pan·der

verb

gerund or present participle: pandering

1. gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.).

In a time when our nation is finding excuses to pull itself apart, there has never been a better time for God’s Word to be preached, but instead of preaching, Pastors are pandering to the masses.

Remember Moses’ Brother Aaron?

The difference between those two brothers (at least in the beginning of their journey in the wilderness) was that one feared the masses and one feared God. When Moses went to get the law, Aaron built an idol. The people approached him because of his platform as Moses’ Brother. He built it because the people demanded it. He took their gold and he fashioned what they wanted to worship instead of promoting the God who redeemed them. (Exodus 32)

Do you think Moses was impressed with Aaron’s work?

As the world becomes chaotic 2000 years since the Prophet “like Moses” died for our sin and rose again, and because of your platform as a Pastor, people may urge you to pick a side when it comes to systemic racism, social inequality, racial inequality, civil rights, or whatever else, but never forget that your platform is for promoting God’s Word, not your word.

Do you think Jesus is impressed whether you pander to one side of these polarizing topics or another?

As Pastors, we aren’t judged on what political affiliation our congregation is. We aren’t judged on how many likes we got on SM. We are judged on how well our people live by God’s Word.

I’m not saying this because I don’t think these are problems, I’m saying this because I want all these problems to be solved!

Do you know what would solve every problem?

No more sin.

Sin is done by sinners and as long as people remain unchanged, there will always be problems, civil unrest and chaos. The solution is simple, you have the solution!

So instead of taking a political side, let us all unite in the true solution to all this chaos.

The solution is, has been, and will always be the Gospel.

As Pastors, it isn’t our job to tell people how they should think. We teach them the Word so God can tell them how they should think.

 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching, For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:1-3)

More than ever we are living in a time where people can literally accumulate teachers who teach the things they prefer to hear. They can “like” and “subscribe” to the opinions they like and suit their passions like never before.

Don’t be like them.

Here’s how you get a following:

Make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all that Jesus commended. (Matt 28:19-20)

It’s easier to build the idols that the people want, than it is to call them to worship the God they don’t want. But that’s why you’re a preacher.

So preach.