It is worrying that preachers who has world’s mandate to preach Christ are twisting the gospel.
The twisted gospel has caused believers to remain stuck in the cocoon of bondage, and the unsaved world to stay in a cage of eternal damnation.
Most preachers are preaching social issues in the name of the gospel. They are preaching ‘the gospel of the belly’ which focuses on gathering material wealth to satisfy the themselves leaving the soul hungering for spiritual food.
They have diverted from the truth at a pace that seems more difficult to restore to normalcy. They have lost the message in the mass activities of the church.
They have forsaken the mission of advertising Christ and are in hot pursuit to make themselves known at Christ’s expense.
Social issues have replaced the gospel.
The truth is that, when social issues replace the gospel, the church looks more like an entertaining centre; more like a business centre; more like a political ring than the church of Christ.
The shepherds with the mandate of feeding the flock are the ones feeding from/on the flock. The hunger for money, the desire for popularity, the desire for wealth, and the desire for fame have turned them into dictators, kingpins and monarchs. They look more like wolves in sheep attire than the preachers of the gospel.
To worsen the situation, they have turned believers into customers and the church into a business entity where vending of sundry commodities with exorbitant prices, not limited to; anointing oil, wrist bands, anointed ball pens, anointed water, and anointed apples takes place.
Did Jesus the owner of the church sell anything inside the church?
There is no such record, nowhere in the entire bible where Jesus merchandised inside the church. In fact, we have a record where he flogged merchandisers out of the temple.
His message was clear; go therefore, into the world and make disciples of all nations.
Don’t quote me wrong, l’m not saying selling commodities is bad, the point is, conducting it inside the church is nasty and abomination.
Christ didn’t die to teach business principles. Christ did not die for people to carry out businesses in the church. He died to give eternal life to the perishing souls.
The church is a life-giving centre; it is a hospital of the sick where the master doctor, Christ Jesus takes care of people who are in death penalty.
So, the responsibility of a preacher is to reveal, show, advertise, proclaim, and preach Christ to the suffering world.
Any man who advertises himself to the people or causes people to see and worship him at the expense of Christ is an enemy of the cross.
Apostle Paul warned preachers in 1 Cor 3:10.
(1Co 3:10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Observe
Paul likened himself to a skilled master builder who has laid a foundation.
Take note:
He is not saying; he is the skilled master builder who has laid the foundation, but he is like and the word like is a simile.
For instance, if l say ‘tares look like wheat while growing and can only be distinguished at harvest time’. l am not saying tares are wheat. What l am saying is tares are looking like wheat.
To understand Paul’s analogy, we need to dig out the meaning of the foundation.
What is the foundation?
Paul nails it in verse 11.
(1Co 3:11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, he is just wasting his time and of the hearers.
Why?
Because each man’s work will become and it will be revealed with fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
Breaking down the analogy
Explaining the analogy
The master builder, Christ Jesus laid the foundation over 2000 years ago.
How?
Through his death, burial and resurrection!
It is stated in the book of Matthew, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
The word, therefore, shows that something has been accomplished.
Hence, no one has the mandate to make additions or subtractions to the already completed foundation which is the gospel. Any additions are not from God but men propelling their own interests and building their own legacy.
When Christ ascended, He gave gifts to men and His gifts are that some should be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Eph 4:11)
Why?
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Eph 4:12)
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Eph 4:13)
The reason for an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a teacher, a pastor and a teacher is to equip the saints.
How?
Through the preaching of the gospel, the message of the son of God, the gospel of Christ, and the gospel of faith!
To sum it up:
The responsibility of an apostle, prophet, an evangelist, a pastor, and a teacher is to preach Christ, who is the final solution to the suffering world.
