Give Them What They Want!

I was questioned lately, "Why do you write so much about sin. Your blogs are very negative. You can draw more flies with honey. Why don't you write in a more positive, uplifting way like Joel Osteen for instance." Here is my answer. There is something happening in churches and among believers today. Preachers, teachers, and pastors are minimizing and softening biblical preaching so as to attract more people into their congregations. As for the person who asked of me as well as so many others today, they want a more upbeat, 'make me feel good' message and "not one that shames me or makes me want to put my head between my legs and feel bad about myself." The Bible predicted a day this would happen, where people would want preaching that appealed to their own desires, and that time is now! "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Timothy 4:3 NIV). I'll admit, people prefer dramatic and touching stories, especially drama or the scary kind that describe demons or possession. When it comes to "sound doctrine," not so much. I know this by the logistical status from each blog I write. WE NEED SOUND DOCTRINE. Why? Sound doctrine delivers us from the snare of false teaching (2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 1:9-11), which otherwise threatens to arrest spiritual development (Ephesians 4:14). I refuse to fall into the trap of tailoring my blogs just to make people feel good. That is not my calling. And sadly, our culture today does not accept the idea of absolute truth. I will not lean toward giving the reader a self-satisfying spiritual experience in a completely non-judgmental atmosphere as so many preachers are doing today. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THE TRUTH. If I see sin in the Church, I'm going to talk about it, not sugar-coat it!

I find a lack of sound preaching in the pulpits of America. Turn on your TV on any given Sunday morning and watch the watered down, whispering of sweet nothing messages into the ears of viewers! They have reduced messages of escaping from condemnation without repenting from sin. They are messages of affirmation as a son or daughter of God without obedience to the Father. They are messages of comfort without denying one's self to pursue His will. Sure the better "sounding" messages are self-help messages, those that tell us God wants to prosper you, give you a job, a spouse, that home you desire so bad, messages where God will make you all you ever wanted to be. They tickle ears, put a chill up our legs, and goose-bumps down our spine. Sometimes they will throw in a few verses from the Word just for good measure. Sermons like that remind me of what Satan said to Jesus when they were high upon a mountain overlooking all the kingdoms of the world in all their splendor. Satan said, "All this will I give you if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus answered back, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only" (Matthew 4:8-9). Many preachers today are offering you want YOU WANT TO HEAR in exchange for you following them and basically worshipping them. I look at these types and say, Away from me! Worship the Lord your God and not yourselves!

My mission is to reveal "the wisdom that leads to salvation" and equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Sound doctrine reveals to us "everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If preachers don't explain and apply Scripture, their preaching may be entertaining and inspirational; but it will lack life-changing power. I want us to hear the Word, understand it, apply it, live it, change! I don't believe a person given a commission to teach or preach should ever pull punches. Paul instructed those called by God to preach so as to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort with great patience and instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2). Here is a question I have for you. What do you do with the commands you've read from the Scripture? Do you obey them or just highlight them in yellow marker? Sound doctrine taught from the Word should show people where their lives are not in line with God's truth and help them to make the necessary corrections to obey that truth consistently. As parents, we correct our 4 and 5-year-olds and direct them in obedience. As adults, how is it we find it so difficult to obey God's instructions? Let me go over quickly what Paul said the Word is for (and those teaching it). #1 TO REPROVE. As one who teaches I am to present my teaching (in this case my blogs) in a logically convincing manner FROM THE WORD OF GOD so that you are persuaded that what Scripture says is right even though your behavior is wrong. It is then the Holy Spirit's task to reprove (convict) you concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). #2 TO REBUKE. As one who teaches I am to make an appeal to your conscience. You could say this is the moral aspect of what I blog about. It's the, "You're sinning against God and you need to repent." People tend not to like that sort of thing, but it is desperately needed in our watered-down, feel-good Christianity. We have become so watered down that many within the Body of Christ now agree with homosexuality and a woman's right to abort her baby. #3 TO EXHORT. As one who teaches I am to encourage you to right behavior. Some people need rebuke, others need some encouragement. Let this one sink in: if I encourage those who need rebuking, I assist them to go on sinning. But if I rebuke those who need encouragement, I'll discourage them."

My goal is to become a channel for the Spirit and that you understand anything I teach through these blogs even if takes great patience and time on your part to comprehend, absorb, and act upon. Change isn't an overnight deal. People require time to change. They don't always get it the first time around. It might be why some of the themes of my blogs may seem redundant at times. Patience, however, never means accepting or tolerating one's sins, but rather, bearing with peoples weaknesses. That's where careful instruction comes in. I speak about ways you can grow and strengthen in Christ. My aim is that YOU can look at your Bible and understand what it is saying and how it applies to your life.
Until next time,
-Pat-