There are two basic types of men in the pulpits of today and it would do Christians well if they would spend a little time figuring out the difference. It is an observable fact that many men who are supposed to be proclaiming the Word of God are nothing more than what is described in 2 Cor. 2:17. Paul is saying that there were hucksters making merchandise of the Gospel even in his day. He called them out which should be done in our day as well. The New King James edition of the scripture calls these people “peddlers” and that is a good translation. Hucksters and peddlers are in their business for themselves. They are making sure that they make enough money and that they are a popular individual who is loved by the crowd. These people are egocentric instead of being God-centric. They look good, speak well and generally pass for something they are not. But, they have a very effective system of rational thinking which, in their view, allows for the way they function and for their conscience.
A Prophet has certain characteristics. They are bold, not being afraid of the powers that be which might tempt one to omit things from his sermon that the powers that be would not like. Not only are they bold, but they are fearless. They trust in God to deliver them as they deliver the Word to the people. Prophets also have the unique ability to see things that others cannot see. They can go to the root of a problem in one second while others struggle to figure out what is going on. And, when they see a danger, they strike it a deadly blow while others run from it in search of a way to make it go away. People generally don’t like a prophet. The scripture shows us that. The general populace is comfortable and they don’t want someone coming along and confronting them with the truth concerning their lives. So, they will tend to give the prophet a wide birth. Stay out of his way. Don’t listen to him. He is too negative. But, one other thing about a prophet is that he does what he does with the good of the people in mind and is willing to put himself in harm’s way, if necessary, in order to warn the people and set them on a proper path. His interest is in them; not himself. He is also vitally interested in doing what God has instructed him to do or else he might be designated as a false prophet and fall under the judgment of God. Truth is the vital interest of the prophet and he finds himself unable to tell an outright lie or even “shave” the truth just a little. It is not in the prophet to do so because he knows that God knows the difference. Every person that God calls into the ministry is not given the position of a prophet. Those who are a trusted with that vital office are recognizable in an instant by one who has a grain of spiritual insight. He has a unique ability to look at things going on in society and to tell his people what they can expect if God doesn’t intervene. He can peel back the situation and the facts surrounding it and give an accurate warning to those who will listen. People who are serious about their faith and their relationship to the Lord will love a prophet and respect him for performing the task that God has given him no matter the consequences he might face. A prophet will lower his head and plow through difficult circumstances in order to stand for the truth of an issue. And, he will not be talked into compromising his position because it is based on the Word of God and not his own opinion. He is a person who is “captive to the Word.”
Jesus was an expository preacher and we should emulate Him in everything we do. A prophet will preach and teach the Bible at the same time. It is a gift given to him that he did not learn and could not buy. That gift was implanted in his spirit when God called him to preach. Many men would like to be a prophet but it is not in them naturally so it is out of their reach. But that should not stop them from preaching the unadulterated Word of God which one can do without being given the gift of being a prophet.
Now, a Peddler is different. One will find that a peddler will talk a lot but he won’t say much. All the while he is delivering his “sermon”, his demeanor will speak for itself and telegraph to the people just how fortunate they are to be hearing the brilliant and eloquent delivery he possesses. Peddlers are expert at preaching on subjects that have been presented to the people for years and yet acting as if he is telling them something for the first time that is absolutely brilliant. They are also well known for using the pulpit for a whipping post in order to get their way instead of leading his people into the right decisions. The pulpit to them is also a “hawking station” for them to let the people know what they will be doing even though they have not been previously informed or voted on anything. I’m writing from a Baptist background where the people are given a voice and a vote on matter of the church at large.
A peddler will also preach on popular subjects instead of needful ones. And, he will change his stance on issues in order not to be controversial which is his greatest fear. Many people in today’s world are saying that their preacher no longer deals with issues which may involve the government or the issues in society. Warning God’s people is one of the things that a preacher should do but fear of the government keeps their mouths closed. He should call on God’s people to stand firm in the face of the government or people at large who are wanting to do that goes against what God said to do. Peddlers will brush up against a strong position on a subject but will finally back off so they won’t be criticized. They are afraid that they will run some people off and then they couldn’t brag about how many are in church or the amount of money the church takes in each week. Heaven forbid that his friends on Twitter or Facebook should learn that he isn’t quite as great as his ego wants them to think he is. For the Peddler, it’s all about him. He might talk the spiritual talk and have big ideas but his people need to understand that it’s all about him. He is a Peddler and that’s what they do.
Sadly, Peddlers are more of an entrepreneur than they are a preacher or pastor. They see themselves as a CEO who tells people what to do rather than a pastor who leads his people as a spiritual guide.
The Peddler will attract a crowd. He has learned how to do that. But, I want to remind our readers that there is a vast difference in a crowd and a church. Too many of our churches would be virtually empty if the crowd left and only the true Christians remained. If the “show” ends or reaches a point that its not the “thing” any longer, the crowd will leave and go searching for newer and more exciting fields since that is what they have been trained to think Christianity really is.
As I said recently, Christianity is at its weakest point that I can remember in my lifetime and this weakening is a direct result of peddler preachers who have found out that if they spiritualize the things the world likes they can get people to come to the entertainment and at the same time feel saved and on a right path with God. That is dangerous. The world is not taking Christianity seriously because the church has compromised its holy position and become friendly and cooperative with the very thing that it is in a spiritual battle against; the World and its systems. And Christianity will not regain its proper influence and strength until it gets back on the right track and follows God and His Word. That is critical for Christianity.
Many people are hungry for the Christianity of the day when there was honor and glory in the Church. They are tired of the show…. the entertainment which is actually an insult to those who claim Christ as their Savior. It is saying to them that they are shallow and can’t understand anything but the entertainment that is in vogue. The Peddlers think that people won’t attend anything unless it will be entertaining. The desire for a deeper look into God’s Word is still there. But what the modern “preacher” thinks is that people won’t come unless they attend something that will appeal to their need for Christianity “lite”. Peddlers love Christianity “lite.” They really don’t have to put much into it at all. And, a lot of the Peddlers preach not from what God gives to them to present to His people but what they can download from the internet from some other preacher’s library. That is a very accurate mark of a Peddler. It will have no spirit attached to it because its another’s thoughts and writings. It just sounds good to the modern preacher so he uses it while jokingly excusing himself by saying: “That gun can be fired more than once and if the bullet fits my gun I will fire it.” True preaching should come from God, through the Spirit, to the man of God who passes God’s message along to the people for the purpose of magnifying Jesus to the saving of souls. Peddlers will claim that is their goal. If it is then it will change the way they are dealing with the Church, the Body of Christ.
So, what do you sit before each Sunday? A Prophet or a Peddler. It would help Christianity and Christians in this day to be honest with themselves, figure it out and make sure they are sitting under a Prophet and not a Peddler.
I’m sure that there will be some who think I am being harsh. Well, so be it. It is time to be harsh if necessary or Christianity is going to continue to grow more like the world and therefore weaker and disrespected. It’s time for Christians to stand up on their hind feet and reject this shallow brand of Christianity which is prevalent in many, many churches today.
