This summer our family traveled to Paris and London for our family vacation. Europe is easily one of my favorite destinations because of the history. You can find buildings and places that have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years. As a pastor though, I am especially interested in the church history. To walk the same streets that some of my heroes of the faith walked is a special blessing. However, much has changed in those two places.
We walked the streets of Paris for a few days and not once did we come across a church. Now, there are grand cathedrals that are more like museums, but I’m talking about a local evangelical Biblical church. We didn’t see one. London, unfortunately, is not faring any better. Nowadays in London it is almost illegal to preach the gospel on the street. There are numerous accounts of pastors being arrested for proclaiming Christ as the only way of salvation. We have come a long way from Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, or Richard Baxter. England used to be the hub of the best preachers in the world. What happened?
I have a theory. It has nothing to do with immigration and politics. It has to do with the drought of preaching. True preaching. Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, expositional, proclamation from the pulpit week in and week out. Coming out of seminary in 2008, we took a missions trip to central England because there was such a need for faithful pastors. Over 200 local churches met with no pastor and missionaries were seeking to fill those pulpits with preachers. In over 25 years I wonder how many of those churches have closed. I wonder how many pulpits are still empty. I would guess the same loss of preaching is why Paris is why it is and most of Europe as well.
I write this not to bang the drum of negativity, but to issue a warning to the church of Jesus Christ in America. The same warning that was given to us in 2008 by a seasoned pastor of many years who was from England. He told us that he saw the USA heading down the same road as England: preachers that are not preaching the Word anymore.
In the USA today, preaching has become a 30 minute Ted-talk, a motivational speech, meant to pander to man’s felt needs. I can tell right off the bat the state of a church’s preaching ministry when I look at their current sermon series. Less and less are books of the Bible preached and more and more are topical messages preached. This is how it works: the preacher wants to talk about some topic people will be interested in, so he must find a Bible verse or two that seems to discuss it. More than one church I’ve seen has done a series called “At the Movies.” This is a pathetic attempt to look cool and relevant to the community while desperately trying to find some spiritual ‘lesson’ in the movie. Is the Word of God not enough? Do we really need to look at Mario Bros to learn how to deal with generational trauma (yes, that is real)? Do these preachers really think Hollywood is trying to inform us of Biblical truth? Do these preachers believe that God is pleased with their efforts, while they readily ignore the 66 books of revelation He has given? Preachers should declare the Word of God verse by verse and let God speak through His word, not Hollywood or the personal fancies of the preacher.
The sad state of preaching is most clearly seen in an Instagram account called Pastors with Props. Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like. The silliness and triviality of preaching is seen by men using things like ridiculous costumes, sports equipment, or even things like chainsaws and motorcycles to make a point and be more ‘real.’ Nothing could be more real than to open the inspired Word of God and declaring ‘thus says the Lord!’ It is a solemn responsibility and privilege to proclaim God’s Word to His people.
This is me just talking from the heart this month. I commit to you that the pulpit of Congregational Bible Church will not be a place of entertainment, but serious exposition and instruction. And if I ever stray from that, I expect the leadership and the membership to correct and intervene. Church is not a joke. Lives are on the line. Souls are on the line. Eternity is on the line. And to play cute with the Bible is a grievous sin to God.
My plea for you, the reader, is to come to church. Come to church ready to hear the Word of God. In some places in the world, you can’t find a Bible preaching church if you wanted to. You are blessed to be able to hear the Word week in and week out. No intake of the Word will have a negative effect on your spiritual state. Also, listen humbly. This is not Mark’s sermon; this is God’s Word. Pastor Mark is seeking to explain what God’s Word says, he is not crafting a speech each week. Listen humbly for the Word to speak to your soul because it is living and active (Heb 4:12). May God raise up faithful preachers of His Word in this place and throughout the world until the Lord returns!