Jeremiah 23:32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
God was so tired of prophets that were telling whatever they thought up and not what He said. The prophets claimed to have a dreamed a dream. He said that they were prophets of the deceit of their own hearts. They didn’t get their message from God. They got their message from their own hearts. Jeremiah 23:25-26
This is a common problem today. It is not that easy to spot because the question comes does the preacher come to the Bible with the idea that he wants to preach or does he preach what the Bible says.
I have been guilty of having a good idea and looking for Bible to support it. As you sit in the pew you need to take notes. You need to keep an open Bible in front of you. You need to see and ask yourself, Is he saying what the Bible says, what he puts there, or what I would like to hear?
God wants His Word spoken faithfully. We do not need to be so creative or clever. His Word is all we need. We need to work at understanding it. We need to work at communicating what it says. Jeremiah 23:28
God questions, Is not my Word like a fire, a hammer, etc.?
We do not need to treat the Word disrespectfully. We do not need to take it lightly or flippantly. They need a preacher that will stand and clearly say what the Bible says.
This costs us as preachers and you as hearers. It is much easier to listen to a stand up comic. It is much easier to listen to pop psychology. It is much easier to prepare for that as well.
I know that many preachers have abused expository preaching making it very boring. I know that they have used it to be lazy. But God wants His Word proclaimed faithfully. He doesn’t want it taken lightly.
I challenge you to become a student of the Word of God. I challenge you to allow God to work in your life through His Word.
Well said!