In Conclusion

A pastor or teacher’s ministry would of course be characterized by a broader range of subject matter than was John’s. John was preaching to the unrepentant. Pastors and teachers are supposed to be primarily teaching those who have already repented. Their teaching is based on those things Jesus said to His disciples and that are written in the New Testament epistles.

We often fail, however, to rightly identify our audiences, and it seems today that sinners are often preached to as if they were saints. Just because people are sitting in a church building does not mean our job is to assure them of their salvation, especially if their lives are essentially indistinguishable from those in the world. There is a crying need today for millions of “John the Baptists” to preach from church pulpits. Will you rise to the challenge? Will you become one of Jesus’ favorite preachers?