After I do an interview with a preacher for Preaching magazine, we send the digital file to a person to transcribe it for print. Last week, as I was editing an interview for the next issue, I saw that the speaker had made reference to the Book of Acts, but the transcriptionist had typed “book of Ax.”
As I look back, I think I’ve heard quite a few sermons from the Book of Ax—sermons that were designed to bang the listeners over their heads, using the Bible as a bludgeon instead of a balm. Certainly there is a need for frankness in expressing the reality and destructive power of sin.
However, sermons from the Book of Ax rarely make the same impact as sermons from the book of grace. The sermons that have influenced my life most significantly are ones that vividly displayed the glory and grace of a God who so loved the world that He made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
In a culture where there is an abundance of anger and hostility, I’m thankful for the truth found in the Book of Acts—that God has created a people who are privileged to share His grace with a lost world. Now that’s good news!
Blessings!
Michael Duduit
MDuduit@SalemPublishing.com
www.MichaelDuduit.com
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