Many a spiritual woman has endured less than adequate ministry in silence. If we agree with the silence of the women, make sure the message of the men is profitable. This was the burden of Paul, when writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians, commanding guidelines in public meetings. Here are some for our instruction:
1. Messages should be from the Bible. Every man who stands on the public platform is there to speak the truth of God. This can only be found in the Bible. We are not there to give entertaining talks so people will think well of us. We are there to deliver a message from God; people should leave with that impression.
2. Messages should be orderly. Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:30) surely applies to the message as well. We are not talking about persuasive oratory relying on human skill, but an orderly presentation of the passage or subject. The Scriptures themselves are presented this way. The message should communicate this.
3. Messages should be profitable. Again relying on Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians (chs. 11-14), we find he calls the believers to meet together for profit. This is force of his argument in the matter of tongues in chapter 14. The simple fact was that the Corinthians’ practices were simply not profitable. In verse 3, the Holy Spirit defines a profitable ministry: “to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” Anything less than this is unprofitable.
4. Messages should be prepared. Any subject in the Scriptures soon exhausts the student. We sometimes speak of “mastering a subject” which may apply in secular matters, but few Bible students would claim to “master” a Bible truth. Nevertheless, sound preparation is essential for any message of God. It has been said of Dr. G. Campbell Morgan that he would not begin to write about any portion of Scripture until he had read the passage at least 50 times.
Read widely. Compare passages on the subject. Consider the writings of others. Let the Spirit use these things to give you a message.
5. Messages should be spoken in love. It is in this context we have the beautiful love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. In fact, Paul tells us there that great knowledge and gift is neutralized if I do not have love towards the listener. Even when Paul had to speak the harshest of condemnation to the Corinthians, it is evident he loved them. And they knew it. Our ministry should always include this vital element.
6. Messages should bring unity. According to Ephesians 4, speaking the truth guards the unity of the Spirit. Believers are drawn together around the truth. A message that leaves the saints argumentative is not of God.
7. Messages should be Christ-exalting. The mark of a spiritual Christian is appreciation of the Lord Himself. Every public message should leave the hearer, whether believer or not, with the impression that the speaker thinks well of Christ. He alone is worthy of our attention. Gift is evident when the speaker can preach without attracting attention to the messenger. Christ- exalting ministry reaches the head and heart.
8. Messages should communicate. It takes great skill to make things clear. The public platform is not designed to show off Bible knowledge. Notice these words from Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” Every audience includes believers of various degrees of maturity and Bible knowledge. We should attempt to feed every sheep. This is not to say we should not challenge or inspire others to grow. We look to be “fellow-helpers to the truth” (3 Jn. 8).
The public platform in assembly meetings can be a dangerous place. It can allure us in the disguise of a spiritual ministry when it is really appealing to the flesh. It can be used by the devil to divide in the name of standing for truth. I find one of the most searching verses in this connection is 1 Peter 5:11: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (mouthpiece) of God…” In addition to posting closing times of meetings or preference for translations, this would be a good thing to put on every pulpit.