March 25, 2014
Spirit-Less
We can learn the sermon topic from the church
bulletin, but we won’t actually know the intent of the message until we hear it
preached. For instance, Paul gave Timothy the charge, “Preach the Word; be
prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great
patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim 4:2 NIV) If I had my druthers, I’d opt
for the encouragement sermon. However, sermons that correct and rebuke are
infused with the Spirit and His presence is convicting. Unfortunately some pastors,
under the guise of correction and rebuking, craft sermons of manipulation for
furthering an agenda. I guess they just don’t realize the Spirit doesn’t
participate in a message that contains ulterior motives and manipulation.
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Ulterior motives and manipulation are as much another form of lies, deceit, and fraud as orange juice, brandy, or punch are various forms of beverages. These preachers never admit to either the ulterior motive nor the manipulation, but they do them with gusto. As a result we have the Lord’s body fractured into exclusive little parts, each one sure that it knows the Lord and His Word better than the others, and some even thinking there are no others but themselves. Consequently, lay people approach the Bible with the same ulterior motives and manipulation, learning how to read it so their preacher looks right, and so Aunt Sally looks saved though she drinks with the fish and rides with the truckers. It’s a tawdry season that’s developed. Everyone says the affairs of his own situation are right, but few actually pull the covers off their ambitions to see who they really serve.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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