Mark 16:15-16 NKJV — And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Empty Pulpits
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The Jonah Syndrome. Is there such a thing? Maybe there is. The stage is set, the pulpit is ready and the microphone is tested and ready to go but…the speakers or should I say, the messengers of God are nowhere to be found. God wants His people to hear the message of repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ but no one has stepped up to give the message.
A Mega-Church Sunday
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They haven’t all disappeared, go to any mega-church and any church of any size and you’ll find preachers preaching up a storm and the congregations shouting, “Hallelujah and Amen!” but by noon or no later than 12:30 the service is complete, the handshakes are done and our phony platitudes are given as we race to the car so we can beat the Hendersons to the Golden Corral.
Why was everything cut short? What was the sermon about? No one can recall. Half of the message was about the church’s girl softball team and how they came from behind to win the district title. It was the Pastor’s example of showing how to overcome adversity. A good lesson for all but was anyone moved to come to the altar, repent of their sins and give their lives to Christ? There are many who claim, “What? Preach against sin! We can’t do that, we’ll lose half of our supporters and we’ll have to shut down the church. Our motto is: ‘Come as you are and no matter what your lifestyle is, not to worry, all roads lead to God’.”
Why is this happening? People are in need of hope and salvation but we don’t heed the call and preach the message to turn from our wicked ways and follow God. We run away just like Jonah;
Jonah On Shore
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Jonah 1:1-3 NKJV — Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
New polling has revealed half of American pastors are too concerned they might offend someone to speak out on hot-button social and moral issues. According to research from the Barna Group, the same issues pastors feel most pressured to preach about are also the ones they feel most uncomfortable addressing.
It should come as no surprise the issues at the top of the heap are homosexuality and abortion.
Homosexuality and abortion are hotly debated issues but to debate these issues on this forum would be fruitless because, in the end, it is up to the person to decide to walk away from a life of sin. If no one uses the Word of God to show the consequences of a ungodly lifestyle then many souls will be lost. We remember what happened to Jonah when he hid from God. He spent 3 days in the belly of a great fish until he repented and went to preach the message God had given him. We must remember that Jesus warned us that living for God would cause us trouble in the latter days;
Matthew 24:9 NKJV — “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
Satan is hard at work to keep the Gospel silent. “The pressure for leaders, and especially faith leaders, to satisfy everyone on all sides and to avoid offense is very real today, especially in the digital era,” commented Roxanne Stone, editor-in-chief of Barna, “The public nature of social media only increases the stakes.” The majority of the push and pull pastors feel is coming from inside the congregations they lead. This trend does not fair well for those who need deliverance from sin.
Pastor Joel Osteen
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In 2016, mega-church pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen told CBS News he doesn’t often address sin and hell because people “already feel guilty enough.” But that approach, even if it extinguishes the fear of addressing hot-button topics, entirely misses the mark. The disciples themselves faced adversity when preaching the Gospel including stoning, imprisonment, crucifixion and expulsion. Our Lord Jesus paid the price for our sins when He died on the cross and gave us victory and life after He rose from the dead. That promise is for everyone and should not be denied just because society says that sin and a Godless life is normal and that bad behavior is a result of unfortunate circumstances. Somehow that excuse is beyond belief. We must pray for deliverance from sin whether it be homosexuality, drug and alcohol addiction or sexual perversion, Jesus Christ is the answer for this world and we or any preacher of the Gospel should not be afraid of the message God has for the lost of this world.
File / Archive
Do we want to continue to be in a church that is only concerned with numbers and if the lights and the sound is ready for the easter play they produce every year or do we pray for God to pour His Holy Spirit on our beloved church and pastor to preach against sin, tackle those hot-topic issues and start winning souls for the kingdom of God? If offence comes to those who hear then the Holy Spirit is speaking to their hearts and the conviction they feel might turn them to God. Don’t be a victim of the Jonah Syndrome.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV — “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
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