Calling Sin by Name... Yes or No?

I was working today with my Dad about making some changes and updates to his web site. (http://www.darrelldunn.com/) While looking thru his site I came across something for Pastor's.

This jumped off the screen right at me. This asks a question that Most Pastor's don't want to have asked. I am posting it here for ALL OF US who are Pastor's. How will you personally answer the question.

Me, my Mom and Dad from a few years ago. (Evan. Darrell & Betty Dunn)

"CALLING SIN BY NAME...YES OR NO"

By: Evangelist Darrell Dunn

"A few years ago, while getting ready for a Sunday Morning service, I was watching a very well known Pastor on TV. Something he said caused me to stop what I was doing and walk over in front of the TV so I could hear his answer to a man's recent question.

The man wanted to know if this famous Pastor believe in calling sin by name. His answer literally stunned me!! For one or two minutes ,after giving his brief answer, he labored to prove his belief by this statement, "That is not my job. That is the work of the Holy Spirit...not mine." All right, he was now on record as to what he believed about calling sin by name. Truthfully, it was more of an opinion rather than a belief based on the Word of God.

How about you, Preacher? What do you believe about this now controversial subject? Go ahead, say your answer out loud. Write your opinion down on a piece of paper so you will have to remember what you thought. Then, hopefully, you will be like those in Berea. "...they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, whether those things were so. Therefore, may of them believed... (Acts 17, 11&12).

Of course, you may be like many preachers and choose to believe what Pastor so-and-so says, because he is well known or famous and/or he has a big Church. As a dear Pastor friend of mine (Matt Swaitkowski at the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Kearny, N. J.)would say, "WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?" Brother Swaitkowski, who is like a son to me, believes in cutting to the chase or getting to the point. (Refreshing, isn't it?)

It would be great if Preachers would take the time, like the Bereans, and search the Scriptures daily to see if what they heard, think or believe, is Bible truth. I used to have many good sermons when I started preaching at the age of 14 years old (50 years ago). Isn't it amazing how a few verses of Scripture can destroy a good sermon!!! One day, while in meetings with Brother Swaitkowski, he asked my opinion about one of those difficult verses familiar to us all. I gave him a rushed opinion. Instantly he asked me, "But what about what the Bible says in....?" I jokingly replied, "Oh sure, go ahead and use the Bible against me...you should have told me if you wanted me to be Scriptural!!"

It took me seven long, difficult years to become established as an Evangelist. I didn't have my first full week Revival meeting until near the end of my third year. About a year later, I was in a meeting when I preached a message on the Judgment Seat of Christ for Christians. In that Sermon, I made two or three statements that I had heard a few preachers make in their sermons when I was a teenage Preacher boy. I liked their statements, so I had used them the few times I had reached on the Judgement Seat.

After the service, while fellowshipping with the Pastor, he looked me straight in my eyes and asked, "Brother, let me ask you about a couple of statements you made during your Message." I answered his questions as best I could, and he was very kind to this young and dumb Preacher. Finally, instead of telling me how those statements were wrong or partially incorrect, he simply said, "You might want to search the Scriptures again to make sure you are right." At least he didn't call me STUPID!

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night. I spent most of it searching the Scriptures to see if what I had been preaching was really the truth. To my surprise and amazement those two statements were wrong! With tears, I confessed my sin and laziness in searching the Scriptures for the truth about everything I would preach, believe and/or do, to the Lord. In His mercy and grace, He forgave and cleansed me...as I knew He would...according to I John 1:9.

Something else happened that night. I became a Bible Preacher. I determined, before the Lord, by His grace and the help of the blessed Holy Spirit, I would never again preach or teach anything else, anywhere, that I could not prove from the Word of God. I feel sure that the Pastor the Lord used to make me a Bible Preacher is not even aware of what the Lord did through him and his gracious manner to this young Evangelist.

Having learned and practiced this for over 40 years, I would not encourage any Preacher to PREACH THE WORD!! To every Christian reading this, we encourage you to give the people the Word of God in your teaching, witnessing, and conversations...not just your opinion. God promised to bless His Word...not yours!"

WHY POST THIS?

In know you may think I "Had" to post this just because he is my Dad. I have news for you, don't care who you are, this kind of "Straight Forward Biblical Preaching" is what we ALL need, from the Pulpit to the Pew!

That is my opinion about the matter. If we had MORE preaching like this, yes, even in these days of apostacy, we would still be seeing revival in the hearts of Christian's the world over, and as a result of this "Awakening" we would see souls saved and lives forever changed!

You don't have to agree... it's ok to be a "Stagnent Pond" for your church members to drink from. I"m sure that God will understand.

Pastor David J. Dunn