I have heard many sermons in my lifetime which is not surprising since I grew up as a preacher’s kid. Sermons have been a source of encouragement, inspiration and instruction; however, over recent years I have been faced with a dilemma.
Who can I trust?
I can’t tell you how many times I have been disappointed by preachers I have listened to who have been influenced by their own slant to the “truth” of what they are preaching. The most disappointing revelation is in the political influence of the person in the pulpit who is delivering the sermon. I have stopped listening to several preachers because of it. Preachers aren’t supposed to be political and should NEVER tell their congregations who they should or shouldn’t vote for. So when a preacher makes a statement supporting a political party, I’m done with them. Sometimes they want to appear partial and use a disclaimer such as “I’m not supporting a political candidate but…”. That but is all I need. Their view of the scriptures are slanted by their politics.
I’m not going to listen to a preacher who supports immoral people. Not going to do it. So that puts me in a difficult dilemma when trying to find someone to listen to. My choices have become very limited.
Over the years I have come to be more dependent on my own personal relationship with God and reading the Bible for myself than to listen to anyone tell me what the Bible says or how they interpret it. In these times that we live, we have to be the ones to know what the Bible says and avoid the “fake news” that is being spread from the church pulpits. Depending solely upon a preacher to tell us without putting in the time to verify is a lazy way to serve God and puts us at risk for falling for anything. How do you think cults get started?
One of the most valuable methods I have learned is the value of silence and meditation. I once spent a week in a monastery which helped me to understand how important the practice of silence and listening really is. It is also one of the most difficult things to do. Making time to sit in silence before the Lord and meditate on Him can be a challenge in this noisy world. One thing that helps is when I can listen to an audio version of the Bible. You would be amazed about how much more you discover about the Bible when you hear it as well as reading it. I love the dramatized audio Bibles. I like to grab my noise cancelling headphones and play a passage from the Bible and it makes me feel like I am there. These are the kinds of “sermons” which now sustain me.
Nature is also another way I have church now. I feel a closer connection to God in nature more now than I ever did sitting in a church building on Sunday mornings. It renews my spirit when I can spend time outdoors with nature as my church. Why wouldn’t you feel closer to God when you are surrounded by his creation? There’s nothing like it. I cringe to think of sitting on a church pew on a Sunday morning now. These are the times a person can truly hear God if they really want to. I’m not talking about the idiots who run around saying God told them who will win an election or something weird. God doesn’t speak to us that way. When you are with Him with no ulterior motives, God will speak to you in a spiritual way and not with an audible voice. The only way you can know is to experience it. I will admit that I don’t do it enough. I spend way too much time picking up my phone or tablet reading junk or wasting time doing mindless activities. I definitely need to be more disciplined about it but when I am, it renews me more than any sermon.
Some people need sermons and preachers giving them instruction. I get that. I would just caution anyone to be careful. Trust but verify what is being said. There are still some good preachers out there but as with anything, we need to follow God - not man. The only way you can safeguard your heart and mind is to make sure you have a strong relationship with God yourself and that doesn’t have to be dependent on a preacher or a church organization.
