MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING IS NOT PREACHING

Wednesday 12 March

As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. 2 Corinthians 2:1-2 (AMPC)

Did you know that some preaching in the Body of Christ is not preaching Christ at all? In this devotion we are going to look at the differences between preaching and what is a motivational message. By the end, you will have gained some practical ways that you can discern between what is the gospel of Christ and what is another gospel that is being spoken to you. Let’s start with our opening passage.

Firstly, we are told that Paul did not use words that were too high for most people’s understanding. About Jesus the Bible says the common people heard Him gladly. He wasn’t trying to be eloquent for the sake of eloquence. When he did use more comprehensive words, it was for the purpose of delivering his message with clarity and precision. It was never to sound clever.

Paul was also against using human philosophy or wisdom when it came to preaching and teaching the Word of Christ. This doesn’t mean that he did not present intelligent arguments in his presentation of the gospel but it was in the light of the wisdom of God and not man. Philosophy is man’s attempt to be wise or the pursuit of wisdom based on man’s fallacies and not Christ’s realities.

So what are the differences between the preaching of Christ and motivational speaking? A big one is the focus of the message. Preaching is centred around Christ. Motivation is centred around you. ‘Becoming the best version of yourself’ is an example as opposed to who Christ has made you. Titles such as How to make it in life. Five keys for faith. 3 steps to freedom. 7 blessings for financial success. 4 laws for breakthrough…Motivational speaking comes from the point of view that there is something more that you need to do. In some ways it is not dissimilar to the requirements of the law in the fact that there was always something else to add to the list.

Another theme is the idea of needing to get somewhere or getting ‘there’ like you are still on your way, moving towards a destination.

Hebrews 12:22a says ‘But you are come unto mount Zion’… for the Jews it was described as Zion. For the believer it is described as Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17a says ‘if any man be in Christ he is a new creature’

If we are born of the Spirit, we are not marching on our way to Zion anymore than we are heading toward Christ. The fact that Christ is also in us tells us that there is no need to go anywhere. He is our ‘there’, He is our destination. We have arrived.

Another major difference is who the gospel revolves around. Motivation is all about you and the gospel is all about Christ. It’s the order that determines its classification. Let me explain.

Ephesians 3:20 says

‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,’

So the focus here is not the Christian who has the power but the person of Christ that lives in the Christian who is the source of the power.

‘Jesus is the head of all principality and power’ and He lives in me by the personality of His Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says, ‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’

For example: Because the healer lives in me I can heal.

Motivational messages put the cart before the horse so to speak. Phrases like: One day you will make it. Hold on to your dream… A lot of people think that the story of Joseph in Genesis is a motivational message for you when in fact it is a parable using the life of Joseph to reveal Christ.

In 2 Timothy 4:3 Paul gives this warning ‘For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.’

And do you know what everyone’s favourite subject is? Themselves. ‘Tell me more’ . Notice that these teachers are not teachers of the word but of philosophy and enticing words of human wisdom.

Some have confusion in their approach because they have a mixture of the message Christ and motivational speaking. They might say ‘in Christ you have arrived’ and in their next breath they are giving you a message on ‘8 ways to become a success’. Are you beginning to see the contradiction in this type of ‘sermon’

Just like you can’t mix law and grace, you cannot join preaching Christ and motivational speaking together. If you do, you will have created a monster. There is a vast difference between just being positive and living by the truth of God’s Word even though the lesser is included in the greater.

We don’t need motivation. We need inspiration. God breathed words that Jesus said are spirit and life. Christianity is a transformation from the inside out not some kind of self-help exercise. The one that needed help died. You came up in their place. Are you seeing the difference.

‘For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God’ Colossians 3:3.

Stay grounded with the Word of Christ.

APPLICATION

Be mindful of the content of the messages that you listen to and make sure they are Christ centred and not man centred so you can grow in Godly wisdom and insight.