Over the last few years it seems that a growing number of people dislike strong pastors. The virus of passivity infects many modern churches where pastors have traded in biblical truth for watered-down, weak preaching, intended to appease and avoid offense.
Strong pastors believe the Bible, preach it with authority, don’t cower to fear of man, and stand opposed to the spirit of the day. Weak pastors embody all the opposite.
Here at Clear Truth, we’ve compiled a list of reasons why people like weak pastors. If you find yourself anywhere on this list…stop, repent, then keep reading to the end.
10 Reasons Why People Like Weak Pastors:
1 - They don’t say anything embarrassing
Relax, you’ll never have to worry about your pastor bringing up sin or the Old Testament! The messages are all about love and tolerance. They’re the kind of message that you can send to your liberal friends and they could nod along happily. Which is of course, the main point of any sermon.
Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ…”
2 - They don’t say anything convicting
Tired of feeling bad at church because you continually ignore God and His word? Not anymore. The weak pastor will be sure you feel good about yourself and content with your sin nature.
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, correcting, and
training in righteousness.”
3 - They don’t say anything definitively:
Say it with me, “this is a nuanced issue.” The last thing people need in an age of confusion is clarity. What we need to hear is that everything even remotely contentious is neither black nor white, but shades of gray. Except those things that our society already condemns, like racism or homophobia, which should be explicitly condemned as publicly and as often as possible.
2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching…”
4 - They don’t have to worry when they tell their non-Christian friends where they go to church
I go to “that one big church that you’ve heard of that has never done anything controversial ever.” It’s not like one of those boring churches with a bunch of rules, or a nasty church that opposes anything you believe.
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
5 - They can relax when they make their woke college-aged kid go to church with them the one weekend he/she comes home
“It’s kind of like a Ted talk with a band and you get breakfast after.” What this child does not need to hear is something that may point to eternal realities or that would confront anything they’ve been indoctrinated with for the past few months. And of course, we wouldn’t want to prepare any future college students with good arguments against the prevailing ideas of the age. That would be uncomfortable.
2 Timothy 4:3 “...but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own passions…”
6 - There is zero expectation that anything said on Sunday needs to be remembered or acted upon once service ends
You don’t actually mean this stuff, right? You preached, I attended - we’ve done our part. On with the day. A good church is one that doesn’t impact anything more than ninety minutes on a Sunday morning.
James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only…”
7 - You get to learn a whole new version of the Bible:
This one is WAY different from the stuffy, judgmental one you learned growing up. For a start, really just the red letters of Jesus count, and not even all of them. Plus some of the Old Testament stories make for a great analogy of how you deal with issues at work or in your dating life. It’s honestly just a much more palatable version of Scripture.
Revelation 22:19 “...and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life…”
8 - You can feel like a Christian without ever having to submit to Christ:
Afterall, the Bible does say, 'He who keeps his life finds his life, and makes Jesus fit into his life.’ What people really need, or failing that, at least what they really want, is a Christ who can give them a pat on the head, whom they can throw up a quick prayer to when things get really bad, and whom they can believe will guarantee their salvation because they prayed that prayer one time when they were twelve and nothing more was needed.
Matthew 16:23 “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me let him
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
9 - You can vote for any baby-killing, child-transing, freedom-stealing, corrupt politician you want and not have to worry if that’s wrong
My faith doesn’t affect my politics, does it? Separation of church and state, remember? I really like how nuanced people think I am whenever I tell them I’m a Christian but I vote Democrat, or when I winsomely call Donald Trump Satan incarnate.
2 Timothy 2:19 “...’Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’”
10 - If you don’t like something he says, you can threaten to leave and he will back down:
Put that tithe threat to good use, just like Malachi encouraged! The main thing you want in a pastor is a whipping boy who will do what he is told by the church’s biggest givers. Not that you plan to be among the biggest givers, but you’d be happy to play the accounting game should leverage be required.
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over
your souls, as those who will have to give an account…”
In sum
The weak pastor will sound more like a motivational speaker than a warrior for the Kingdom. He will neglect to challenge, convict, or call his flock higher. Beware of preachers like this. Have discernment. Equip yourself with the Word and fervent prayer so that you may not fall for flowery doctrine.
