GREAT PREACHERS HAVE INFLUENCED OUR NATION
While earnestly searching for the living God, as a young man, my mother wisely persuaded me to hear Oswald J. Smith the Canadian preacher. 70 years have passed, but his preaching gripped me, as he spoke of the marvellous resurrection body, and Christ’s risen life. His theme was ‘If the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
‘Mother, this preacher really believed the bible. I did not know men could preach like that,’ I commented.
While visiting Sydney during my twenties, I stumbled on (God led me) to a Sunday evangelistic service in a theatre. Captain Reginald Wallis, one of England’s great Bible teachers, spoke on, ’The crimson thread running through the Bible.’ For the first time, I learned of Christ in the Old Testament. He fascinated me, showing the sacrifice of the Lamb as a secret stream of redeeming truth in the Old Testament, intensifying into a raging torrent in the New Testament. He spoke of Christ as Redeemer, challenging me to teach the Word of God. For 67 years, preaching Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, glorified and coming again has been my greatest joy.
Two chaplains joined our Australian General Hospital during WW11. One refused to preach Christ as a personal Saviour, driving many away in unbelief. Then the Lord sent Charlie Gray, fearlessly preaching Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. His holy, blameless life touched our hospital staff and 2,000 patients. Our hospital was at the foot of the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. He taught and preached devotedly, leading many to trust our Lord Jesus Christ. He became a dear friend.
In the post-war years, Campaigners for Christ, Youth for Christ, Keswick Convention and the Bible College of S.A. brought bible teachers to Adelaide, South Australia. College principals, the Irish T C Hammond of Moore college, John Searle from Bible College Victoria, the scholarly Baptist Ted Gibson, pioneering Alan Burrow, devoted New Creation Geoffrey Bingham, forthright Bryan Hardman, visionary Ray Laird, Deane woods, Adelaide College of Ministries, and Scripture Unionist Alex Brown.
God’s word burned in their preaching like the fire in Jeremiah’s bones, just as our bone marrow produces red blood cells for every organ and white blood cells to counter infection. The changeless Scripture is settled forever in heaven.
The Scottish Sidlow Baxter regularly visited Adelaide with heart-warming, intellectually- stimulating preaching. His fine writing complemented his powerful preaching. The soldierly Major Ian Thomas regularly restated the forgotten truth of ’The indwelling life of Christ’. Then Reg Wright deepened our love for the Lord And our personal study of the Word. His daily study of many hours of the Bible moved us. The warm-hearted Neville Horn, Back to the Bible, devotedly taught in camps and church groups the supremacy of Christ and authority of the scripture. Oswald J sanders
Lionel Fletcher, the boxing evangelist of the empire preached in the city Hall with 100 young people won for our Lord Jesus in one memorable night. Harold Whitney, polished Presbyterian scholar, preached courageously on holiness and purity.
The Lord honoured the Tent evangelism of Bill Newman, Jack Bond and Bill Bowden, seeing hundreds won for Christ. I responded as a boy in such a scene.
Keswick Convention overflowed from Melbourne to Adelaide through scientist Al Whittinghill, Bishop Dudley Foord and Charles Price (Toronto): God honoured their penetrating teaching, satisfying many with a deep hunger for God‘s Word.
Billy Graham’s ’The bible says’ touched 65,000.in Adelaide, while 137,500 were attracted in Melbourne. On the final Sunday, 1,000 responded to the call to follow Christ. Our bible colleges overflowed as new converts sought Bible teaching. Leighton Ford, John Haggai, Haddon Robinson and Stephen Olford taught with authority and fervour in our city. Stephen Olford had taught on short-wave from HCJB Ecuador, studies given from Calvary Baptist, New York. Each Saturday night, as I ’washed the dishes’ I sat at the feet of this distinguished teacher of the word. His eyes filled with tears when I thanked him for his dedicated teaching. ’ You were my coach and I drank in the Word of God. Thank you in Jesus’ Name.’ Oswald J Sanders was a prince of expositors.
Why has preaching changed in the last generation, being replaced by unrelated, saltless, powerless and abbreviated preaching? Was it the Sunday roast: or the AFL (Aussie football) or Wallabies (rugby) or one day or Test cricket? Are we too preoccupied? Apathy and spiritual drought demand penitent prayer and expectation of former showers of outpoured blessing. .
Where is the compelling prayer of former days? Some English-speaking and ethnic churches gather pastor and elders for urgent, preliminary prayer. Some are on their knees. Powerful and refreshing. Has prayer lost its power? God has not changed.
It pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believed. Let’s fulfil the biblical mandate. God has raised up, in our city, true, dependable exponents of the Holy word. Every city has its trustworthy expositors. Pray with them: encourage them: learn from these gifted men of the Book.
Some of the finest:
Baptists-Noel Due, Rod Denton:, Uniting Dean Metheringham, Graham Humphris, Geoff Pike: Geoffrey Bingham and Martin Bleby of New Creation: Brian Keane, Joe Gray, Ian Wilson, Colin Harrison, Alan Bailey,( Edwardstown Baptist ) ,Tom Golding (ACM) Peter McDonough, Stewart Bogle ( Capernwray) Bruce Townsend; Ross Gaskin (WEC). Open Brethren Jim Kennedy, Harry Mitton; Andrew Evans -Danny Gugleilmucci of AOG. Peter Daniels. Anglican Paul Harrington, Simon Waters; Daniel Fennell, Bill Pomery, Emmanuel Glynatsis, Greek Evangelical.
God promised ‘To hear from heaven, and forgive our sin and heal our land, stating ‘If My people, called by My Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,’ (2 Chron 7:14).
We must meet God’s reasonable stipulations.