What if… I where to be a popular preacher
What if… I where to be a popular preacher
4 september 2011 om 9:57
I travel around the country and sometimes even around the world, to talk, preach and especially share and witness the everlasting gospel. A message that certainly changed my mind and I hope it will also change others. I am well known, but not popular. Recognized, but very often shunned. Praised for being moved by God's Spirit, but set aside for preaching 'the old paths'.
Last week this thought came across, “What would happen if I would become a preacher who would be excepted by almost everyone? What would happen if people after a bible study or sermon were to come to me and say. I feel relaxed with your sermon or study. Your words comfort me in living my life my own way”. What would be the end result I where ever ought the preach that kind of message?
Preacha Man!
You might ask, Why I am, pondering this. Sometimes people come to me and say... "Riley you preach to long", "Riley your study is not relevant for the (un)believer for this day. One time I was even attacked at the church door for making an appeal for giving your life to Christ. The picture of me... made by my older brother, called; Riley a.k.a. Tha Preacha Man! Is not a real representation of me. You won't find me with a big chain around my neck with a cross. And I haven't been working with choirs for a number of years.
Jesus was well known
Jesus in his time was a very famous preacher and teacher. He travelled (by foot) across the lands of Israel. Everybody knew Jesus. But not everybody was that happy with is message of the Kingdom of God. And especially with the concepts he presented to the people.. In John 6 people even said to Jesus "What your are teaching is a hard saying... who can follow this saying.'
Why didn't Jesus did his best to be more popular, you might asked yourself. Preaching for 3 and half years, people all over the land who know you or heard about you. Many healed by just a touch, comforted by just and word. And at the end of His earthly ministry was put upon the cross.... What an end for a well known man. If anybody is worthy to be called 'Preacha mann!" then that would be Jesus Christ.., and even he was set aside. Just look at all those famous and well know preachers... Noah, nobody listened to him. Or what about Isaiah or Jeremiah, did the Jews listened to their explicit warnings. Or think about John the Baptist ... he was own of the greatest and his life ended alone in a prison.
It seems, when you take a good look at scripture, that being well known or even famous in a worldly way of saying it will not give you, the best or most pleasant of times. But did those great preachers of bible time, stop their urgent message of hope, faith and love to this sick and dying world. Well, I don't think so. Well if they continued to preach 'Christ coming, Christ preaching, Christ Crucified, Christ Risen, and Christ returning to claim the faithful and judge the lost"... Why would i be holding back in boldly proclaiming His message or should be more careful in what I say and what I am doing? I might step on a number of toes.
What if
Just think about this for a moment... just imagine if i was 'A Preacha man'. What do i need to do get popular and accept by the masses.
- Well think i have to start to make sermons as short as possible. Don't give people the opportunity to think, or to get them out of their comfortable position. If the might think that have change their lives in confirmation with Gods will, they certainly might be upset.- And I shouldn't preach about certain subjects. I wouldn't be speaking about Creation, because these day many people believe 'science' knows more than Christ
- I wouldn't be preaching about Sin and about Sanctified living, because if you know Christ... why put on Christ, as Paul has written to the Church in Epecheus. If they just say "i believe their is no need to change your life around
- I won't be preaching about applying Christian lifestyle, morals and values. Because people believe these days that God will allow everything because they believe will except everything we do, because we once in our life said, "Well Lord, I believe"
- And if I where to be a popular person, i would not talk about the endtime, I would not talk about the final and utter destruction of sin for all eternity. I would leave people in their comfort zone, and make that enjoy the life they are living right now..
A good option?
Would the previous mentioned be an option for Noah, for Isaiah or even John the Baptist. Would Daniel even written down his visions from God in a book, if he where to adhere to the rules for being a popular preacher. NO, NO WAY!!
Would Jesus stop rebuking the priests in his day to save the skin? Would Jesus stop saying right after he healed someone, "Go on your way, and sin no more"? NO, NO WAY!!!
Would John the Revelator, written about the condition of those 7 churches in the last book of the bible, just to get popular? NO, NO WAY!!!
Christ does not ask us to be popular. It is not even our message in the first place, it's Christ. Christ allows us to partake under the direction of the Holy Spirit to partake in His work. We may labour in His vineyard. Find purpose in His grace and mercy. Enjoy from first hand, what it means to give your life, your body and your soul to Christ and Christ alone.
What would happen if I or anybody else was striving to be popular?
What would happen if we won’t preach the clear and straight word of the Lord to this dying word. If we would not preach Creation, a literal 6 creation people would never know that we are created in the likeness of Creator. People would never know about the importance of the seventh day that was created for man.
If we would not preach about sin and the wages of sin (which is the second dead), people who get into a false sense of security, they would their lives as living zombies, the living dead. Only to live and go through this life and then die, for all eternity. We would be the greatest liars in the world if we know about Christ who died for our sins and tell the people in this world, “only say that Christ has died for your sins…. But you go one sinning dear boy or girl, man of woman”. I do not want a preacher who is preaching. A short time of happiness, followed by eternal nothingness. And would dread the judgement that God would give me I were to allow myself to become that kind of person.
If we stop preaching about Christian lifestyle… then what is the use of reading the bible? What is the use of having your character shaped by the Holy Spirit to be Christ-like in walking, acting and believing. What need is it to study the life of Christ is we keep own doing the way we’ve been doing for all our lives.
I want my life to be renewed, (continually) by Gods grace and mercy and everyday, through Gods power over my life, I pray that I might reflect Gods goodness and grace over my life and hopefully that of others.
And not preaching about the end of times.. .Come one… the effect would be disastrous. If we give people a false sense of security. Jesus himself said that we must be awake, watching and waiting. To look at the signs of the times to see when he is returning and we have a message of hope (Revelation 14:5-12), to share to this world. A message not only to this world, but also to ourselves.
We need to warn each other!
So please, warn me.. if I were to ever be a popular speaker or teacher, just for the worlds sake. Warn me.. if the presentation is getting more important than the message. Tell me if I am pleasing sinful man more, than our eternal and everlasting Saviour.
Remember me as often as you can.. to proclaim boldly the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ to my own life and those who I come into contact with.
If you do that with me… then I will help you, remember to be witness for Christ in the right sense of the word. So that we might be well “loved” persons.. as Christ was. But not popular in the ‘humanistic’ way the world sees it.
May Gods grace and love abide in your life and that of mine.
AMEN
(Riley Jack, September, 5 2011)
