THIS MONTH WILL BE 15YEARS THAT I HAVE SERVED AS SENIOR PASTOR OF FGBC, AND DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER OUR LEADERSHIP GIVES ME THE ENTIRE MONTH OF PREACHING OFF. THIS PAST SUNDAY OUR EXECUTIVE PASTOR BARRY B. SEVERE, WHO HAS SERVED WITH ME 11YEARS PREACHED FROM OUR LEADERSHIP THEME 2 COR 2:14-17 HE FOCUSED ON VERSE 17 HE TITLED THE MESSAGE "NOT IN IT FOR THE MONEY!"
I PERSONALLY WAS HELPED, I WAS REMINDED THAT WITH ALL THE CELEBRITES WE'VE CREATED IN THE PULPIT THAT WERE STILL SERVANTS, SERVANTS THAT HAVE BEEN CONQUERED BY CHRIST AND WE ARE MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT WE ARE EITHER AROMAS OF LIFE OR AROMAS OF DEATH. THE NAMED TEXT SUGGEST THAT WE UNLIKE SO MANY DO NOT PEDDLE ( NIV) THE WORD OF GOD.
CHARLES SWINDOLL SAYS:
"THE IMAGE OF A PEDDLER IS A STREET SALESMAN, HAWKING THEIR WARES INTERESTED ONLY IN MAKING THE SALE NOT IN SERVING THE CUSTOMER. JUST LIKE THERE WERE MONEY CHANGERS IN THE TEMPLE COURTYARD, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE STREET SALESMAN IN THE CHURCH. PEDDLING PROPHETIC PILLS, POSTIVE THINKING, HEALTH AND WEALTH."
MODERN DAY HUSTLERS, FAT CATS LOOK AT THEM RETAINER FEES,PRIVATE JETS, BENTLEYS, BODY GUARDS ALL IN THE NAME OF MINISTRY. PAUL HOWEVER REPRESENTS THE REAL THING HE SAYS IN CHRIST WE SPEAK BEFORE GOD WITH SINCERITY LIKE MEN SENT FROM GOD! FELLOW PROCLAIMERS LET US REMEMBER TO BE THE REAL THING AND LET US REPRESENT CHRIST WITH PURE MOTIVES. ASK YOURSELF WHY DO YOU PREACH? IS IT BECAUSE YOU WERE CALLED TO? IS IT TO SEE SOULS WON TO THE KINGDOM? IS IT TO EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY? OR IS YOUR MOTIVATION THE CASH, CARS, CLOTHES,JEWELRY,. IN OTHER WORDS ARE YOU IN IT FOR THE MONEY? THE DISCIPLES WEREN'T, PAUL WASN'T, I'M NOT AND TRUST YOU AREN'T EITHER . REMEMBER THE BIG BUILDING MAY NEVER COME THE LARGE CROWDS EITHER, MAYBE NO LUXURY CAR FINE HOUSE WHATEVER THE CASE REMEMBER IN CHRIST WE SPEAK BEFORE GOD WITH SINCERITY, LIKE MEN SENT FROM GOD. JOHN MACARTHUR SAYS IN SO MANY WORDS THE HEREOS OF THE FAITH ARE THOSE MEN IN SMALL CHURCHES IN ESSENCE THAT ARE KEEPING IT REAL BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!
One long week!
15 years ago
7 comments:
Happy pastoral anniversary and thanks for the sobering article. Holy Scripture clearly delineates our job description and our ministerial objective. That’s courageous preaching, good job to your executive pastor.
Sola Scriptura
Ron
Congrats. Payne, for 15 years of faithfuly service. Thank God that you have faithful preachers like Barry who can "say it" like he does.
May the Lord continue to honor your work.
Tony R.
Praise God for 15 years of pastoral ministry! Keep up the good work.
Happy Pastoral Anniversary my friend. I certainly hope you enjoy being appreciated by your church and community. It must feel great to have capable assistants to help man the ship. Great post! Thanks for sharing.
That was some good stuff Doc, I would have liked to have been there to here the entire message. Congrats on 15years as pastor, what a great accomplishment.
Great post man i wish I could have been there to hear Severe, I miss you guys. I am glad to see you have your blog up and running. Like your first blog said its long overdue.
BAW,sr
Pastor Payne, It's sad to say, but I feel that the men of God who are profitting form the so-called "Prosperity preaching movement" are capitalizing on a nned that many church people have sub-conciouslly voiced, and that is HOPE. People today are looking for hope, their looking for treasure maps to point them to the point of gold that will life them out of their currently "hopeless" situations.
And it's sad but their our people out there who will prey on people's emotions, and their desperate attempts to gain wealth.
I was at the gas station the other day, and witnessed a wmoan asking for $3 dollars worth of super unleaded, and two scrathers from the CA lottery. This act of desperation shocked me. Because it showed the extent that people will often go to get out of their often abismal situations.
I took the long way around the corner to say that "prosperity preachers" take this information regarding people's conditions, and the use it to preach half truths, and give people false hope.
It's sorta like when Nehemiah was preaching that Israel was going into slavery in Babylon for 70 years, and these false prophets were preaching that it was not so.
People flock to this kind of preaching because it gives them a sense of empowerment. Which is why I said in the discourse of my message that people today aren't looking for preachers, but they are looking for motivational speakers to pump them up.
And if the truth be told, secular motivational speakers like Tony Robbins, are making boat loads of money, as motivational coaches for people. As so what these ministers have done is taken that mantra, and are utilizing it in the church.
But, it's up to us as expositors of the gospel, to keep hammering people with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Because ultimately as scripture records, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free"!
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