What happened to Jesus in preaching?

[Ulysses (Mac) Mckneely]

In a time that is infected with carnality an self centered ideaology's the one place that we ought to see as untouched by these things is the pulpit. But when we listen to the modern sermonic discourse we dont hear the crystal clear message of the cross but we are subject to the mindless rambling and misinformed rehtoric of men who classify themselves as preachers but are nothing more then poor men's pshycologist or some bootleg economist. When we look around at our churches today people are sitting in huge edifice's under very charismatic leaders STARVING TO DEATH. Because the preacher has decided to follow trend an preach half thought out sermons that glorify human participation an discount the soverignty of God. Jesus is no longer the center piece he is now a side note. I was told a story of a woman who was a member of a well known church here in houston but she decided to join a smaller church,the pastor of the smaller church asked her why would she leave such a well known ministry to join with him she told him"pastor that preacher can really preach an tell good stories but pastor my family needs more then stories they need help".Our people dont need hooks an stories they need the cross of christ. Brothers let us be mindful to dont get so lifted in our gifts that we forget to talk about THE GIFT.

[Yuri Solomon]

In the popular preaching trends of today, they are inadvertently MAKING DISCIPLES AFTER THEMSELVES, rather than Christ. Here is what I mean. The average preacher portrays himself as having methodological solutions to problems that he has conquered. So he gives 3 points on how to do thus and so... (Have a great marriage, take your ministry to the next level, take charge of your destiny, etc.)

After they has strutted across the stage (and I do mean stage,) with mic in hand, spouting out their own psychologies and philosophies, holding themselves up as the example of how to make it... then they invoke the magical disclaimer: I’m not perfect and I’m just a man.

I’m not altogether sure that these fellows even realize they are preaching themselves, but they are!

When Christ is preached, one never holds himself up with Christ. He will say as Paul did “I count not myself to have apprehended.” There is no room for SELF-ACHEVEMENT in this statement.