POSITIVE POWER OF NEGATIVE PREACHING

Introduction

1. Some want ONLY positive sermon and class lessons

2. One church warned preachers they would fire anyone who preached negativism from the pulpit.

Some who could not preach there

1. God – Garden of Eden – positive tend the garden; negative do not eat of this tree

2. Moses – Deuteronomy 28:1, 15-19

3. Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1:10

4. Jonah – Jonah 3:4

5. Jesus – see Matthew 23

6. 2 Timothy – 2 Timothy 4:2

Reasons for Negative Sermons

1. Makes the hero greater – Every hero has a villian

2. Shows mans great needs

3. Gets attention – newspapers use negative for headlines

4. Warns of danger – child about to walk into traffic – needs urgent warning

From tract by Allen Webster