PREACHERS YOU MUST MARK AND AVOID


By Akin Ojumu

If there’s a Bible verse that nearly all Christians know by heart, it is John 3:16. This Bible text is seared in the hearts of even the most Biblically-illiterate believer.

JOHN 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

To the extent that we can point to a single Bible verse that serves as the mission statement of the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, John 3:16 is that verse. This Bible verse encapsulates the very essence of the Gospel message.

Clearly and succinctly, John 3:16 tells us why the Son of God put on immortality and took on the form of an ordinary man. We understand, from this Bible verse, that the reason for the coming of the Messiah is so that the soul of sinful men is not eternally doomed. This verse tells us that the Lamb of God subjected Himself to suffering and death on the Cross to save those who would believe in Him from being eternally damned. Our Savior died so that we don’t end up spending eternity in hell.

Also from John 3:16 we know that God did not send His only begotten Son to the world to fulfill the selfish desires of unregenerate hearts. The verse makes it clear that the Prince of Peace did not endure the shame of the Cross to make anyone stinkingly rich in worldly goods. Our Lord and Savior did not subject Himself to a cruel and painful death on Calvary just so we can enjoy a good life and be successful in our earthly endeavors.

John 3:16 was on the Lord’s mind when He gave His disciples the Great Commission. It was from this passage that He tasked the bearers of the Good News to go out and preach to the whole world. He commanded them to teach the very things they heard Him preached in the three years He was with them.

MATTHEW 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...”

It was this same John 3:16 that Apostle Paul described, in his letter to the Church at Corinth, as the Gospel that he preached.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-4
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”

Which brings me to the following questions I have for you who is reading this. I hope you’ll be honest with yourself when you answer them.

Does John 3:16 sound like the message being preached today? Have you not noticed that sermons preached these days are almost always about material things? Has it crossed your mind, even for a brief moment, that the content of the “Gospel” you hear today is primarily focused on temporal needs?

Have you wondered why pastors, if they preach from the Bible at all, they always seem to find a way to connect the Bible texts they are preaching on with something about your temporal circumstances?

How come Bible passages that are, contextually, about the health and wellbeing of your soul, always end up, one way or the other, being twisted and misappropriated to talk about what you want in the here and now i.e., what you shall eat, what you shall drink, and what you shall wear?

Do you think it’s a coincidence that the sermon your pastor preached at Church today was about the desires of your flesh, desires of your eyes, and the pride of life i.e., the very same things your hearts lust after and the ephemeral things you dream about every waking moment of every single day?

Does it not surprise you that the sermons that evoke the loudest cheers of “Amen! Preach it pastor!” from you are those that talk about you living your best life now in good physical health, having more money in your bank account than you can count, getting the job of your dream, building a bigger house, driving a fancy car, and finding a good man to marry? 

Do you suppose it’s by happenstance that your pastor receives the most boisterous reactions from the church crowd as soon as he starts decreeing and declaring about them getting promoted at work, receiving big bonuses, winning massive contracts, experiencing booming businesses, getting visas to Japa, passing their board or bar exams, and vanquishing the enemies of their destiny?

2 CORINTHIANS 3:5
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

When was the last time you stepped back to critically examine these things? Have you as much as give any thought to the irreparable damage this emphasis on material things is doing to your soul? Do you not see that these man-centered, people-pleasing messages constitute a clear and present danger to your chances of spending eternity with God?

MARK 8:36
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Any preacher who inflames your fleshly desires with the messages of gaining the whole world is an enemy of your soul. A pastor who tells you to live your best life now in this temporal world is setting you up for a world of pain, misery, and agony in the afterlife.

ROMANS 8:5-8
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

You may not realize it now, but I can assure you that the General Overseer who pumps you up with sermons focused on the here and now is leading you on the path to spiritual ruin.

LUKE 12:15
“Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Dear friends, this is my appeal to you. Watch out for preachers who cause you to take your eyes off the very essence of your salvation. You must mark and avoid pastors who make your temporary reality your life’s priority. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

BECAUSE JOB DIDN’T TITHE, HIS LIFE BECAME TIGHT

FACT CHECK: DID BOLA TINUBU CALL FOR REDUCTION OF NIGERIANS’ PURCHASING POWER?

GOD’S GENERALS DEMYSTIFIED (PART II)