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It is unfortunate that today, motivational and prosperity preaching has taken over the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastors who preach these motivational and prosperity messages do so in the hope of making people rich.
They want to inspire people to be out of poverty. Well, it is not a sin to help people to have money. We must be wealthy to provide our needs and give to the Church for the propagation of the gospel across nations and continents.
But evidences abound that prosperity and motivational preaching rather make the preachers richer than the congregants. Moreover, we do know that the blessing of material prosperity is promised to believers who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
God’s Word, commandments and decrees are constant and unchanging. Pastors should, therefore, not turn them upside down and expect them to work. This is why many people preach and listen to prosperity messages yet they have very little to show for their material riches.
“…do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…But SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).
It is sad that the call to preach the crucified Christ has been abandoned and replaced with the preaching of human-interest stories to excite people.
What do you think Jesus died for? Did He die for cars, houses, money, travel opportunities, marriages, and the fruit of the womb and employment opportunities? Yes, with God these things are possible.
The death and resurrection of Christ Jesus benefit believers in many ways according to the will of God. But there is a superior reason for which the King of kings was born, died and was raised.
Abraham, Isaac and Solomon had all the necessary goodies of life but lacked the one thing the Son of God died for. No Old Testament prophet or priest could do what Jesus Christ did. They could be used to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, turn the sea into a dry land but could not do the one great thing our glorious Saviour alone did.
Only the Lord Jesus shed His blood for the remission of man’s sins. He intentionally and voluntarily died to save people from their sins. Salvation of human souls from the bondage of sin, dominion of Satan and eternal destruction is the main reason for which Christ Jesus died (Matthew 1:21).
By James Quansah
