Genuine pastors are people chosen and appointed by Jesus Christ to serve God and humanity (John 15:16). Thus, pastors minister in many ways, including preaching and teaching.
Now, there are several messages pastors may preach and teach from the Bible. However, it is important to know that pastors, who are true servants of Christ, are given one central message to preach and teach about.
Jesus Christ is the greatest theme Christians are called and given to study and know. And He is the One ministers are prepared, trained and sent to preach and teach to make Him known to the world for salvation and discipleship. But only those who know Him can make Him known.
Christ is worthy to be preached and taught about to His own Church, because He is the way, the truth and the life to the Father and the Kingdom of heaven. Again, Christ is undying, unfailing and unchanging.
Moreover, Christ Jesus is worthy to be preached, taught, known and learnt even though He is immeasurable, unfathomable and incalculable. His depth, height and width are incomprehensible.
Brethren, Christ Jesus is worthy to be studied and worshipped because He is peerless, ageless, timeless, endless, limitless, sinless and faultless, and He is God.
To preach or teach about Christ is to communicate His deity, humanity, death, burial, resurrection, commandments, teachings, prophecies, works and promises. Any other thing a servant of Christ may study, know and teach to Christians is a mere addition.
It is sad that, today, many ministers have abandoned the message about Christ Jesus and are preaching motivational messages that simply excite people.
An apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor(bishop) and teacher who does not, cannot or will not preach or teach about Christ Jesus, but always speaks about money, success and other such stuff for earthly comfort does not know Him. Such a minister is a motivational speaker or heretic.
A time has come for straying Christians to return to the King’s assignment and walk worthily of their holy, high and heavenly calling.
Those who truly love Jesus Christ will repent, preach the gospel, make disciples, baptize them and teach them Christ’s commands for them to keep in order to escape the coming wrath of God.
But those who disobey Him invoke a curse on themselves because they do not love Christ. The apostle Paul writes: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathema. Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22, KJV).
By James Quansah