The last 4 weeks I have been teaching through the prophecy of Hosea. It has been incredibly rich, much more than I ever imagined. In chapter 4 there is a verse that struck me as most profound during my studies. In verse 9 we read this short statement, “And it shall be like people, like priest;” (Hosea 4:9 ESV) How telling that is for our times. We live in an age when Pastors and Teachers compromise the truth and people are compromised in the truth.
Though there are a lot of incredible ministries and pastors who acknowledge there is a need for expository and exegetical preaching, the move to topical teaching has overtaken our modern churches. In seminary, one of the Greek phrases that I learned was "keruson ton logon," translated, "preach the word." I recognize that Scripture can be utilized in topical preaching, howeve, it does present difficulties and the temptation of proof texting - making the text mean what you want it to mean.
Over the course of the last several years I have become more convinced that there is a need for pastors to return to biblical exposition over and above topical messages. This doesn't mean that we exclude topics from our teaching, but we must teach the Word of God, as it is the power by which lives are transformed.
I was listening to a podcast of Alistair Begg, when he said the following:
It's interesting that the shepherd's responsibility is not actually to feed sheep in the sense of taking grass and sticking it in their mouths. You don't find shepherds, sitting with big ewes on their laps, sort of moving their horns out of the way so they can read the newspaper. Saying, "Come on now, eat your grass, eat your grass." The responsibility of the shepherd is to lead the sheep into the pastor, and they eat, they eat. So the real question is whether the shepherds in this church are leading you into the pastures. Then the question is, "Are you eating?" He goes on a bit further and says, "The real question is, "Is the message that is being proclaimed, the ideas of a man, or the very truth of God's Word?"
Let's return now to Hosea. "Like people, like priest." As the pastors of churches compromise on the Word of God and fail to teach it appropriately, the people will be compromised. If we are going to be a church that is full of healthy people, then we must be a people led to the best pastures, the best pastures will be the Word of Truth. My prayer is that you find your strength from God's Word and it transform you into the likeness of Jesus Christ!
