Do we need preachers today, in this day and age that we live in? Do the churches need preachers? This is the question I will try to answer in this sermon. I have visited many churches in this area and nearly all of them have pastors who do not preach nor do they give altar calls? I see pastors stand and read from a book or material downloaded from the internet? I see them tell stories? But where is the God sent message from heaven? Does God not still speak to His church through His pastors? I know of and see many churches who would answer no, we do not need preachers nor do we need preaching!

But the text above tells us that people do need preachers. I've heard people say many times that God doesn't need us or you. Amen. This is true, God can do what he wants, when he wants, with who he wants, and we have no opinion or say. God is God all by himself and doesn't need our help. God doesn't need preachers, people do. Amen I say to my self and all other God called preachers Preach on Preach On." No matter what the circumstances, no matter what the "brethern say," no matter who comes against you, or what the devil throws at you, Keep on Preaching Preacher, Preach On.
Why do we need preachers and preaching, notice

I. Because of the ROARING LION: (1Peter 5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

    1. Devouring our families:

        A. Satan has decietfully snuck in and slowly drained our homes

            of Biblical blessings

           1. Husband head of the house? Dinner table where family eats

               together?

           2. Where are the God fearing parents, and kids who are living

               Godly lives.

            3. If our homes were ever in need of God and his Word it's

                now.

           4. Divorce is common

           5. Children do not honor their fathers and mothers anymore

      B. Who is going to get the answer to them?

          1. Who are supposed to be the best ones to help people with

              the Word of God?

        C. Our homes need preacher and preaching.

    2. Devouring our local churches:

        A. Satan can not destroy the body of believers, which is Christ

             body, the church. But

        B. He can, on the other hand, destroy the local churches.

           1. Churches splitting pastors quitting or being voted out.

       C. We need some pastors who will buckle down, take a stand,

       D. Church members being attacked by wickedness and powers

           in high places, need an undershepherd who will pray for them,

           feed them, and lead them.

    3. Devouring our schools:

        A. Our children are being taught unimaginable heresy and

             humanism in our schools

            1 .Darwin's theory of evolution not taught as a theory, as fact.

            2. Sex education consists of passing out condoms and

                pregnancy

           3. They are being taught that accepting homosexual lifestyles is

                healthy normal.

     B. Schools have become a place for our kids to have sex and

          do drugs and sometimes kill each other.

          1. Who is going to reach this generation and win them to

               Jesus, who has the Truth?

          2. Church members are going to have to reach them.

          3. Who is going to get our church members equipped with the

               Holy Ghost and with the gospel?

II. Because of the REMNANT of believers: (Rom.11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

In these the last days there are still some good bible believing local churches which have born again members, and they need you preacher. There is still a few, a remnant so to speak that need a God fearing bible believing preacher to help them.

    1. The remnant are under attack: (1Tim.3:12)

        A. Our church members are being seduced with doctrines of

             devils (1Tim.4:1).

             1. They are tempted more and more by the things of this

                 world. They are being attacked by agnostics, atheist,

                 politicians, and the "brethern".

    2. The remnant need to be fed: (1Pt.5:2)

        A. Jesus id telling Peter to feed his sheep.

             1. Most Christians today have such an ignorance to the Word

                 of God and that is shameful.

            2. The average church member today is starving for bible

                 knowledge and don't even realize it.

                They have become comfortable with what they have always

                been taught, not studying to see what God may show them

    3. The remnant need a godly example to follow: (1Pt.5:3)

        A. I can not figure out why preachers today are not preaching the

            whole council

            1. What a shame that a pastor of a local assembly of bible

                 believers want not lead by example.

            2. The local church needs a Man of God who will pray, study,

                and do the things that God says all Christians should do.

           III. Because REVIVAL is still Possible (IICro.7:14) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

     1. Five revivals are recorded in the Old Testament and each of

         them were a result of the preached Word of God.

    2. We are living in a day when people like to make excuses for

        their immoral actions

       A. Somebody needs to be honest enough with them to stand up,

            cry out, and say thus sayeth the Lord.

       B. People are ignorant today of what is right and what is wrong

           and they need a preacher to stand up with the Word of God

          and let them know

    3. Revival is

       A. God's will

           1. For your local church and every person in the body of Christ.

       B. An awakening

           1. To the scriptures

           2. To right and wrong

           3. To the presence of God

      C. Obedience

          1. To God’s word

          2. To the leadership of God’s called pastor

    4. If our churches and people were close and obedient to the Lord

        then the beer joints and adult book stores would be shut down.  

    5. When revival hits in an area I beleive this is what would happen.

IV. Because of the RAPTURE that we look forward too. (1The. 4:13-18) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

    1. When raptured or caught up, your work here on earth is done.

    2. When the Lord descends with a shout and says come up hither

         we are going no matter what. Oh, what a day that will be when

         our Jesus we shall see

    3. When raptured you have won all the souls your going to win. How

         many will perish?

     4. When raptured the church and it's members will meet the Lord

          as they are.

One person noted: In any church service, the congregation preaches more than half the sermon. The congregation brings an atmosphere with it. The atmosphere is either a barrier through which the preacher's word cannot penetrate; or else it is such an expectancy that even the poorest sermon becomes a living flame. How did you come to church today?

Our safety and sense of well-being -- our life, in fact -- depends on the degree to which we can trust the accuracy of the people we deal with. For example: in July 1971, a jumbo 747 jet was damaged on takeoff in San Francisco.

Fortunately, no one was killed, although there were serious injuries. Later the pilot testified that the flight dispatcher had told him his runway was 9,500 feet long. Which it was; however, mostly because of construction work, only 8,400 feet were available. This led to a miscalculated takeoff speed and the accident. Investigators thus came down to the use of incorrect takeoff speed, resulting from a series of irregularities, tiny pieces of misinformation, or lack of information. Every day thousands of passengers stake their lives on the gamble that bits of information vital to their safety will be transmitted with absolute, scrupulous accuracy.

Pastor, your people are like that. They depend on you to communicate the unchanging Word of God with clarity and accuracy. So have at it! Preach the Word!

If all the sleeping folk will wake up,

If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,

If all the dishonest folk will confess up,

If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up,

If all the depressed folk will cheer up,

If all the estranged folk will make up,

If all the gossipers will shut up,

If all true soldiers will stand up,

If all the dry bones will shake up,

If all the church members will pray up...

Then we can have a revival!

-- R.G. Lee

I can give a prescription that will bring revival -- revival to any church, or community, or any city on earth.

First: Let few Christians get thoroughly right with God. If this is not done, the rest will come to nothing.

Second: Let them bind themselves together to pray for revival until God opens the windows of heaven and comes down.

Third: Let them put themselves at the disposal of God for His use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all. I have given this prescription around the world... and in no instance has it failed.

It cannot fail.

-- R.A. Torrey

Several years ago the British Weekly printed a letter to the editor:

"Dear Sir: I notice that ministers seem to set a great deal of importance on their sermons and spend a great deal of time in preparing them. I have been attending services quite regularly for the past thirty years and during that time, if I estimate correctly, I have listened to no less than 3,000 sermons, but, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else? Sincerely...."

That letter triggered an avalanche of angry responses for weeks. Sermons were castigated and defended by lay and clergy, but eventually a single letter closed the debate:

"My dear Sir: I have been married for thirty years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals -- mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them, I would have starved to death long ago. Sincerely...."