Saturday, October 25, 2008
Silent Watchdogs
Just out of curiosity, which of the following would you pay for, or hire?
- an alarm clock that doesn’t go off
- a referee who doesn’t make tough calls
- a thermometer that doesn’t show the right temperature
- a babysitter who doesn’t make children abide by rules
- a knife that won’t cut
- a watchdog that doesn’t bark
It goes without saying that none of the above would be wise investments. What good is an alarm clock that doesn’t go off or a watchdog that doesn’t bark? Who in the world would pay good money for something that doesn’t do its job? Wait! I think I know the answer to that question. Let me explain.
It seems to be a trend throughout history that truth-tellers are often hired only to be fired, or even killed, for doing the very thing they were hired to do. This group of people includes many Old Testament prophets, Jesus Christ himself, and most of Jesus’ disciples. Often these men were killed because they chose to speak truth in spite of public laws or public opinion. It seems that their contemporaries wanted prophets, but only the kind who were politically correct. When these truth-tellers dared to sound an alarm, make a call, cut to the chase, or ask their audience to abide by God’s rules, they were quickly rebuked, relieved of their position and, often, murdered.
As a result such of treatment, many would-be truth tellers have been tempted to speak only the “truth” that is currently in vogue. The Bible had some rather harsh words for such religious leaders:
For the leaders of my people — the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds — are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. Isaiah 56:10-11 NLT
What good is a preacher who doesn’t sound alarms, make tough calls or hold people to God’s rules for life? No one benefits from such preaching, yet how often we hear of pastors being dismissed for daring to preach Biblical concepts rather than blandly echoing the philosophies of our culture. It would appear that some congregations seem more concerned about being politically correct than they are about being Biblically correct. In essence, some pastors have been hired to be a watchman, but then have been asked not to warn of impending danger. It goes without saying that such a position would be completely frustrating to the man, and completely useless to the congregation. Many countries have routinely silenced preachers who did not synchronize their message with that of the government. America is drifting in that direction. It is important that the people in the pew insure against such foolishness.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the preachers who still speak the truth in love, in spite of the rising tide of intolerance toward morality and righteousness. I would like to thank all the congregations who hire pastors and then support them when they bravely shine their light into our dark world -- that’s what preachers are supposed to do. If we force them to be people-pleasers, we remove their bark. This week might be a good time for you to thank your pastor for speaking truth no matter how politically incorrect or socially unacceptable it might be.
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