What Do People Need From Their Pastors Today?
Pastors have a crucial role in helping our people see God and stay pure in a world filled with competing influences.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of spreading a passion for the centrality and supremacy of God into people's lives, highlighting the negative influences of consumerism, materialism, and sexual content in mainstream media. The speaker reflects on the impact of media on thoughts and purity, urging the audience to focus on God's purity and presence amidst worldly distractions.
Full Transcript
Where, I ask you, are our people going to get this if not from you? That's my closing thought. The world and all kinds of institutions have agendas for our people and how to make their lives better. One thing they need from you above all, and that is to spread into their lives a passion for the centrality and the supremacy of God.
But nobody else is helping them with this. We get one hour, maybe, a week. I was in Detroit.
I don't have a television, so I'm kind of out of it. You can use names of really famous TV stars and I won't know who you're talking about. So I don't get into a problem with watching football on TV.
Frankly, I borrow TV sometimes. But I don't have one, just because that's one of my weaknesses. So I'm in Detroit airport, and you know the Detroit airport if you've ever been there.
They've got these gigantic screens with the TV up there, and it's Sunday, and oh, I forget who was playing. They looked like the Green Bay Packers. That was Green Bay.
Like I knew something? It wasn't the Green Bay Packers. It's yellow and green, some other team. And so they were playing.
And I said, cool. I've got ten minutes to watch this. I like good football.
And probably out of those ten minutes, six were advertisements. Now the quantity is not the problem. It's the crap that was in there.
And then it hit me, my people are watching this. Three hours worth. One hour of it, or an hour and a half, is junk.
It's consumerism, it's materialism, it's sexual titillation. And I just sat there thinking, I'm feeling dirty right now. I'm feeling tempted right now.
I have thoughts going into my head right now with that neckline and that stuff. I didn't want that. I don't need that.
I need God. I've got to stay pure for my people. And our people are going there over and over again, saturating their minds.
So my point is, who's going to help them? Who's going to help them see God?
Sermon Outline
- I. The World's Influence on Our People
- A. The world and institutions have agendas for our people's lives
- B. These agendas often promote consumerism, materialism, and immorality
- II. The Need for Pastors to Fill the Void
- A. Pastors have a unique opportunity to spread a passion for God's centrality and supremacy
- B. This is crucial for our people's spiritual well-being
- III. The Challenge of Competing Influences
- A. The world's influence is pervasive and can be overwhelming
- B. Pastors must be intentional in their ministry to counteract this influence
Key Quotes
“I need God. I've got to stay pure for my people.” — John Piper
“Who's going to help them? Who's going to help them see God?” — John Piper
Application Points
- As pastors, we must be intentional in our ministry to promote God's truth and values.
- We must stay pure and focused on God in order to effectively minister to our people.
- Our people need us to help them see God and stay pure in a world filled with competing influences.