Today the vast majority of ministers are success oriented. Success means church growth, larger congregations, bigger buildings, bigger offerings, burgeoning statistics, greater notoriety, praise, invitations to speak at conferences, not to mention the financial perks and benefits that come with a successful church.
To sustain their success they baby, pacify and fawn over members to the extent that today’s church goers are so spoiled and petted that any dereliction or lack of attention usually results in “moving their letter” down the street to a place that will more readily cater to their temperamental demands.
Ministers go so far as to tone down the Gospel message to pacify and draw attention away from Biblical heroism and defiance against tyranny and despotism. Paul extolled the sacrifice of believers willing to fight and die for their faith, but you will rarely, if ever, hear that from the pulpits.
If any mention of America’s Founding Fathers is made, it is that they were wrong in their perception that God was leading them to declare independence and fight for freedom against the British Crown. Such is the ignorance and cowardice of today’s ministers.
To the average minister, nothing is as anathema as controversy. And nothing is more controversial than politics. Pastors are taught to avoid politics like the plague. Of course, they won’t tell you that the controversial nature of politics is the reason they avoid it; they will tell you that “God has not called the church to get involved in politics,” or, “that’s not our mission,” or any varying number of other pious-sounding clichés.
But the real reason is that they are trying to be trying to be successful, and they believe controversy, political or otherwise, will hinder that success. That’s also why you seldom, if ever, hear “hard” sermons from the modern pulpit, even though that is exactly the kind of sermons that Jesus Himself preached.
To the success-driven, religious CEO, people must always feel good; they must be permanently ensconced in their comfort zone; and they must never be rebuked or informed of misconduct or irresponsibility.
And as far as freedom goes, the shallowness of the average pulpit refuses to acknowledge the responsibility of the church to do anything to preserve it. All they talk about is praying for your political leaders and being good little subjects of the state.
The ONLY WAY Christians can start to make a difference in their country is to leave these clueless, cowardly churches and find a minister who is not afraid to be politically incorrect, who is not afraid to preach and teach the Biblical principles of liberty, and who is not afraid to preach and teach the principles of righteous defiance against any act of tyranny.
You don’t need a successful church; you need a truthful minister. If you are not willing to support a church that is willing to take a stand, willing to teach God’s word, willing to be politically incorrect, then you must accept the imminent slavery to which you are being led.
“Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men. . .Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered and many such like things do ye.” Mark 7:6-13
source: Why Pastors Won’t Take a Stand, by Chuck Baldwin
