There are tremendous differences between motivational speaking and biblical preaching”. In America today, many churches offer one or the other. One approach leaves people encouraged in their emotions and in their self-esteem”. The other builds up Christians in the Gospel as the Holy Spirit applies the Scriptures to the hearts and minds of the hearers, and convicts the gainsayer to repent. Motivational speakers tell a lot of stories and seek to sway through emotion and pop psychology. Biblical preachers tell some stories, but above all seek to have people influenced by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Motivational speakers may or may not throw in a few Bible verses to salt their main topic. Biblical preachers rely totally upon the Scriptures to drive the content and to feed Gods sheep. The Bible is the basis of their message. Motivational speakers seek to never speak of things, which might offend anyone in attendance. Biblical preachers seek to proclaim Gods Word with a loving heart as they rely upon God’s Word to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”. That is, to apply the message of forgiveness to those who are repentant.... and to apply the weight of the Law toward anyone content to continue sinning. After all, if I am never offended by my own behavior, I am certainly not growing in Christ.... and I am living in denial. Motivational speakers do not tend to think about the Law and the Gospel when presenting a message. Instead, they attempt to persuade people to change their behavior. Motivational speakers are good at knowing how people think and behave.... but not good at rightly dividing the Word of truth”. (2 Timothy 2:15) They reach the level of mans emotions with their appeals, but they are not equipped with the proper biblical knowledge to lead people into the realm where souls meet God and then grow in Christ. Motivational speaking tends to be man-centered and people pleasing. Biblical preaching is Christ-centered and God honoring. Motivational speaking is often aimed largely at unbelievers. Biblical preaching typically aims where Paul aimed in his epistle.... that is it aims mainly at believers, encouraging them to remain faithful. New Testament worship services are designed for believers.... with a loving and open heart for unbelievers to also attend in hopes of them obeying Christ and having their sins washed away in baptism. Motivational seminars are aimed at anyone who will help to fill the auditorium. Motivational speakers are reluctant to say, The Bible says. They realize that many of their hearers dont believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. Biblical preachers have taught Gods people to trust Scripture to be the inerrant God-breathed message of truth from the Lord. (2 Timothy 3:16) Motivational speakers need to have personal charisma. Biblical preachers need to be humble in order that they not think of themselves more highly than they ought. Charisma influences emotions in the direction of self-actualization. The Holy Spirit influences the soul in the direction of Godliness. Biblical preaching lifts up Jesus Christ. Motivational speaking tends to exalt mans ability to fix his own issues. Biblical preaching proclaims the Gospel message of Christs death and resurrection for our salvation. Motivational speaking might tack on the sinners prayer at the end of a how-to message. Biblical preaching produces a holy awe of God and a deep respect for His Word. Motivational speaking tends to be light, fun, humorous, and entertaining. Its showtime when the motivational speaker steps to the podium. Its flow time when the biblical preacher steps forward. He has spent much time in preparation praying that the word will fall upon his hearers and they are moved to obey the gospel. Motivational speakers usually have a certain number of steps they want you to follow to improve your life. Biblical preaching is not that simplistic. Paul explained biblical preaching with these words: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirits power, so that your faith might not rest on mens wisdom, but on Gods power. (1 Cor. 2:1-5) Biblical preaching freely discusses heaven, hell, and the immortality of the soul. Motivational speaking never addresses hell.... and if heaven gets discussed, it is done so in a way that suggests most people of many religions will eventually make it to heaven. Motivational speakers tend to deliberately place the spotlight upon the messenger. Biblical preachers want the hearers to understand that Jesus died for our sins and sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:1-2. Does this mean that every preacher who attempts to engage in biblical preaching is doing so with a loving heart and a life filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit? No. If one is living in the flesh by intentionally feeding his sinful nature, his message will not be saturated and dripping with the grace of God and a Spirit-wrought love for the hearers. This is why Paul told Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee”. (1 Timothy 4:16) Notice that his life was highlighted even before his doctrine”. It is easier to present messages that are doctrinally correct than it is to live a holy life, but both are necessary in the life of a preacher. There seems to be many more Religious people today who hunger for motivational speaking than for biblical preaching. A taste for the Word can only be developed by regularly feeding on the Word.... and by holy living. A love of the world produces no such hunger. We have all sinned, and prone to love the world far more than we love the Word. It has been said regarding the Bible: This Book will keep me from sin, and sin will keep me from this Book”. The temptation for those who preach in America today is not only to water down the message.... but also to change the message altogether. The test for all who desire to preach the Word is to do so faithfully and with a heart full of love for God, for believers, and for the lost. If we do this the right way by Gods instructions, then unbelievers will be moved to believe…. and believers will be moved to remain united and faithful. When a motivational speaker charges us up, the results tend to be superficial and flimsy. When the Holy Spirit through the faithful proclamation of His Word motivates you and me, the results are spiritual and eternal. God will help us to rely upon the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17) rather than upon a slick and popular presentation of humanistic moralism. One approach equips the saints for works of service. The other approach strokes the ego of the speaker and the attendees. God is not interested in our ego. He wants His children to live a life worthy of the Lord so that we may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened will all power according to His glorious might. (Colossians 1:10,11) There is no room for ego in biblical preaching. There is plenty of room for ego in motivational speaking. Paul instructed Timothy: Preach the Word. (2 Timothy 4:2) This is what is needed in America today.... preachers of the Word whose hearts are set on speaking as the oracles of God to the saving of souls. Here is tip for all of us.... read Pauls letters.... and then go forth to motivate people with those words and with that approach to encouraging the saints. The world is filled with motivational speakers.... God’s church deserves to have biblical preaching. Thats why He ordained it for His people. Notice how Pauls letters tend to always begin with many examples of what God has done for us in Christ.... rather than jumping right into a quick-fix of what we get to do for Him. Thats the right order. Thats the biblical order and emphasis. Gods work is what matters.... both in our salvation, as well as in our Christian life of discipleship. Its Christ in you, the hope of glory”. (Colossians 1:27) Motivational speaking jumps right into what you need to do to get right in your behavior. The Bible presents a far better approach than self-help”. The Scriptures deliver Jesus to us. The Bible is the manger in which Christ is laid before us so that we can gaze upon Him and be filled with the life of God. Self-esteem is sought by those who have not yet died to self and risen to live for Christ. Healthy believers, on the other hand, hunger for Gods Word like a baby hungers for food. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2,3) Jesus never seeks to build up a persons self-esteem. That is a dead end street as far as God is concerned. Paul said it best: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. (Galatians 2:20) That experience is a far cry from a life of self-esteem that needs to be constantly propped up by a motivational speaker. May the Lord open our eyes to see the huge difference between these two approaches.... and through constant study do Gods work in Gods way. Anything less is just a cheap counterfeit, and has no business being performed in the church of the living God
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 19:02:32 +0000
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