Are You Motivated — E.A. Johnston

Motivational Christianity and the Glory of God

Joel Osteen doesn't operate a church, he operates a motivational business empire. His books aren't written to bring glory to God, but to motivate man with humanism. His messages aren't expository sermons preached for spiritual change, but motivational messages to make you a better you.

Pastors Following the Motivational Church Model

Unfortunately, many pastors today have rode that same bandwagon for their church. They want to motivate their membership with their messages of good and evil and God and heaven. They want to motivate you to be good so you can go to heaven.

The Man-Centered Gospel and Human Happiness

But the problem with all this humanistic teaching is God is not the primary message, man is. The happiness of man is the main message taught in the modern church today. We preach a man-centered gospel to self-centered individuals so you can be your best you.

The Secularization of Motivational Ministry

And our motivational messages are no different than the secular message you could hear at a local Toastmasters club. Are you motivated? You're happy. Motivated pastor will work up his congregation with a feel-good message to get them motivated.

Get them motivated to serve. Motivated to give. Motivated to come back again next Sunday for more motivation. Your typical pastor today is no different than a secular motivational speaker like you'd hear at an insurance convention to learn to sell more insurance.

Old-Time Preaching for Spiritual Transformation

Are you motivated? But old-time preachers knew better. They knew their God and they didn't preach for motivation. They preached for transformation. They wanted to bring a soul out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light and life.

They wanted to preach hard against sin so you would stop sinning and get right with God. They wanted to elevate God in their sermons so man could see the badness of his heart. They wanted to preach Christ and him crucified so souls could be saved.

The Pastor's Duty to Warn and Instruct

But today we just want to motivate folks, maybe even challenge them, but we stop there. I believe a pastor has an obligation to the souls of men to warn them to repent and to instruct them to be born again.

God's Mercy and the Examination of Ministry

But many pastors today are no different than a late-night TV talk show host. They just want to motivate and entertain you. But God and his mercy will sometimes get men in ministry to get serious enough with him to examine themselves and take inventory of where they stand with God and men.

Graham Scroggie's Ministry Crisis

Like happened to Graham Scroggie. Listen to the words of Dr. W. Graham Scroggie as he relates a life-changing experience in his ministry. Can I ever forget the time long ago when my whole life and ministry were suddenly challenged.

When it was revealed to me that I was little more than a middle man between my books and my people. When it dawned upon me that I was more anxious to be a preacher than to be God's messenger. That my master passion was not the accomplishment of the will of God at any cost.

And that my ruling motive was not the love of Christ. In that hour the edifice I had been building on lay in ruins about me and for a while all was dark despair. But into the woods my master came and finding me there in his mercy he brought me out.

Newness of Life and Renewed Service

Out into newness of life. Out into fullness of service. And although I blush to think of much that lies between that hour and this. Yet I gratefully bear testimony that his coming then and in that way has been the determining factor of my life.