Wanted: Faithful Preachers | Dr. Conrad Vine

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Wanted: Faithful Preachers

Text: Acts 5:27-29
Theme: Liberty of Conscience & The Call to Faithful Preaching

Introduction: The Sermon in the Skies

Have you ever stood under the flight path at Chicago O’Hare? You look up and see five or six planes coming in to land, and you aren’t quite sure which one is going to touch down first.

That is what it feels like when you stand up to preach. There are always three sermons trying to land at the same time. You pray, you listen, and you ask the Lord: Which one is for today?

Today, the title that landed is “Wanted: Faithful Preachers.”

1. The Original Cancel Culture (Acts 5)

In Acts chapter 5, the Apostles were preaching the risen Christ in Jerusalem. The authorities didn’t want to hear that the Jesus they crucified had risen. So, they practiced the original “cancel culture.” They threw the preachers in prison.

But an angel released them. And what did the apostles do? They went straight back to the temple to preach.

When the Sanhedrin confronted them, they issued a strict order: “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name?” (Acts 5:28).

But a wise teacher named Gamaliel stood up and gave a principle that has held true for millennia: “If this plan or this work is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39).

Those persecuted preachers were flogged and released. And they went right back to proclaiming a sinner-loving Savior, a guilt-bearing Savior, a risen Savior, and a soon-coming Savior.

2. The Turbulent Priest: Thomas Becket

We often think the fight for religious liberty is a modern political issue, but it is ancient.

In the 12th century, King Henry II of England wanted total control—over the state and the church. He appointed his friend, Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury, expecting a puppet.

But Becket experienced a profound conversion. He realized that if the King could control the church, a future bad king would destroy the faith. So, Becket became a champion for the separation of church and state.

An angry King Henry II famously lamented, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”

Four knights took the bait. They rode to Canterbury and murdered Becket at the altar. They shaved off the crown of his head, scattering his brains on the cathedral floor.

But here is the lesson: Cutting down that turbulent priest did not silence him. It magnified him. His tomb became the most popular shrine in England for 600 years. His legacy lives on today in America through the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

You cannot kill the truth. When you spill the blood of faithful preachers, you water the seeds of the gospel.

3. The Brave Baptist Preachers

Fast forward to colonial Virginia. The Anglican Church was the established church. You had to pay taxes to support it. If you wanted to preach, you needed a license from the bishop.

Enter the Baptist preachers. They preached “believer’s baptism” and justification by faith. They rejected the idea that the government should control the conscience.

These Baptist preachers were beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. They were hunted by the establishment for nearly 100 years. One of these imprisoned preachers was John Leland.

Leland became a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Leland argued: “Every man must give an account of himself to God. If government can answer for me at the Day of Judgment, then let it control my religion. Otherwise, let men be free.”

Influenced by these persecuted Baptists, Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom(1777). And when the Constitution was being ratified, James Madison added the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

The freedoms you enjoy in Berrien Springs—the freedom to worship, to speak, to think—were paid for by the blood and tears of Baptist preachers who refused to be silent.

4. The Danger of Silencing the Prophetic Voice

We live in a similar moment. Social norms are breaking apart. Darkness is descending.

Three truths about silence:

  1. When the prophetic voice is silenced, evil sweeps the land. (1 Kings 18; Ezekiel 22:30). When Ahab and Jezebel killed God’s prophets, the nation descended into idolatry, perversion, and child sacrifice. When preachers are afraid to rebuke sin for fear of offending donors or “causing division,” we remove the bulwark against spiritual decline.

  2. When the prophetic voice is silent, the people are lost. (Jonah 4:11). If a generation grows up without hearing the clear “Thus saith the Lord,” they will not know their right hand from their left. If children read articles celebrating sin in religious magazines and hear nothing from the pulpit, they assume sin is normal.

  3. When the prophetic voice is compromised, the preacher loses power. (1 Kings 22; Galatians 1:10). The 400 prophets told Ahab what he wanted to hear. They were preachers for hire. But Micaiah spoke the truth. If you preach to please men, your testimony becomes tame and lifeless.

Conclusion: Wanted—You

God is still looking. In Ezekiel 22:30, He said, “I sought for a man to stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.”

God is looking for preachers. Not just people with a license or a degree. He is looking for Sabbath School teachers, parents, Pathfinder leaders, and friends who will speak the truth in love.

The Apostle Paul said, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

You don’t have to stand behind a pulpit to preach. You preach in the gas station. You preach in the library. You preach at Wal-Mart. You preach by sharing a Great Controversy or a GLOW tract.

Don’t be a silent preacher.

  • Pick up the literature in the foyer.

  • Pray for a divine appointment this week.

  • Let your life be a living sermon.

True love seeks first the honor of God and the salvation of souls. Get in the fight. It is worth it. When we get to heaven, we want to meet people on the Sea of Glass who say, “I’m here because you spoke up.”

May we be counted among the brave.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15).

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the brave apostles, the turbulent priest, and the persecuted Baptists who secured liberty for us. Lord, in this generation, give us courage. Do not let us be silent. Give us divine encounters this week. Spark conversations that lead to Jesus. Amen.