Thank God—Sunday is almost here again! We get to go back to church. In order to help us prepare for Sabbath worship, here are some good words from John Owen’s sermon, entitled, “The Duty of a Pastor.” . . .
“Men who are pastors and teachers of churches are obliged to preserve the truth and doctrine of the gospel that is committed to the church: to maintain it in its entirety and defend it against all opposition. . . . ‘It is the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted,’ says the apostle (1 Tim. 1:11). And it is committed to all our trust, and we are to keep it against all opposition. The church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, to hold it up and declare it, in and by its ministers. . . . Ministers of the gospel are shields and bucklers to defend the truth against all adversaries and opposition. The church has had thousands of bucklers and shields of mighty men, otherwise the truth would have been lost. They are not only to declare it in the preach-ing of the gospel, but to defend and preserve it against all who attack it: to hold up the shield of faith against all who assault it.” [italics Owen’s]
