We live in a world where there is access to more preaching than ever before, but to say that all preaching leads people to Christ would be unrealistic. There are many preachings today that do not lead people to Christ but away from Him. How can we spot sermons and preaching that lead us astray from Christ?
Referring to Jesus, Colossians 1:28 tells us, "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ." Christ-centred preaching was, is and always will be the only true way to bring true and lasting change in the lives of the saints. Here are some characteristics of preaching that does not lead people to Christ.
Preaching our works over Christ's work
It's often easier to preach our good works and what we must do instead of preaching Christ's finished work and what He has done. While it is important to always preach with a take away or call to action, every action must only be in response to what Jesus has already done for us. The church today needs to hear more of what Jesus has done and less of what we have to do or what we have to avoid doing.
When we preach more and more of Christ's work, we see more and more how easier it is to compel people to live holy, generous, socially responsible, Spirit-empowered and motivated lives. 1 Corinthians 1:23 says, "but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness."
Finding solutions apart from Jesus
It can sound far-fetched to say that Jesus is the answer to everything. Some will twist the thought with sarcastic philosophy saying that "one plus one is not equal to Jesus," but at the core of every need of the depraved human soul, body and spirit is the revelation of a Christ who has saved us from the greatest downfall of mankind there is - sin.
And Ephesians 1:3 tells us, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."
In Christ, there is blessing and through Christ we are blessed in every way. Jesus brings heart-change, character development, empowerment, redemption and every imaginable and lasting blessing there is.
No, Jesus doesn't give you a million dollars or the latest gadget off the bat, but He does give the ability to produce wealth, and the ability to steward our finances properly in such a way that we can all be content whether we have a lot or a little.
Offering convenience over lordship
The gospel is not always convenient. While we do receive salvation as a gift, what comes after can often be hard. God calls us to say no to sin, pursue His purposes, die to ourselves and do many other close-to-impossible feats, and while it all comes according to His grace, we must respond to Him in surrender. Acts 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified."
