Some few years back, I drove pass a church building in an area of Lagos that was closed down. Later I learnt that another church was looking for a place of worship and have to go and check it out.
This had once been a thriving congregation. Faithful Christians had given sacrificially to construct that building. They had consecrated it to the Lord and had worshipped there for many years. Yet now that building was deserted, decaying and up for sale. What happened? How did that church go from thriving to dying? How did it slide from healthy to sick, to dead? This church is destroyed by people claiming to act in the name of Jesus. This church self-destructs, by following these four steps:
- Reject the Truth
- Reject Truth-tellers
- Embrace False Teachers
- Embrace False Doctrines
Once a local church takes these four steps and have her pulpit and ears corrupted, she will die – 2 Tim. 4:3-4.
A. The Place Of The Pulpit In Healthy Churches Romans 10:13-15; 1 Thes. 2:3-6; 1 Cor. 2:3-5
The pulpit plays a major role in bringing health to the local church. Preaching is the avenue that God has chosen to convey his mind, heart and will to his people.
1 Cor. 1:18,21. 1. The pulpit must be credible, respected and sacred.
2. The pulpit must thunder out the undiluted gospel of Christ.
3. The pulpit must be clear, concise and connecting.
5. The pulpit must confront sin and call people back to God.
4. The pew must be transformed by the truth and power of the pulpit.
6. Compromise and conformity with the world must not be in the pulpit.
7. The pulpit must bring Light, Life and Liberation to the people.
8. The pulpit must preach to people, not for, at, down and up for people.
A healthy pulpit exalts Christ, give people a bigger picture of God, train people to apply the Bible to their life situations, demonstrate good examples and lead people to seek God the more.
B. Unhealthy Pulpit Practices Today In Churches
Spiritual and all round health is very rare in local churches of today simply because the pulpit has become unhealthy. The true word of God has departed from our pulpits, only prophecies, entertainments, prayer points, ceremonies and secularism. Here are 13 deadly sins of the pulpit today:-
1. Preachers that don’t live what they preach
2. Preaching Jesus as Saviour without His Lordship
3. Preaching Christ without the cross.
4. Preaching salvation without godly character.
5. Preaching the Bible only in business concept.
6. Preaching prosperity without purity.
7. Preaching this world without eternity in view.
8. Preaching without systematically teaching the word.
9. Preaching membership without discipleship.
10. Preaching without direction and unction of the Holy Spirit.
11. Preaching without warfare prayers.
12. Preaching revival without Transformation.
Modern church pulpits commit these deadly sins on regular basis. They become ear-tickling preachers.
1. Ear-tickling preachers bypass self-denial and the cross.
2. Ear-tickling preachers go light on sin.
3. Ear-tickling preachers are loved by the world.
4. Ear-tickling preachers tell the flesh what it wants to hear and
5. Ear-tickling preachers get away from the word and give way to fables. Small wonder that the life of God, His presence and power are absent in our churches today.
C. Healthy Preaching That Makes Church Healthy – 2 Tim. 4:2
The kind of preaching that glorifies God and protects the church is what we need today. Preaching is only as powerful as its faithfulness to the Bible. There is no inate power in the form of preaching: the power in the preaching comes from the source of the preaching.
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1. Preach to yourself first – live and obey what you preach in your personal life.
2. Preach expositorily – it is not enough to simply preach, we need to preach the Word.
3. Preach persistently – in season and out of season.
4. Preach practically – reprove, rebuke, exhort
5. Preach patiently – forbear until they practice.
6. Preach doctrinally – teach the whole counsel of God.
7. Preach powerfully – unction and anointing of Holy Spirit.
8. Preach progressively – repeat, renew and add new things to your old messages.
9. Preach prayerfully – pray that your preaching will have effect, before and after preaching.
10. Preach productively – fruitfulness and spiritual results must come out of your preaching.
11. Preach passionately – the passion, conviction and courage will magnetize people.
12. Preach purposefully – aim at a definite result, don’t be a rambler.
A healthy local church demands that the pulpit ministry must constantly improve. To improve your pulpit ministry demand for a learning spirit; studying preaching and teaching again and again; listening to other godly preachers; praying more for your pulpit ministry; ask for comment from others; listen to your own sermons; enlist a prayer team; prepare better for your preaching; doing reflections and appraisal of your preachings and taking care of yourself physically and spiritually before you preach.