The Apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3 that a preacher without love for sinners is nothing. Although some Bible teachers claim that this passage is only applicable for Christians loving the brethren, there is nothing in the passage to indicate that. How ridiculous to think that believers are limited to only loving other believers, but not the heathen, when Jesus plainly commanded in Matthew 22:39, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
“The pew will never weep until the pulpit weeps. Until God's people get back the compassion and love for people.” —Brother Lester Roloff, “What Preachers Should Be”
“There's no substitute for compassion. There's nothing to me that's worse—dry cheeks, and no tears. Jesus wept. Paul said: 'I wept day and night, for three years.' I mean day and night, he said, 'I've wept.' The pew will never weep until the pulpit weeps; until God's people get back the compassion and the love, for people. You're working with, not animals, but people. Every one of them's precious in God's sight. Love every one of them. Love the little children. Spend time in prayer even with a little child. And love the members of your church. And love lost people. And then one other thing, love the down-and-out. That's one of the tests of your sincerity, is to love the down-and-outs. Just like Paul said, the grace of giving tests your sincerity. But if you love those that are not loved by anybody else, there's nothing that'll be like a tonic to you like loving the unlovely. I mean that's being like Jesus. He didn't come to call the righteous, there wadn't any. And so love your church, and live close to the Lord; close to the Word of God, and stay with the lost people and seek to save those that are lost.” —Brother Lester Roloff, “What Preachers Should Be”
“I've never seen a preacher amount to anything until his heart was broken; until he was mellowed and pulverized on the inside.” —Brother Lester Roloff, “The Test Of A Christian's Character”
I cherish those quotes!
The worst problem that I see in Baptist churches today is the woeful lack of concern toward false doctrine and embellishments of the gospel.
The second worse problem that I see is a woeful lack of love, concern and compassion for people.
Pastors and their wives, and laymen alike, have become so accustomed to just going through the motions of playing church that they've lost their concern, kindness, love and compassion for people.
Without love, nothing else matters. A preacher who emphasizes the letter of the law by preaching hard against sin, but he lacks the the spirit of the law which is love and grace, he is damaging the cause of Jesus Christ. We don't need any more haters like Steven Anderson, we need loving pastors like Pastor Jack Hyles and Lester Roloff who made an impact for Christ without pushing multitudes of society away from Christianity because of their ungodly hatred of people.
