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Is the gospel you preach a “self help” gospel? One where you encourage your people to simply pull themselves up by their bootstraps? A gospel that tells people how to have a good life down here in postmodern America? Some preacher’s sermons emphasize such topics as how to move up the corporate ladder. I saw a sermon that used the story of Joseph to teach people how to become better employees and thus get that raise, live better, and then ultimately die after having lived a good life.
Is that our christianity? Do you simply tell people how to fit-in this world? Are your sermon topics better fit for a television talk show versus that of a prophet? Are we nothing more than self-help gurus?
Preaching is not about telling you how you can make some minor modifications to your life and thus be a better employee and citizen. Neither is preaching about filling up the rolls of either the Democratic or Republican political parties. No, preaching is, as one preacher said, “playing with fire.”
Preaching is having the audacity to say that humanity is not bettered through pulling up by bootstraps, but by dying in the great battle with our selfish inclinations. (1 Corinthians 15:31)
Preaching is having the audacity to say that we can’t live the life God would have us live, but with humanity that is impossible, but with God all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26)
Preaching is having the audacity to live in the Kingdom of God and invite people into that kingdom rather than simply helping people to become comfortable living in this “present evil world!” (Galatians 1:4)
Preaching is saying “Thus Saith the Lord” when the world wants to listen elsewhere
Preaching is saying “Change” when the world wants to stay as it is
Real Preaching will point to the production of a people who will not be conformed, but will be transformed by the renewing of the mind. (Romans 12:2)
That is our call. It is time to stand up as Jeremiah and preach as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11) rather than resorting to being nothing more than a Whoop tacked onto the end of a self help speech !
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WOW!! Great post Bro. Sherman, I feel the same way whole heartily. Where are all the Stomp down, sin preaching, backsliding redeaming, soul saving preachers these days. In our society we have people who are struggling and in need of money, love, and other things. And the sad part is that people will do anything with anybody to get it. Whether it be sinful or blasphemous!! I wonder often why the mega churches and the popular churches are full? and the answer that came to me bro. Cox is that, most of them are only giving the people the gravy of the word of God. No MEAT!! that’s why they are all on t.v. and writing best seller books because they are telling the people gimmicks and the people are falling for it. When will we get back to living Holy and preaching against sin instead of sinning for Not preaching!! That is why the world is the way it is today, because so many preachers have not preached the wrong in people lives and only preached feel good messages. Therefore the people leave church with a So-Called Spiritual High, but it only last a short time. But when the preacher preaches that the Wages of Sin is Death, people will start to leave hurt instead of high, and the hurt that they feel will cause them to do right or get left!!