Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and the following week is Resurrection Sunday (not Easter I might add). It is almost embarrassing to have to answer the question Gary Lamb posed in his tweet. That a pastor would be mildly confused about this at all is very disheartening. You are going to have twice the amount of people you normally have and the vast majority of them will all have the same affliction. They will be unsaved. They will not know, nor have a relationship with Jesus Christ. They are all bound for an eternity in hell. God has ordained their steps to be sitting in front of you that day and for all you know it may be their last day. What should you preach? No matter how bad their marriage is they need salvation more. No matter how insignificant they may feel - they need salvation more. It has nothing to do with you young pastor. You do not possess the words to eternal life. Only Jesus does. But you hold the key for them to meet Him. You need to preach Him. What to preach? Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What to preach? The Gospel.
More importantly realize this young pastor. Even if not one of those visitors comes back the next week - you still did your job. You planted the seed they desperately needed. You may never see who might water that seed and that is OK because neither you, I, or whoever waters the seeds we plant are anything. Only God makes things grow. Only He matters. When we get to heaven and see the people there because of our simple faithfulness to the real Gospel, I truly believe we will be amazed.
What to preach? Start with the key verse. Christ died for our sins.
What to preach? Stay with the key verse. He was raised to life again.
What to preach? End with the key verse. He has brought us safely home to God.
The Gospel will always be sufficient.
Reverend Anthony Wade - April 9, 2014
