I read this in an article in my most recent newletter from Zola Levitt. For those who want to read the article I pulled this quote from, go here: Zola Levitt Ministries - the article is on page 13 - Return Offensive Leadership to the Church.
The gist of it is that shoddy teaching from the pulpit has a large bearing on why our country is at this crossroads of horrid immorality (and why most do not care that it is sin, let alone know what sin is or that they should care). We have recently attended church services (not our own church, btw) where the scripture, when put into context, had nothing to do at ALL with the topic the pastor was preaching on. We are thankful that we take our Bibles to church with us. My dh and I could only just look at each other and shake our heads. So, my challenge to you is this - take your Bible to church with you. Look up the scriptures as the pastor uses them in the sermon or at least write them down and go home and look them up later and see, if in context, the scripture actually relates to the topic of the day.
Did your pastor tickle your ears and preach what you wanted to hear - a feel good sermon with no substance? (don't give me the fluff about people seeking Jesus not understanding if it is not a simple sermon - if it is a good sermon, they will want to know more about Him, not about interpersonal relations, the Bible and you.....KWIM?) Or did your pastor preach an expository sermon. You felt drawn to your Bible and you knew HE was there - simply because the full Word of God was being taught.
Anyway, the quote in the article (fully worth the read) is from Charles G Finney - 1873. You can read the whole thing HERE. But here is the quote (before I rambling my non-sleeping self silly, lol!):
Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals
of this nation.
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