The Preacher's Duty

Philippians 3:18-19 KJV

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

The Apostle said that he had warned them before and now continued to warn them, even while weeping for having to do it, that many (and I am sure his implication here is that these were professing believers) are enemies of the Cross of Christ.

It is one of the most challenging duties of the pastor to keep this warning ever before his congregation even as those professing believers insist that they are true believers and that the preacher is arrogant to insist that his walk is right walk and that any other walk is not only different but dangerous to the gospel.

Though this duty is never pleasant it is becoming more and more necessary as those who walk a different way increase and as, with their increase, the cry against our warnings become louder.

I imagine that there will be more reason to weep as the years go on.

• More will deny the old paths
• More will embrace the progressive programs
• More will turn from the doctrines of justification and sanctification and embrace a kind of Christianity that is legalistic in doctrine but liberal in practice

But the preacher's duty will not have changed:

• Urge people to follow the old examples
• Warn people about those who are enemies of cross
• Weep for the souls of those who have been swept in to error