Hellfire and Brimstone preaching............

Praise the Lord.

 

Our evangelist (sp) at our revival this week rants, turns red, screams, runs, sits down, spits, and just about everything else that the folks have complained about. But he also stays in the word, expounds on what he's preaching, and delivers the gospel with love. I like him a lot. His name is Chris Russell from Olive Hill Ky.

Our pastor is very quite calm and peaceful. I like him also.

I, the Assistant Pastor, have been accused of being extremly loud. I move, but do not run. I talk with my hands way too much. Other times I am quiet and peacful.

The people of the church enjoy all 3. People are being saved under the preaching of all 3. Guess that means it's not the messanger but the message.

 

Ive been reading through some of the post and I am a little confused. How are we defining hell-fire and brimstone preaching? Some think its the delivery (loud, red in the face, lots of movement) while others seem to think it means the content (literally hell, turn or burn, etc..)

So which is it?

 

TURN! OR BURN! and Turn or burn.

 

That tells you a lot about the people.

 

They don't do it in a negative way. More of a jest. I love our congregation and am somewhat assured that the feeling is mutal.

 

Tell me,

If there was a man sitting in your congregation that was literally on fire, would you spend time telling him cute little stories about dogs and Grandmas, or would you yell at him "You're on fire!"

The fact is, that in most of the worldly assemblies we call "Churches" today, the vast majority are probably (note that I said "probably", my Matthew 13:29 quoting little friends) lost. And it is absolutely ridiculous to waste time teaching a bunch of Goats to act like sheep.

If you have a congregation of believers that give generously, desire to serve, witness regularly, and refrain from gossip and backbiting, then by all means, avoid hell fire preaching. Otherwise preach Hell fire, until the people in the Church are either converted, or go somewhere else.

We have far too few Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeons today, and far too many of the "smooth talking slick city preachers" your dad always warned you about...

 

This subject reminds me of the time I was in a small college/career class and was asked to read Psalm 1. It occured to me on the spur of the moment to do a little 'experiment.' Knowing it's a short psalm and set up just for a calm, quiet first half, then a hell-fire turn:

[Very softly]
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

[At this point the other 5 or 6 were almost soothed with gentle words]

4THE WICKED ARE NOT SO!

[They all jumped]

BUT THEY ARE LIKE CHAFF WHICH THE WINNND DRIVES AWAY!

[Complete shock that I was reading it like this]

5THEREFORE THE WICKED WILL NOT STAND IN THE JUDGMENT, NOR SINNERS IN THE ASSEMMMMMBLY OF THE RIGHTEOUS!
[By this time they were starting to laugh]

6FOR THE LORRRD WATCHES OVER THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS--
BUT THE WAAAAY OF THE WICKED WILL PERISH!

At the end there was a real guffaw. One of the guys said "AAAA-MENNN!- Brotha ___!" I meant to check the shock value of this, but I didn't really expect it to come out like I was being a comedian mocking that kind of preaching. The next time I was called on to read, another guy remembered that and said, "And don't scare us this time," to which there were only a few chuckles.

 

For the most part preach, a revival is started by human activity, praying for it, preaching for repentance and revival, etc.

An "awakening" is different in that for no apparent reason either the quality and quantity of the preaching or the hearing of the listeners or both change and salvation abounds with a great harvest.

Obviously, the children of God know that it is the because of the moving of the Spirit among the people and preachers.

Here is a couple of exerpts of an account of the Great American Awakening (1730 - 1745):

And an exerpt of a letter by Jonathan Edwards:

The Great American Awakening endured from 1730 - 1745.

Christians are always praying for a harvest but the point is that an "awakening", for the most part is spontaneous and an astonishment to the people with multitudes being saved.

Another unusual circumstance of the Great Awakening was that in a given town it would start with children (pre-teens) and then move on into the adult sector and in some cases with virtually the whole town being saved.

HankD

 

The Bible says the harvest is plentiful. No need to pray for a harvest.

That is much like praying for rain while it is raining.

 

Sometimes things will happen like what has happened to some on the BB. Sometimes the people choose to stay and force the pastor to leave.

 

OK amend that to pray for laborers. The harvest is great but without the laborers nothing get harvestED.


HankD

 

Seems like a cult like the JW's get there stuff out alot....we need to do better.

 

Matthew 9

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.​

Roman 10

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!​

HankD​