Preaching We Need To Hear

I was thinking about this last week, and a conversation with a friend on Saturday night reinforced it: What topics are preachers today not preaching about, but really should?

Here is a list of several topics I think preachers in America really need to preach about more often, regardless of how they think their flocks will receive these topics. [Note: This is not intended in any way to be a criticism of my own pastor.]

1. Sin and Salvation; Heaven and Hell. Hell, in particular, is an unpopular topic these days. Yet how many millions came to Christ in part because they did not want to spend an eternity there? Why are we minimizing the fact that damnation in hell for eternity is a very real event that will occur to every man or woman who does not accept Christ's gift of salvation?

Salvation, of course, should be a frequent topic. Just consider how many unsaved people walk into churches every week.

2. Love Not The World (1 John 2:15-17). One of the biggest problems in American Christianity is that we think that God does not care that we want to do what the world and the devil want us to do. This is a lie from Satan himself: That we can be worldly and still please God. No man can serve two masters. No man should try.

3. Certain activities, and in particular certain entertainments, are sins. Not matters of "Christian liberty" or "personal choice;" not matters of taste; they are sins. Swearing is a sin. Intentionally looking at pornography is sin. Watching wicked TV shows and movies is sin. Listening to various kinds of ungodly music is sin. In short, anything that detracts from your testimony and drags others toward worldliness is sin.

Pastors need to name names and get specific. They need to get up and say that watching some of the popular shows and listening to some of the popular artists is wrong—i.e., it is sin—because of what it does for—i.e., against—the cause of Christ. Which brings me to...

4. Modesty is a requirement, not an option. Sad to say, it appears most men either don't tell their wives, don't care, or (worse yet) encourage their wives to be immodest. It seems that most Christian women in America today are willing to show off their cleavage, bellies, backsides, upper legs, and other parts of their bodies that should be reserved for the view of their husbands...or they dress in a way that hints far too strongly about what is there. They appear oblivious to the fact that they are provoking wicked thoughts in the minds of men—and that is sin.

Men are not exempt, either. And a lot of men need to be rebuked for allowing their wives and daughters to dress immodestly.