Goat Herding 101

There is a new term for pastors that have abandoned gospel preaching in lieu of inspiring and motivating people coming into the building on Sunday. And this came from another pastor so the term is not original with me. This is simply called "goat herding" and it really doesn't have much or anything to do with the sheep. Instead of feeding the sheep within the congregation relevant messages are given to attract and feed the goats. Can we find this model within the New Testament? Is that what the apostle Paul says in Romans Chapter 1? Isn't the context of those at Rome who are the believers? And the apostle Paul is preaching the gospel to them! When is the last time the "Seeker-Friendly, Emerging, Emergent groups" preached the gospel to the sheep and fed them!

Below is the beginning of a preaching series from a local church pastor that has a mega-church (over 2000 people). He is extremely popular and the church is the fastest growing or second fasting growing church in America. Does that mean that this has God's blessing? In America we equate numbers with success right? Anyway this is a sermon review from Chris Rosebrough at Fighting for the Faith. As a former pastor I endorse this kind of review from those who sat under my preaching or for those now who sit under my Bible teaching. We need to be good Bereans and examine everything with the plumb line of God's word, Acts 17:11. However now-a-days in America most people are very Bible illiterate in terms of reading and understanding good solid doctrine. And therefore when they sit under a false gospel or no gospel it doesn't register on their spiritual radar screen at all. Charles Spurgeon once said that "discernment is not the ability to tell right from wrong, but right from almost right." It is sad when pastors leave the main message of Christ-crucified and have the main message of man glorified.

In this message review see if you hear more about Christ crucified or more about man and his tremendous potential. I pray that in these days God will give those in our city ears to hear the gospel. Recently I studied and taught Matthew 7:13-27. This is the section of Scripture where the Lord Jesus actually says "Depart from Me those who practice evil, I knew you not." This is in context of Jesus speaking of two roads that a person can be on, either the broad road that leads to destruction or the narrow road that leads to life. One of the factors that Jesus then expounds on are for those that have been waved onto the broad road by the false prophets. Do we understand that in the last days many false prophets will arise and mislead many? How do we classify pastors in which a partial gospel or no gospel at all is preached?

Here is a recent sermon review and would ask those who listen a couple of questions:
1. Is this sermon Christ centered or man centered?
2. Can you pick out where the gospel of Christ is clearly proclaimed for the sheep?

Listen carefully:
Christ centered or man centered - Rosebrough