Today the Christian world is in darkness, knowing not the wonderful light which has been committed to the advent people. We should, therefore, preach the message committed unto us. Our discourses should be expository—teaching, rather than sermonizing. Some preaching is so watered down that it is like thin soup, suitable only for a slimming diet. "The naked truth which cuts both ways, arousing to spiritual life those who are dead in trespasses and sins," must be preached.
"Do not divest the truth of its dignity and impressiveness by preliminaries that are more after the order of the world than after the order of heaven. Let your hearers understand that you hold meetings, not to charm their senses with music and other things, but to preach the truth in all its solemnity, that it may come to them as a warning, arousing them from their deathlike sleep of self-indulgence."—"Testimonies," Vol. IX, pp. 142, 143.
In our effort meetings the people should understand that the message in the sermon is the principal thing. The opening and closing exercises and music must not be so elaborate that the discourse is cut to a minimum. Hearers should be made to understand the subject presented. Argument is good in its place, but far more can be accomplished by a simple, intensely earnest explanation of the word of God. We should not use long, difficult words in our discourses. The truth should be presented in a clear, simple manner, in plain language that is adapted to the common people.
And we should be positive in our preaching. We are not sent into the world to disprove Christian Science or any other "ism," but to present positive truth, and as we do this in the light shining from the cross, the false theories of the return of the Jews, a temporal millennium, the British Israel theory, and other errors will fall away like the dead leaves which still remain on the tree in the spring.
