Why do preachers try to motivate our obedience with God’s blessings rather than love for God and the beauty of Christ? It deeply troubles me when I hear someone say, “You want God’s best don’t you?” and then follows up with a list of items we need to fulfill so that we can put ourselves in the proper place for God’s blessing. Of course they always come up with some bible verse taken out of proper context to backup their claim. Do they motivate this way because they actually believe it or is something more pragmatic at play? We need to get or keep our people doing and giving so we need to wave the carrot of blessing/success in front of them at all times. This is exactly how you would motivate someone who is not regenerated. People always love a good business deal. Just package God in a favorable way and you will grow a nice following.
What if instead we preached the glory of Christ and men and women were regenerated? Could we then stop using the carrot of blessing to get people moving and giving? Preachers what say you? Am I naive to think that preaching Jesus as our great reward and motivation is just too radical a notion?
1 comment
Comments feed for this article
December 12, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Cary Rosenbaum
Maybe it’s because in this “success” crazed culture we feel that’s the only way to appeal to the masses. Unfortunately, the success in the bible is very rarely seen as what the modern gospel portrays it. It’s usually holiness and righteousness. Wow, theirs some outdated terms. A preacher who preaches righteousness as the “carrot” is seen as narrow minded and antiquated. But I have found in my own experience what I really long for is to live up to the standard with which Jesus paid so dear a price. I’m better to my wife in Christ. I like me more in Christ. My kids respond better when the Christ-life is flowing readily in my life. No, $ can’t buy what my soul is hungry for, the trappings of this world pale in comparison to genuinely walking in the Spirit. What a thought that what every soul is longing for is a proper relationship w/ God. One that we don’t come to God on our terms, but where we come to HIm on HIS terms. And in that proper relationship is a depth of love and devotion to God that far surpasses all the “temporal” blessings we have taught to “get”. Interestingly enough, I don’t have to go and get this proper relationship with God! It’s already been provided for. Jesus Christ death on the cross provided this wonderful relationship between God and Man. A preachers insistence that you have to go and do something to obtain this “holy grail” really doesn’t understand the simplicity of the gospel.
Just a thought,