I was once a member of a church that was very conservative, loved Fox News, and had trouble finding enough deacons to serve because of so many divorces in the congregation. It was not uncommon to hear the pastor or visiting preachers rail about the issues of the day, as long as they were issues that did not involve people from our church. As long as it was something that went on outside and not inside it would be discussed with great passion.
It was not uncommon for this to happen and receive a lot of “Amen”s. In fact, if the sermon wasn’t going well some life could be injected into the congregation by reading the headlines from the Fox News broadcast earlier that morning. (I’m not sure if that ever happened, but at times there were some similarities.)
Now, you are probably scratching your head at this moment wondering what the connection is. Well, I’ll tell you. They pander to their people also. And it receives the same applause that it receives in congregations.
When dealing with issues where conservatives and liberals find staunch disagreement the writers of Parks and Rec would bring in Religious Right Activists that they can make fun of for that portion of the show. But, it’s not as offensive as it is not making any new argument or trying to persuade people to their opinion. It is the pastor standing before a group of people who already agree with him and declaring Fox News Headlines amid a barrage of “Amen”s. Here is an excerpt from Moore.
“It is easy to preach in a way that, like Parks and Rec, simply seeks to reinforce the assumptions of those who already agree with us. We can rail against people who aren’t in the room, or at least that we don’ t think are in the room, simply to get the “Amen” from our people. We can caricature our detractors’ positions in the grossest terms, in order to help reassure ourselves that those who oppose us out there are stupid or peculiarly wicked. But that’s not preaching.”
I’ve seen it in action. And Moore’s right, it’s not preaching. Preaching will deal with the hearts of our people. Preaching will work to transform our hearers. We are not preaching for Amens, we are preaching for lives pierced by the Word and Spirit of God and are genuinely changed by the power of God.
The Preaching Of Jesus
Think back to the preaching of Jesus. He is the greatest of preachers did not pander to those who heard Him. He did not seek Amens from the crowd. In fact, we find quite the opposite. Jesus confronted His hearers with their sins and called them to repentance. The Disciples, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the poor who followed Him, and many others heard messages that were concerned with their sin and need for repentance. This bears no resemblance to pandering from the pulpit in search for an Amen.
The Preaching of the Apostles
I was tempted to just say that they were mostly all killed for their faith and the message that they delivered as proof that they did no such pandering. It is true, but there is more that can be said.
Think to the letters of Paul for a moment. How many times does Paul specifically point out the sins of the local churches to which he is writing. It happens in most of them. And in some it happens quite often. He calls them to repentance of their sins and faith in Christ.
Think to the messages of Peter that he preached. I have never heard of someone so boldly declaring the sins of a people so loudly. Read Acts 2 and begin to consider what Peter is actually saying.
The New Testament is filled with courageous declaration. It is simply nothing like searching for Amens. It is preaching for God wrought change.
The Preaching of the Prophets
This pattern was established long before Jesus began preaching on earth. The prophets were not preaching for Amens. They did quite the opposite. Time and time again they were persecuted by their own people because their message was so unpopular. They declared the sins of the people before them and called them to repent of their sins and return to God.
Conclusion
Amens and applause are not the goals of a pastor. They simply are not. Will he at times get them? Certainly. The Word of God is filled with glorious riches that warm the heart. There were times when the people stood amazed at Jesus because of the power, might, grace, and love of His Words. But, He was not caricaturing enemies and spouting off those things that would make Him famous in the eyes of His people. He was delivering God’s Word to God’s people and oftentimes He was hated for it.
That is the job of preachers, but also all believers. We don’t search for the applause of men. We seek to be true and righteous in our deliver of God’s Word. I could stand behind a pulpit and get Amens constantly if I would just stick to the hot-button social issues of our day. But that is not what God has called us to do. We are working for the God wrought change of people, not Amens.
R. Dwain Minor
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