Bible Text: 2 Timothy 4:2-3 | Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine…. 2 Timothy 4:2-3

If the letters and the phone calls which come to me are a reflection of what people think about church today, there are an awful lot of individuals asking, “Whatever happened to that ol’ time religion?” I fully understand that today’s program will be heard by you, friends, who live in nearly a hundred different countries of the world, and your church may indeed be different from churches elsewhere.

But to balance that, I’ve also come to understand that our world has become a global village. Pastors tend to be influenced by the same things–no matter where they live. They want to be known as successful leaders, and success the world over tends to be measured by how large their churches are. Infected with a “neurosis of numbers,” thinking that large numbers of people equal success, more than a few pastors major in marketing rather than ministry. They focus on communication rather than proclamation.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are five models which describe churches today: One, there is the entertainment model. Here music is usually provided by an upbeat combo, often loud enough to blow the batteries out of a hearing aid. Don’t expect to know the words of the songs, but you’ll pick up a few lines which repeat themselves. Pastors of these churches are humorous. They make you laugh quite a bit, and besides, happy people tend to give more.

Another approach is described as the “pop psychology model.” Their motto is “patch ’em up and send ’em out!” Feeling good is important, these pastors have learned. Major themes deal with winning over worry, guilt, fear, anxiety, and, certainly, poverty. You hear what you would like to believe, that God can’t want you to feel bad about yourself. Depressed people aren’t successful, and the message is designed to help you succeed.

The third model is described as the “social contract” model. Sermons are not long, but they sound like the editorial section of your newspaper. You’ll hear a point of view espoused by the pastor that reflects what he thinks should be done in the world–whether it is equality or the acceptance of left-handed individuals like me who are discriminated against when it comes to sitting next to right-handed people on crowded airplanes. Pastors whose teaching fits this model interpret Scripture rather liberally and seldom quote it unless it was something that Jesus happened to say which can be made to fit into their social reformation.

The fourth model is what I describe as the “contemporary model.” Here, more than a few evangelicals are reaching large segments of our population. “Among the strengths of contemporary preaching are its relevance to the listener, its communication of love to the audience, and its focus on application,” says Rick McDaniel. Pastors focus on “felt needs” and strive to apply the Scriptures as a kind of spiritual band-aid to broken lives. Often Bible verses–like salt and pepper which give flavor–are sprinkled in messages. Illustrations are from everyday life–seldom from Scripture. You hear a lot about life; little about God. The context isn’t the important thing–the application is.

Finally, there is Biblical exposition and teaching. Here pastors believe the knowledge of the Word brings a knowledge of God, and with an understanding of who God is comes the expectation of what our lives should be, a knowledge of right and wrong. This, of course, may not have the popular appeal of other models, but it results in changed lives–disciples in the words of Scripture. It is this that really counts. Think about it.

Resource reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-8