“If a man should go about and utter wind and lies saying, ‘I will preach of wine and strong drink,’ he would be the preacher for this people!” Micah 2:13
Condemning Israel, Micah prophesied the above words 2,700 years ago. Little has changed. While our culture fears a war of terror rather than the Neo-Assyrian Empire, we’re like ancient Israel in that we would prefer that pastors stay positive and encourage whatever excess we prefer.
But, as Micah pointed out to his ancient audience, preachers who tell their people only what they want to hear are responsible for seeing things fall apart. Or, as I paraphrased to our congregation on Sunday, pastors who give culture only what it wants to hear – – cold beer and blue sky – – such pastors hate their people.*
On the other hand, if our preaching is filled with the Spirit of the Lord and with justice and might to declare to our people their transgression and sin, then God will use His Word in tremendous ways (see Micah 3:8).
When Micah preached the Word, rather than cold beer and blue sky, it was greatly used (see Jeremiah 26:18-19). What will we preach?
Listen online to the sermon I preached on this passage How a Pastor Can Hate
*The point here is not to initiate a debate about alcohol. Rather, that our preaching should not be defined by nothing more substantive than wine and strong drink in excess.
