BYM ONLINE DESK Blessing Emagazine English July 2019 | Page 9

PAGE 9
JULY 2019 ||www.bymonline.org
Beware Of Popular Preachers
Sorenson
If you, as a servant of God, are true to
God's Word, you may not be the most popular
preacher in town. Someone has commented, 'No
preacher can show at the same time that he and Christ
are wonderful.' Charles G. Finney, the great revivalist
remarked: “If you have much of the Spirit of God, you
will have much opposition. Perhaps the leading men
in the church will oppose you.”
Jesus Christ warned, ““Woe to you,
when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers
did to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26). Note this
translation of Isaiah 30:10: “Don't tell us the truth;
tell us nice things: tell us lies. Forget all this gloom.”
God's prophets have never courted the
favour of the world. Elijah was called a troublemaker:
“Is it you, you troubler of Israel?”(1 Kings 18:17);
John the Baptist lost his ecclesiastical head because
he dared to cry out against specific sins (Mark 6:18);
the Apostle Paul was called a “pestilent fellow,” a pest
(Acts 24:5), because of his message, Stephen became
the first martyr following his convicting sermon
(Acts 7); Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. Do you
think today's prophets could fare better?
We n e e d b o l d p r e a c h e r s , n o t
entertainers. “In some parishes and to some
clergymen the sermon is now their main means of
entertaining their parishioners which would include
demonstrations of their rhetorical and forensic
abilities and their command of absorbing, facile
language. They feel pressure from the less spiritually-
minded and so must always strive; they think to
include the most beguiling stories, anecdotes, and
quips and comments on the daily 'passing show.' This
of course ties in with the philosophy that it is the
ability, personality and energy of the minister which
holds a parish together and causes it to flourish. He
must, above all, be popular and a great man”, wrote
Richard K. Morton.
Jack Van Impe testifies, “We have
pulpiteers, rhetoricians, homileticians, sermonizers,
lecturers, humourists, and even comedians, but its
need is for prophets. Years ago my own messages
were filled with jokes, but conviction came as I read
an article entitled: 'God does not need comedians but
prophets.' From that day onward I determined to
preach without trying to please men”(Gal 1:10).
The late Noel Smith declared: “I don't
mind smelling like the Devil's crowd, if I can get the
smell by fighting them. I had rather have that smell on
me than the smell of a theological beauty shop.”
Leonard Ravenhill has put it this way: “Preachers
who should be fishing for men are not too often
fishing for compliments from men.”
Bible preachers will often not be praised
but persecuted. The Apostle Paul asked the Galatians,
“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the
truth? ” (Galatians 4:16).
It is no disgrace for a preacher to be run
out of town; the disgrace hinges upon the reason for
the firing! This is amply proven from the Book of
Acts, where we have portrayed a rapid succession of
'preachers on the run.' However, please note that in
every case the opposition came because of plain,
pungent, powerful preaching; not from immorality,
laziness, bad doctrine, or love of money. They simply
refused to compromise the Truth. In such
circumstances it would have been a disgrace for them
not to have been run out of town.
Some of the greatest figures in church
history suffered a like fate. For example, Jonathan
Edwards the man largely credited with Great
Awakening and whose sermon, “Sinners in the Hands
of an Angry God,” was perhaps the greatest in history
for effect and results was dismissed from his church
at Northampton, Massachusetts, because of his plain
preaching against sin.
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine” (2 Tim 4:2).
My preacher friend, If Christ wore a crown
of thorns, why should His followers expect only a crown
of roses?”