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Are You Preaching Christ?
Articles // Preaching, Salvation // Tony Carter
07/18/2014 “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ” (Acts 8:5)
Are you preaching Christ? It sounds like an unnecessary question. Most preachers would respond, “Of course. What else is there to preach?” That would have surely been the response of Philip in Acts 8 and Stephen in Acts 7. The Apostle Paul would have echoed Philip’s sentiments. In fact, he did when he wrote to the church in Corinth, “We preach Christ…” (1 Cor. 1:23). Unfortunately, it seems many have progressed in our day beyond Stephen, Paul, and Philip. Today many so-called preachers have found the gospel insufficient and have added to its simplicity and are now pawning off weak but popular substitutes. To name a few:
Prosperity Preaching. No doubt Paul would have been appalled by the health and wealth, name-it and claim-it doctrines so popular today. Stephen wasn’t murdered because he told people God wanted them living the lives of the rich and famous (Acts 7:51-53). Hebrews 11 commends to us those Christians who “experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated” (Heb. 11:36-37). It was these of whom the world was not worthy. Preaching Christ calls people away from the love of things in this world and to genuine love for Christ (1 Jn. 2:15).
Self-esteem Preaching. It is more and more popular not to preach about sin, but to encourage people to see themselves better than they are. It is believed that most people’s problem is that they have a low view of themselves. If they would only get a better self-image, they would live victoriously in this world. Yet to read the Bible is to see that it is sin, not low self-esteem, which is working death in me (Rom. 7:13). It is not low self-esteem that has brought death to everyone because everyone has low self-esteem; it is sin (Rom. 5:12). Sin is not overcome by self-esteem. It is overcome by Christ-esteem. As the Bible says “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2Cor. 4:3).
Motivational Preaching. Motivational preaching is more prevalent than many people realize. Two of the most prominent and popular preachers in America are purveyors of this message. It encourages people to reach for their potential. It takes principles of the Bible, builds a brand around a personality and gets people to buy into the latest catch phrase and fad. The preacher is positioned as a high achiever, and tries to convince you that you can be one too. Yet, Christ-centered preaching is not encouraging people to reach their potential. It is not telling women, “thou art loosed”, or exhorting men to “maximize their manhood”, or encouraging people they can live their “best life now.” Biblical preaching is not telling people to latch on to their own bootstraps, but rather to let go of those straps and latch on to Christ.
The Bible warns us that as the days go on people will want less and less of Christ-centered preaching and more and more flesh-enticing and itch-scratching preaching (2 Tim. 4:3). Nevertheless, the call to faithfulness in preaching remains. We are to preach Christ.
Preaching Christ is to preach salvation in him and him alone. It is to call men and women to repent of sin; sin the world doesn’t want to call sin such as homosexuality, fornication, abortion, greed, anger, racism, injustice, selfishness, pride, et al. It is to remind men and women that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rm. 3:23).
Preaching Christ says that though you are a great sinner, Christ is a greater Savior. It declares that Christ is sufficient to forgive you of all your sin, and to fill you with his satisfaction even as you live in an unsatisfying world.
Preaching Christ understands the Bible is not about your or me, but about Christ (Lk. 24:27, Col. 1:28) and his life for our life and his death for our death. It calls men and women to die so that they may live in Him (Gal. 2:20). In other words, preaching Christ builds esteem in Christ and not in self (Jn. 3:30).
Preaching Christ is universal. It translates and transforms with power in the slums of Calcutta just as it does on the streets of Manhattan. It causes men and women not to long for more of this world but to long for more of Jesus.
Preach Christ! While men and women every week flock to domes and stadiums to hear the latest and greatest of prosperity and motivational sermons, let them flock to our churches to hear Christ and him crucified. And may joy fill their hearts when they do.
Articles // Preaching, Salvation // Tony Carter
07/18/2014 “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ” (Acts 8:5)
Are you preaching Christ? It sounds like an unnecessary question. Most preachers would respond, “Of course. What else is there to preach?” That would have surely been the response of Philip in Acts 8 and Stephen in Acts 7. The Apostle Paul would have echoed Philip’s sentiments. In fact, he did when he wrote to the church in Corinth, “We preach Christ…” (1 Cor. 1:23). Unfortunately, it seems many have progressed in our day beyond Stephen, Paul, and Philip. Today many so-called preachers have found the gospel insufficient and have added to its simplicity and are now pawning off weak but popular substitutes. To name a few:
Prosperity Preaching. No doubt Paul would have been appalled by the health and wealth, name-it and claim-it doctrines so popular today. Stephen wasn’t murdered because he told people God wanted them living the lives of the rich and famous (Acts 7:51-53). Hebrews 11 commends to us those Christians who “experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated” (Heb. 11:36-37). It was these of whom the world was not worthy. Preaching Christ calls people away from the love of things in this world and to genuine love for Christ (1 Jn. 2:15).
Self-esteem Preaching. It is more and more popular not to preach about sin, but to encourage people to see themselves better than they are. It is believed that most people’s problem is that they have a low view of themselves. If they would only get a better self-image, they would live victoriously in this world. Yet to read the Bible is to see that it is sin, not low self-esteem, which is working death in me (Rom. 7:13). It is not low self-esteem that has brought death to everyone because everyone has low self-esteem; it is sin (Rom. 5:12). Sin is not overcome by self-esteem. It is overcome by Christ-esteem. As the Bible says “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2Cor. 4:3).
Motivational Preaching. Motivational preaching is more prevalent than many people realize. Two of the most prominent and popular preachers in America are purveyors of this message. It encourages people to reach for their potential. It takes principles of the Bible, builds a brand around a personality and gets people to buy into the latest catch phrase and fad. The preacher is positioned as a high achiever, and tries to convince you that you can be one too. Yet, Christ-centered preaching is not encouraging people to reach their potential. It is not telling women, “thou art loosed”, or exhorting men to “maximize their manhood”, or encouraging people they can live their “best life now.” Biblical preaching is not telling people to latch on to their own bootstraps, but rather to let go of those straps and latch on to Christ.
The Bible warns us that as the days go on people will want less and less of Christ-centered preaching and more and more flesh-enticing and itch-scratching preaching (2 Tim. 4:3). Nevertheless, the call to faithfulness in preaching remains. We are to preach Christ.
Preaching Christ is to preach salvation in him and him alone. It is to call men and women to repent of sin; sin the world doesn’t want to call sin such as homosexuality, fornication, abortion, greed, anger, racism, injustice, selfishness, pride, et al. It is to remind men and women that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rm. 3:23).
Preaching Christ says that though you are a great sinner, Christ is a greater Savior. It declares that Christ is sufficient to forgive you of all your sin, and to fill you with his satisfaction even as you live in an unsatisfying world.
Preaching Christ understands the Bible is not about your or me, but about Christ (Lk. 24:27, Col. 1:28) and his life for our life and his death for our death. It calls men and women to die so that they may live in Him (Gal. 2:20). In other words, preaching Christ builds esteem in Christ and not in self (Jn. 3:30).
Preaching Christ is universal. It translates and transforms with power in the slums of Calcutta just as it does on the streets of Manhattan. It causes men and women not to long for more of this world but to long for more of Jesus.
Preach Christ! While men and women every week flock to domes and stadiums to hear the latest and greatest of prosperity and motivational sermons, let them flock to our churches to hear Christ and him crucified. And may joy fill their hearts when they do.
