If That Preaching Doesn't Hurt Anyone With Biblical Truth Then That Preaching is Bogus

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It's very typical today to have seeker sensitive preaching. While I don't suggest people to be as cheesy and offensive as possible like some Christian ministries that tend to generalize certain religious people as criminals (ex. Roman Catholics, Muslims) instead of victims of false preaching but it's not good to be seeker sensitive either. The problem is that many times is that many foolish preachers today don't even preach the Bible as it is to people as they are in fear of not having enough people attending (and financing) their pulpits. The Bible is so offensive to many because the truth about sin and salvation is so real.

The paradox is that getting saved could be the easiest thing but it could also be the hardest thing to do. What's so hard to believe about the Gospel? It's because a lot of the Gospel challenges our thinking. It's easier to believe you can be saved by your own good works than it is easy to believe that you can't save yourself. It's not easy to believe that the sinless Son of God would take the place of the sinner on the cross. The cross itself was a symbol of crucifying the worst of criminals. It's not easy to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ who knew no sin and no death would become the sin offering by dying the most shameful death. It was also a problem to preach a crucified Christ all because much of the world believed that death by crucifixion meant someone had to be a very terrible criminal. That's why the Gospel is really that hard to believe. It's a very huge assault on worldly logic. It's easy to get saved only when you've understand the hard facts first. After all, how many people tend to perish when they could have accepted help but in their pride made it difficult for them to lend their hands to the rescuers?

The Bible was never meant to please sinful people and make people feel good about themselves. In fact, it was written to do the opposite towards them. It's supposed to reveal them the ugliness of sin. Romans 3:10-19 declare one truth many people don't want to believe is that they're all guilty before God. Try telling people about sin and they are going to get angry. There are times that even the nicest preacher who points out the hardest truth may end up getting persecuted for the wrong reasons. You could think about how the Bible's message is hard, solid truth. There's even the expression that Christians have the most difficult and unattractive product to promote: salvation through Jesus Christ. The product is unattractive and difficult because most people today tend to seek pleasure over truth. A publication that gives the bad news so much won't get as much sales as tabloids. The truth never changes even if dishonest people ironically say the truth is on their side. The truth never changes just because everyone rejects it. It remains as it is and no matter how you insist a lie to be a truth it will never be a truth.

There's one truth that can't be changed that is you can't be faithful and popular at the same time. Worldly success is no measure that a person is right with God. How many people today have so much money but they have their families fallen apart. Jesus already warned in John 15:18-19 that if you are of the world then the world loves you. James 4:4 warns that friendship with the world is enmity with God. No one should be jealous that false prophets are more popular. While popularity isn't inherently wrong since a godly man can be popular among Christians but popularity with the world can be a very dangerous thing. Jeremiah 5:31 warned how often popularity characterizes false preachers because the people love to have it so. Luke 6:26 warns of false prophets getting compliments. 2 Timothy 4:1-3 warns that false preachers will get popular by not enduring sound doctrine. It's ironic how I met some people who say that there's no born again Christian pastor who's suffering for God also brags of how their religious leaders (ex. the Pope and his Pharisees) are getting all the love of the world and that their popularity proves they're right with God.

If you're going to preach by the Bible expect the world to hate you. Expect persecution as 2 Timothy 3:12 warns that those who will live godly lives will suffer persecution. Satan hates any type of authentic righteousness and loves any kind of fake righteousness. But there's one comfort for faithful preachers is that when Satan attacks them it's only because God allowed it to happen. God has a purpose for letting persecution hit godly preachers so that His power will be displayed.

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