One of the common arguments against the Bible-believing Christians is why do we always preach ‘negative or hate messages’ like hell or sin. Some people will ask if it is necessary to preach on “hell” or to preach on “sin” but they don’t know much Bible if they believe that.
Negative Preaching Vs Positive Preaching
Some pastors at other churches claim that their ministry focuses more on words of encouragement and motivation, e.g. Joel Osteen. Nonetheless, the Bible has clearly mentioned that Bible-believing pastors ought to be held accountable and must preach everything from the Bible, rather than being selective.
1 Timothy 5:20 “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”
We cannot preach against the word of God, if someone has sinned against God; it is not just a Pastor’s duty, but Christians’ duty as well to rebuke and correct them.
You have a carnality issue if you think that all pastors have to be nice since it’s appealing to your flesh
2 Timothy 4:2-4 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Doctrine is extremely important. Negativity is mentioned here in ‘reprove, rebuke.’ The Bible emphasizes the feature of “hate speech” which is not tolerated in today’s church pews.
Sin should be condoned in a wide range, such as liberalism and homosexuality. This should not be confused with nitpicking or criticizing church members, as a pastor’s job is to preach the whole counsel of God.
What was good old-fashioned preaching two decades ago is hate speech today
‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine‘
A lot of fundamental and Baptists in the twenty-first-century church have fallen prey to the Neo-Evangelical Church movement and adapted to its perverted ways and methods of worshiping God. Most Christians have been brainwashed with positive messages, and hence only believe in fables now, but nothing else.
Doctrine is the big issue in all these churches, they are not grounded in doctrine. You would be surprised how much some of the deep doctrines could help you later on in life.
‘but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears‘
It is a lust issue, Christians want church and preaching to meet their own needs. People concentrate on devotionals and rock music so that they can please the “itching ears” of the modern world. It is a lust issue because modern churches which are big, use gimmicks, music program, etc in order to build membership.
‘And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.‘
When you turn away from the truth, everything is just a fable. So much positivity and encouragement in the churches today are not according to the Bible.
One important key factor of being a good pastor is not being a nice, meek and gentle pastor. In contrast, he is to rebuke and preach the truth to his church members, and correct them from leaning towards crooked paths and become carnal Christians.
If you think your pastor is nice because he does not rebuke you and to teach all doctrine, he is a bad pastor according to the Bible.
If you only look for the good in a “Pastor” you will never see what is wrong.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.‘
This is definitely the last days.
‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves‘
People are definitely lovers of their own selves in this age.
‘Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.‘
People keep looking at the good points of the pastors instead of looking at what’s wrong with them. You are the problem for being carnal. Not the pastor. You keep seeking those pastors because they make you comfortable in your carnality.
Notice that all these verses shown above are mostly from Apostle Paul, and his messages are for us Christians, especially the End Times Churches/Laodicean Churches.
Jesus preached more about hell that any other person in the Bible
Jesus has often been mistaken by the World as a person full of love and gentleness. However, little did they know that Jesus preached more on Hell than any other person in the Bible. If Jesus was here today, He would be known for His extremist speech or harmful speech. He would have even been criticized for the unhealthy preaching culture.
Besides, Jesus also painted a scary and wicked picture about hell and reminded us that any torture we go through on earth is far better than burning in hell. Below chapters and verses are some references.
Matthew 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 11:23, 16:18, 18:9 , 23:15, 23:33.
Mark 9:43, 45, 47.
Luke 10:15, 12:5, 16:23
Matthew 5:22 “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire.”
Notice that Jesus does not paint a pretty picture on hell.
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Notice Jesus’ ‘loving speech’ in the following verses. So, Jesus was all about love, peace, and meekness? He is not all about love.
Please open your eyes to what the Bible says.
Matthew 23:15 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Nonetheless, there is an equal balance in Jesus’s message, as He also talked about a way out; a salvation plan for us, as well as God’s grace and love for mankind.
If you are all about love, you’re wrong and likely effeminate.
If you are all about sin and hell, you are also idiotic.
We need to know that the messages and gospel about hell are not to cause anxiety in us, rather to correct us and turn us away from sin.
Romans 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
According to the Bible, none of us is sinless and righteous. Nowadays we hear so much about all the nonsensical false doctrines about mankind and that we are good-natured human beings. The Bible does say a few good things about us, human beings but the dark side far outweighs the mention of our good side.
Romans 3:10-18 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Look at the description above. It is fit for humankind.
“Don’t have a negative self-image. Just think positive.”
The Bible clearly states that ‘all of us have sinned and fall short in the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
“I can” has to be under the will of God
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
As Bible-believers, we believe in positivity, but it has to be underneath the will of God and scripture abiding.
“God loves me for who I am, I am a homosexual” – that is a positive self-image outside of God’s will.
Oftentimes, many people’s positive self-image, love, and positive messages are based outside of God’s will, and can potentially turn into self-obsession or self-centeredness. They become ruined and spoiled in life, and that’s why they turn away from their faith when they go through hardships in life later on.
The biggest enemy to the Christian faith is neo-evangelical churches because the pastors are not preaching the word of God and are breeding carnality in the church. Faithful preaching does not compromise on doctrine, but when that doesn’t happen, the congregation’s carnality is fed. Even if the church members are saved, their souls are damaged.
The following are Rebekah’s positive words to her son, Jacob but it wasn’t a few days. She never saw her son again since she died.
Genesis 27:42-45 “And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away; Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?”
Genesis 16:20-21
Do you know who is the greatest “positive” speaker in the Bible?
It’s Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
The verses above mention that we adopt a Satanic mindset if we are overly indulged in a positive self-image, quoting Lucifer as a perfect example. Look at how Satan says it:
- I will ascend into heaven
- I will exalt my throne…
- I will sit upon
- I will ascend above
- I will be like the most High
They all form a very positive self-image.
What are pastors like in the Bible?
Elijah was being sarcastic and mocking Baalite priests.
1 Kings 18:27-28 “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.”
Nehemiah plucked out the beard of the Israelites who were misbehaving.
Nehemiah 13:25 “And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.”
Jesus did a lot of name-calling.
Matthew 23:14-16 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!”
In Matthew 23, Jesus did a bunch of name-calling, and fingers pointing, rebuking the false prophets. This was how Jesus ministered to the people back then, and it is how it should be done now at all Churches.
Instead, the Christian congregation hate preachers who preach based on Christian scriptures. They emphasize on “freedom of expression” and label biblical preaching as bad preaching.
This has led most pastors to already compromise on their belief. They rather have more followers in their churches, then preach and behave as what is right from the Bible.