Do You Want To Hear The Word?

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses: ² “Tell the Israelites: When someone sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commands and does anything prohibited by them—

 ³ “If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he is to present to the LORD a young, unblemished bull as a sin offering for the sin he has committed."

-Leviticus 4:1-3 (HCSB)

Yesterday, we talked about how sin can destroy each one of us. We talked about how we must not continue in sin after we've given our lives to Christ. Today, I want to look at something that I think is a major problem in our Christian culture. In our world today, people put an incredible amount of faith into other people. I'll go as far as to say this: For many people, who claim Jesus as their Savior, follow their Pastor or TV Evangelist more than Jesus. Let me rephrase it. Many people follow put more faith in their TV preacher than in God. In our world of social media, we create idols without even realizing it. I know people who will defend their favorite TV preacher, who will not defend Jesus. They put their entire faith into the teachings of their favorite TV preacher. What if that preacher isn't preaching the Word or God, and instead preaching the doctrine of man?

We read in Leviticus 4 about four different groups of people who may have unintentionally fallen into sin. For the sake of time and space, we'll look at just one. For the record, the rest of Leviticus 4 gives instructions on sin offerings for the congregation (verses 13-21), the ruler (verses 22-26) and common people (verses 27-35). I encourage you to take a look at those verses. 

Look at verse 2, "Tell the Israelites: When someone sins unintentionally against any of the LORD's commands and does anything prohibited by them-" Sometimes, we put so much faith into someone's teaching that we neglect to be certain what he is saying is true. Let me put it this way. I love watching preachers like David Jeremiah and Charles Stanley on TV. I love their preaching, but I make sure what they are quoting from Scripture is the truth. I've came across many preachers who encourage their listeners to close their Bible  and focus on them. Is that right? Are these people putting that much faith in their preacher? Look at verse 3, "If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he is to present to the LORD a young, unblemished bull as a sin offering for the sin he has committed." If our preacher or Bible teachers sins, it brings guilt on the people who he leads. Why? Because they are following his teaching, and if his teaching isn't Biblical, then the people who is in his congregation are not receiving the Word of God. To be a preacher means a big responsibility. Unfortunately, there are too many people who are in it for fame and fortune. 

Look what God says to Ezekiel about the importance of bringing His message to the people. Ezekiel 3:17-19 says, “¹⁷Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. ¹⁸When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.¹⁹Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. (KJV)" The basic warning for preachers and teachers is that if we don't deliver the message God has for His people, and they die in their sins, the preacher will be held accountable. Yet, if the preacher delivers the message, and the people reject it, and die in their sins, then the preacher is not responsible. How many of the preachers around the world are adhering to this principle? 

Finally, Paul writes in Second Timothy 4: 3-4, " ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (KJV)" The time has now come when people don't want to hear the truth of the Word of God any longer. They want just a little taste of the good stuff, like Heaven and the blessings of God. People don't want to hear about sin, and living in sin. Therefore, many preachers today are exchanging the true message of the Word of God, and giving people the messages they want to hear. May God have mercy on the pastor who does that.

Do you want to hear the truth of God's Word? Are you telling others the true message of the Gospel? Think About It.