Lessons from a Pulpit

For those ‘church going’ folks, you know what the pulpit is.  You’ve seen one almost every Sunday morning, and you know the preacher (most of the time) stands behind it to deliver a message for the word of God.

But sadly enough there are times when the message (the sermon) fails to live up to the position the pulpit represents.   There are some who preach without the strength of understand and the conviction of word.  Too many ‘softballs’ are lobbed out to the congregation making them feel secure, pacified and justified in their day-to-day activities.  (Waterview church of Christ is the exception; Robert Oglesby’s Bible strong lessons challenge the status quo.)  Still ask yourself, are the sermons you hear each week solid or soft.  Will you hear a forward condemnation toward drunkenness, or quiet acceptance to social drinking?  Do the sermons admonish the ladies to practice modesty, or are we fine with short skirts and tight tops?  Are we concerned about the activities that accompany Prom Night?  Or is that just ‘a right of passage’ for our young men and women?  Are these activities (and others like them) discouraged from the pulpit?

Maybe, if we could have ‘seen’ the sermon 2000 years ago that held a crowd spell-bound for more than 6-hours we would understand what’s important in the walk with Christ.  (Mark 15:25 we read, “It was about the third hour (9:00AM) when they crucified Him.”  Then again in Luke 23:44-46 we notice, “It was about the sixth hour (noon), and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00PM), because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And Jesus, crying out in a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Having said this, He breathed His last.”)

For six hours (9:00 in the morning till 3:00 in the afternoon) people stood and watched the Savior die.  Some passed by shaking their heads (Mark 15:29) while others, rulers and soldiers included, stood looking and listen to the lesson from our Lord.  We remember the short statements He made while on the cross; “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”, “Woman, behold your son.”, “I thirst.” , “It is finished!” and several other short proclamations.  But what lesson was taught on this dark day in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago?  What life altering lesson can I learn from this sermon of all sermons?

The group Acapella recorded a song entitle, There Never was a Pulpit Like the Cross.  As you listen to this song consider the message that came on Calvary.  What was the crowd hearing on that dread day as Jesus was crucified for the sins of all mankind?  If it’s been a while since you’ve read the account of Christ death, burial and resurrection I encourage you to read it again.  Listen to the sermon that Jesus preaches as He hangs on the cross for man’s redemption.

1) Jesus climbed the hill of Calvary
And they nailed Him on a cross
Though He had no sin my friend, like me and you
He submitted like a gentle lamb and let them nail Him there
And prayed “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”
Chorus:
Oh, there never was a pulpit like the old rugged cross
And there never was such a meeting place as Calvary
There never was a greater lesson preached on love by mortal man
And there never was a pulpit like the cross

2) What a crowd was gathered on the hill of Calvary that day
Not long before Christ’s victory was won
As His own mother watched and wept beside a friend whom Jesus loved
Christ said, “Dear mother, when I’m gone, he’ll be your son”
Chorus

3) A guilty man was hanging on another cross that day
Convicted of some thievery, his sin
And suff’ring Jesus saw some good in him and he forgave that man
And said, “Today, into My Heaven enter in”
Chorus

4) As you sit and pray in comfort, and in finery adorned
Without a thought of shame, regret, or loss
Just think of Jesus on that hill in pain, to awful to be born
And remember that old pulpit called the cross
Chorus

No, there never was a pulpit like the cross