Offensive

I have learned what offends me.

I'm trying to get back into the habit of going to bed earlier than 4am and it's not going well. My latest exploit of staying up late involves watching a TV special on NatGeo. "Pint-Sized Preachers."

It's a show about the lives of several child preachers and the relationships they have with their congregations. The 'preachers,' some as young as three, are taken around the country to whatever congregation will have (read: pay)them and then told to 'preach' to the congregation. What would ensue would be an emotionally manipulative, theologically shallow, and un-Biblical charismatic experience.

Most of these children do not have a solid understanding of the Bible, nor do they understand the high calling that ministry entails. And while that in itself should give one serious call for alarm, it is not the source of what offended me.

In one segment the producers interviewed a child preacher once he had grown up. He confessed that the entire reason his parents had their 'ministry' was to make money. Because of the manipulating of the congregation, many would give freely to these so called faith workers.

Don't get me wrong. I believe pastors should be paid. I'm going into ministry myself and I surely hope to get paid. But what was going on here was the same thing that happened in Jesus' day with the religious leaders.

Many of the harshest words that Jesus had were for the religious leaders of the day. Matthew 12:33-37 calls out these leaders for preaching an impure doctrine and living unholy lives while calling themselves righteous. Indeed, their condemnation is just, says the Scriptures. All of Matthew 23 is about this.

That is what offends me. When someone who claims to be a Christ follower and yet either uses the message of the Gospel for their own advancement or twists it to cover up their own sin. I hate that.

I don't get offended by people who believe differently than me. I don't get offended by non-Christians living in sin and being OK with it. After all, can those that don't know Jesus be expected to act any differently? Lost people will act like lost people.

But those that claim to be forgiven by Jesus and then use that claim to sin makes me furious. Absolutely furious. Truly, those that are unrepentant will surely taste the wrath that they believe they are escaping by their piety.

Let's give some examples.

Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus calls those that cheat worshipers out of their money a "den of robbers."

Matthew 23-Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites for putting impossible spiritual burdens on followers but never following them themselves.

Ephesians 5:11- Paul tells the Ephesians they are to have nothing to with the immoral sons who deceived God's people because the wrath of God is upon them.

James 3:1- James says that very few people should become teachers because God will judge them even more strictly than everyone else.

And this is just in Scripture! Think of all the swindlers, cheaters, liars, and offenders that you have seen in your life that claim their sin is in the name of Jesus. Does it anger you like it angers me? Do you feel misrepresented by these public displays of 'faith?' And you know know who they are.

Television evangelists with their 24 hour phone-a-thons to fund their private jets. Ministers who blame their wives for their own affairs. Preachers who claim hiring prostitutes was something that God told them to do. Manipulative pastors who take advantage of the naivety of hurting women. Charismatic tongue speakers with no regard for Biblical instruction. All of these unrepentant. All of these sinning boldly in the name of Jesus.

That is what offends me.