In modern-day Christianity it seems that there's no shortage of self-proclaimed prophets. They make bold claims about the future. They'll insist that God measures your faithfulness by how much you give to their ministries. They preach of an angry God who seems to hate the same people they do.
It's all a crock of shit.
Don't believe me?
Jesus even said so.
He laid out simple and practical ways to judge the merit of a prophet. Are they false prophets and manipulative teachers? You bet.
For several weeks, we've been journeying through the Sermon on the Mount. It's the centerpiece of Christ's teachings and the ethics of the Kingdom of God. This week, we'll talk about false prophets and religious grifters.
Charlatans were as commonplace in the first century as they are today.
Today's false prophets and pastors seem to embody the humility, wisdom, and grace of a middle school bully as they lie, boast, and manipulate to get what they want. They are not servant leaders; they are narcissists and frauds peddling a false gospel that misleads and deceives.
Jesus doesn't mince words when he speaks of them, either. They have no role in God's work of reconciling and healing humanity.
The kingdom of God will never be about marketing and salesmanship. Nor was it meant to be a tool to build the celebrity and wealth of pastors.
The kingdom of God is unfolding here and now through acts of service, compassion, grace, and love.
If the core of Christ's message is about serving and loving others, anything else is the anthesis to the faith.
Join us today as we unpack the simple yet, practical way of Jesus. It looks nothing like modern-day Christendom, and that's a good thing.
We'll talk about all that and more snark!
Show notes
Episode Timestamp:
Critical Race Theory / CRT: 2:30
Main Conversation/Sermon on the Mount: 25:00
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