A Redwood Snippet on Manhood

[Beryl]

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If I am impressed by God to say something on Homosexuality in my sermon, but hold back because I am told a homosexual is present then that is failing in my duty to God.

True, but I would expect that an impression from God would come while you were preparing the sermon, not while you are on the platform! You see, God sees the future, and He would KNOW that a certain homosexual planned to be at the church on that Sabbath, so, if God felt that this matter should be dealt with from the pulpit instead of a sitting down with the offender and talking through the matter, I would EXPECT that He would impress me beforehand so that I could think through, and pray about, how I was to approach this subject. I know, you are only using this as an example, but I believe that God expects us to be fully prepared when we are speaking for Him on a Sabbath morning. It is when people taking the service go "off subject" and add in things that have not been thought out well beforehand that things are said that can be less than helpful in those situations.

Beryl

[Guest Male Man]

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let's say that Jesus Christ were a conference president...and you were a pastor. If you were doing everything according to the way the Bible teaches, would you be in trouble with Jesus Christ?

No.

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there are conference presidents who are not Jesus, who are not even close to being that perfect, who do make mistakes but who are in full support of the gospel being presented correctly.

But that is an oxymoron. They can't make mistakes of a magnitude of dumbing down God's preachers and still be in support of the gospel. I accept their humanity and mistake making but the problem exists on such a large scale that we are becoming Laodicean because of it.

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There are GREAT pastors who are doing the RIGHT work who aren't in trouble...

There are a great many pastors who are doing a great work but they are mostly in poor countries and being persecuted. I disagree that there are many pastors in my country who are preaching as they should. The lack of trouble that follows them is evidence enough for me.

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I would expect that an impression from God would come while you were preparing the sermon, not while you are on the platform!

Not true. Many great inspirational prophets and preachers have preached their best when going off the cuff. Even EGW warns our pastors who follow studiously their notes and are unable to deviate or listen to the spirit while preaching and deliver hot new truths.

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It is when people taking the service go "off subject" and add in things that have not been thought out well beforehand that things are said that can be less than helpful in those situations.

Yes I have seen that but it is usually in the camp of the "old wafflers" or preachers that are so full of their own experience that they don't realise they are boring the hell out of everyone.