"This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" -John 6:60
I listened to a podcast this week in which a well-known pastor laments that many modern pastors do not (or will not) preach the Bible as the word of God without apology.
I agree with this pastor, but I think I know why so many do not preach the whole counsel of God. It isn't easy, and many people do not want to hear it. Not only that, but doing so puts you "out there" so to speak, where your convictions and stances on controversial subjects can be brought before the light of day and examined. You find that when some people find out what you believe, they go away. This is perfectly understandable.
Recently some have thanked me for being "bold enough" to preach biblical truths. Certainly I appreciate the support and encouragement. Some others are slightly perturbed that we discuss controversial topics at a Community Church (surely only denominational churches would do that). I find myself somewhere in between. I do not necessarily feel bold for preaching biblical truth as God's truth, and I clearly do not think we should shy away from biblical topics because we are a Community Church. I (and our other preaching pastors) preach this way because there is so much misinformation out there about what constitutes biblical truth. Many do not believe in the reality of absolute or divine truth, or are confused about what it is and from where it originates. That does not make people stupid; it just makes them biblically uneducated. Here at LifePoint, I want us to take hold of the opportunity to move in the direction of correcting that deficiency. I do not find it joyful to preach on controversial matters, but I do feel compelled to preach the whole counsel of God. I do not want to be a leader of a local church that may one day hear words like this: "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly - mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are worldly" (1 Corinthians 3:1).
When Jesus taught on a very controversial and difficult to understand topic in John chapter six, many of his disciples essentially said, "Wow, this is hard stuff, not so sure we are on board with this guy after all." When Jesus refused to soften the teaching, quite a few walked away for good. Why? He offended them.
I have no desire to preach a message with the express intent of offending my listeners, whether believers or non-believers. God's word accomplishes that task well enough without my help. If I am a condescending jerk, people have every right to walk away and say "He's a condescending jerk." If that happens, the impact on the hearer is my own responsibility. However, if I am successful (or even mostly successful) at allowing God's word to speak for itself, then it is God who bears the responsibility for the word and the offense that accompanies it.
This coming Sunday I will address the narrative concerning God saving Lot and his family from the destruction that has been appointed for Sodom. Much controversy, both within and without the body of Christ, accompanies this narrative. What was the ultimate sin of Sodom? Was it really homosexual violence? What about their lack of hospitality, laziness and gluttony? Were those not their primary issues? Is homosexuality truly offensive to God, even when our culture has fully embraced and even celebrated the practice in the last 30 years? Has God changed his views on what constitutes sexual immorality over the past few millennia? Is the Bible an archaic book written solely by humans who were simply expressing their archaic views that must now be repudiated in the light of greater understanding? We have no choice but to tackle these issues head on if we hope to be faithful to the text. Nevertheless, the main point of the narrative, I will argue, is not to talk about homosexuality (a description of immorality in the text), but to express the Scripture's urgent call for us to save ourselves from a corrupt world. Time will tell how successful I am at presenting these truths.
Until Sunday, however, I thank all of you again who take the time to share with me your thoughts, questions, and concerns on the messages that come from our pulpit. It tells me you are listening, and it affords me the opportunity to clarify misunderstandings and to answer legitimate questions about biblical teachings. I am looking forward to being back at it again on Sunday with all of you after a one-week COVID hiatus!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym