Is Your Pastor Preaching the TRUTH?
In a recent meeting with religious leaders from our community, one of the men was lamenting the fact that many pastors are not doing their jobs of warning the people to flee from sins. They fear offending their flock lest they scatter.
The Word of the Lord has some strong things to say, in principle, about such a matter. The prophet Ezekiel says, “If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman; and he sees the sword coming and he warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head… 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not warn the people, and a sword comes and takes a person from them…his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.’” Ezekiel 33:2-6
If it is fair to equate pastors with the OT concept of the watchman, the principle is clear. When a pastor shies away from the truth and the people sin as a result of his failing to warn them, that pastor will bear responsibility for the people’s sins. In the scope of eternity I’m not sure what that means exactly but it doesn’t sound good.
Honestly, this is a huge problem in today’s world of convenient tolerance where the Word of God has been pastorally, reinterpreted, twisted and turned to fit the cultural milieu of their church. In small churches, the threat of saying something that offends can have big repercussions on the budget which means big repercussions on the pastor’s salary.
Do you encourage your pastor to speak the truth? Our church has grown from a small church of 35 people to the church it is today with about 1000 people regularly involved. That happened in part—a big part I am convinced--because I have preached God’s word without fear of who I might offend--except the Lord God Himself. If people are going to bail because of the truth—so be it.
The church’s mission is not making people feel good. It is proclaiming what is true, good and right, not according to the loudest to squawk but according to the Word of the Lord. Then the rest is up to Him.
The Word of the Lord has some strong things to say, in principle, about such a matter. The prophet Ezekiel says, “If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman; and he sees the sword coming and he warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head… 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not warn the people, and a sword comes and takes a person from them…his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.’” Ezekiel 33:2-6
If it is fair to equate pastors with the OT concept of the watchman, the principle is clear. When a pastor shies away from the truth and the people sin as a result of his failing to warn them, that pastor will bear responsibility for the people’s sins. In the scope of eternity I’m not sure what that means exactly but it doesn’t sound good.
Honestly, this is a huge problem in today’s world of convenient tolerance where the Word of God has been pastorally, reinterpreted, twisted and turned to fit the cultural milieu of their church. In small churches, the threat of saying something that offends can have big repercussions on the budget which means big repercussions on the pastor’s salary.
Do you encourage your pastor to speak the truth? Our church has grown from a small church of 35 people to the church it is today with about 1000 people regularly involved. That happened in part—a big part I am convinced--because I have preached God’s word without fear of who I might offend--except the Lord God Himself. If people are going to bail because of the truth—so be it.
The church’s mission is not making people feel good. It is proclaiming what is true, good and right, not according to the loudest to squawk but according to the Word of the Lord. Then the rest is up to Him.
posted by PB at 11:25 AM
2 Comments:
Great post! I try not to water down the gospel, sin, etc. One person quit coming to church for about 6 months because I said that people to do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will not be in heaven. I have found that more people are willing to stay at a church that firmly stands on scripture rather than a church that turns a blind eye to sin.
Pastor Lance
FullCourtPresby.blogspot.com
Hey Pastor Lance!
Without a doubt, people want truth even though they may recoil at first. There's a clear reason why the main stream church is disintegrating and it is the lack of TRUTH. Have a wonderful Christ filled Christmas.
(I love the name of your blog!)
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