by living it. Some people will be totally turned off by verbal preaching...no matter how well it is done. Unfortunately, there are a lot of well intentioned people out there turning people away from God in droves with their preaching. I know when I saw the Jehovah's Witness people coming, I would pull the curtains. My husband, on the other hand, invites them in for a conversation. I always feel sorry for them. They don't come around any more. I think we're a big red "x" on their neighborhood map.may said:
I wasn't converted by preaching, but rather by the lives of a few people I knew who were Christians.
Yes you are right, we can also teach people about our faith by living it ,this is what jesus himself did ,he practiced what he preached but just as the bible says,Melody said:
For "everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved." However, how will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach? How, in turn, will they preach unless they have been sent forth? Just as it is written: "How comely are the feet of those who declare good news of good things!"(Acts 10;13-15)
Prima
Well-Known Member
I'm going to give a neither-here-nor-there answer. I think that there's a huge difference between preaching and sharing/spreading. I, for one, can't stand when people preach at me. Preaching turns a lot of people off of Christianity. I think of preaching as much more pushy. Sharing/spreading is more open, more accepting - more by example and welcome than by just talking AT someone.
it makes no difference really , the goodnews about Gods kingdom which is being preached throughout the earth ,is a part of the composite sign that jesus said would be happening at this time in the last days, so it has got to take place regardless of wheather people respond or not. and not everyone knows about what the goodnews is , the kingdom is a goverment , that was set up in heaven in 1914 with jesus as king of that goverment .so yes ,people have heard about jesus himself but not always about what the kingdom is and how it fullfills bible prophecyMelody said:Yes, but how many people in this country do you think have not already heard of Him.
Mark 13:10: "In all the nations the good news has to be preached first.
Dan. 2:44: "The kingdom [set up by God] . . . will crush and put an end to all these [human] kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite
Isis-Astoroth
Member
We have the right to believe what we want, we do not have the right to force our beliefs onto others. That's all I'm going to say.