BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

Issachar Implications
This is the first of a three-part series on “Issachar Implications”

“Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.” 1 Chronicles 12:32 NKJV
When David assembled his army in Hebron he was joined by the men of Issachar who although fewest in number were perhaps the most valuable because they were wise and could discern the temper of the nation.

Their example highlights the importance of retaining the unchangeable content of the gospel and recognizing the necessity of adapting its presentation so it can be understood by the culture who hears it.

Some have estimated that more information has been produced in the past 30 years than in the previous 5,000 years. When time for sermon preparation comes, the 21st Century preacher will find himself dealing with overload amnesia when the brain shuts down to protect itself from anymore information.

Preaching must meet needs of people who have less free time; resist making friends; oppose change; hear more than they can assimilate or understand; are often lonely and fail to see how the pieces make the whole. This is enough to intimidate us into hiding or to stampede us into a compound.

Will Rogers gave wise advice, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just stand still.”

We must be as wise as the sons of Issachar, discerning the times.

Three big words will impact preaching in the 21st Century: contextualization—working in the context of the culture; indigenization— encouraging those who are indigenous or native to the culture to implement missions and evangelism; and syncretism—the pressure of culture to equalize all religions or elements from all religions.

With intentionality comes a downward spiral of honesty and integrity in culture that should alarm all of us. The “dumbing” down of truth is not a cliché, it is a reality. We must as preachers risk the consequences of confronting the culture. If we don’t our sick society will eventually commit suicide.

Preachers cannot afford the luxury of the herd mentality of our day. We must never fail to oppose that which conflicts with the truth.

I once heard a pastor explain that the demons in the herd of swine were engaged in conversation while going down the hill. They reasoned that they must do two things--keep moving and stay together. If just one swine had broken from the herd, some might have been spared.

We, too, are in danger of being captured by culture or contemporary trends. One common trend of late is rationalizing the truth. We think, “I’m in trouble if I tell the truth, so I’ll lie.” It becomes so easy that we do it again. Soon we don’t know what truth is and no longer care about the damage.

While I wish this only happened in business and politics, it is rampant inside the church. As Christian believers we have the power to lie but not the right. Ours is not a right of self determination.

Preachers above all others must live in the high logic of spiritual truth, not by mood swings or impulsive whims. There must be no compromise to morality. This degrades the ministry God has entrusted to us. Ministry must be lived out in dramatic disclosure. No one ever accused Jesus of being a regular fellow or given to the status quo.

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