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Christian Leadership Training Course

By J.C. Choate

Lesson 24

Preachers Not Needed

Though we realize that all leaders in the church are essential to the Lord’s body and its work, in this study we are giving more attention to the preacher himself, because there is such a great need for well-trained and knowledgeable preachers. Yet, we are going to discuss at this time some preachers not needed.

In every segment of society, in every type of profession, there are always some misfits, some who do more harm than good, some who take advantage of the situation to promote their own selfish interest. The same is likewise true in the Lord’s work. There are some that are drawn to preaching and being a minister in the church who are not needed nor wanted. This is the case because of their motives, the kind of life they are living, and their unwillingness to comply with the teaching of God’s word.

Needless to say, if they are not converted or if they are not members of the Lord’s church, they are spiritually unqualified to preach the gospel. Now let us consider a number of others who are not needed.

1. Women cannot serve as public preachers, speaking to adult mixed audiences. Nowhere in the New Testament do you ever read where a woman served in such a capacity. There are cases where a woman personally or privately taught adults, both men and women. Public preaching, that is, to mixed audiences, was always done by men. Christ commanded the apostles (all men) to take the gospel into all the world (Mark 16:15,16). Was the Lord unfair in not including women? No, since men have been given work to do and women have also been given work to do. The Lord knew man and woman, what was the best for them, and so that was His decision. For men and women to be competing with each other in preaching would have been disastrous. We can see even in the secular world what is happening when men and women are competing with each other for all kinds of jobs. It actually causes them to become enemies. But this cannot be the case in the Lord’s church, because those who ignore the Lord’s teaching will be rejected. In that case, what would be accomplished?

2. Homosexuals are not needed as preachers. True, there are some religious groups that have given in to pressure and accepted them, but what have they accomplished? Homosexuality is an immoral practice and the Bible condemns it. It is not normal and natural. Paul describes these kinds of people when he said to the Romans, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:24-32). How can you imagine people with a background like this wanting to become preachers? What would they preach? First of all, they need to repent. But that is not all. We are talking about people who were like those who lived in Sodom and God destroyed them because of their wickedness, and the sin of sodomy, homosexuality and immorality has come down to us today from that period of time (Genesis 18 and 19). Paul says that the effeminate, the abusers of themselves with mankind, and such like cannot enter the kingdom of God or the church (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). Is there any doubt as to who he is talking about? Have you ever wondered what a homosexual would preach?

3. Immoral men are not wanted as preachers. As with the homosexuals, the scriptures condemn immorality such as fornication, adultery, and other sexual activities. Such is said to be a work of the flesh and needs to be repented of at once (Galatians 5:19-21). Those who have become entangled in divorce and remarriage should not become preachers, and if such has taken place after they have become preachers, it would be advisable to quit preaching. Even if they were not at fault, or have scripturally corrected their lives, still it would be better not to continue to preach since all of that would become a stumbling block for man. Then what to do? Just try to be a faithful Christian.

4. Unfaithful Christians should not preach. Neither should they preach if they have been scripturally withdrawn from by the church. Preaching demands that one be faithful to the Lord, that he practice what he preaches. If he himself has not corrected his own life, how can he help others?

5. False teachers are not needed. Sometimes one is a faithful preacher for a while but then he himself is deceived and he begins to preach some false teaching. In such a case, he should be disciplined since he is no longer teaching the truth, and in preaching error he will deceive people and cause them to be lost (2 John 9-11; Romans 16:17,18).

6. Hireling preachers are not needed. They are not working for the Lord but for themselves. They will preach whatever you pay them to preach. This is condemned by the Lord Himself (John 10:11-13).

7. Those who love this world and love money are not needed as preachers. There are some who get too involved with the world, are dishonest, do questionable things, constantly striving for more money, and the material things of this life. John said that we should not love the world or put those things first in our lives (1 John 2:15-17). Paul said that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). We must put the Lord and His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).

We do need preachers, and lots of them, but they need to be men who are truly converted, dedicated, faithful to God, having a love for the Lord and His cause, and will therefore work hard to spread the cause of Christ.

Do you want to be a preacher? If so, are you willing to pay the price?