Pied Pipers

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I Corinthians 2:1-5 [1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. [2] For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. [3] I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. [4] And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

We who preach and teach the Word of God would do well to follow the example of the Apostle Paul. We accomplish nothing if our aim in preaching the Word of God is entertaining the masses. The Apostle was not concerned with whether or not people were impressed with his speaking abilities or whether or not he had enough humor in his message. His concern was that he preached the Word of God for what it was, and that the Spirit of God would move and convict the hearers. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-4, ‭‭"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. [3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; [4] and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." Sadly, today, we see the church growing lukewarm because many of the messages preached today lack the power that can only come from God. The message has been watered down in hopes of making it more acceptable to a society that has no real interest in hearing God's truth. Mostly because it goes against, and condemns, how people want to live; yes, even so-called Christians. God did not give us His Word so that we can be left with a "feel good" sensation. The Word of God should be preached and taught so that God has room, through the power of His Spirit, to move us by His conviction. God's message should cause us to consider how we live for Him, and drive us to repentance and confession, so that He can make the changes in us that He desires; as He molds us and shapes us to be more like Jesus. The Word, preached, should bring the lost to a place where they realize that they need Jesus. If it doesn't cause them to rethink their lives and realize that they are on a path to eternal condemnation, then words have been wasted. If they don't hear the message that Jesus loves them and that His desire is that they seek His forgiveness for their sins, and that He is the only Way to the Father, then we have failed to do what we are called to do. The bottom line is that God gave us His Word so that we will know what Jesus did for us, and so that once we have put our faith and trust in Him, we can know Him intimately; and know how to live for Him, for His glory. Preaching or teaching His Word for our glory or for the sake of entertaining the masses, in order to fill a building, is only playing the role of a pied piper who is tickling ears and funny bones of their audience, and leading the general population on a path straight to the Lake of Fire.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on the Name of Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation (Romans 10:13).