A PASTOR WITHOUT POWER IS A LECTURER
LET ME RESPOND TO THE SERIOUS DEBATE GOING ON RIGHT NOW ON CHURCH NEWSPAPER BEFORE SOME PHARISEES CAN COMFORT BELIEVERS IN POWERLESSNESS.
#ColdBloodedBelievers
By Pastor Kelvin J. Zulu
A PASTOR WITHOUT POWER IS A LECTURER
#VERYTRUE
2 Timothy 3:5 NASB
“Holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”
This Scripture gives us a serious principle: there can be a form of godliness without the power of godliness. There can be religious appearance without spiritual reality, biblical knowledge (theologians) without revelation, and preaching without the manifestation of the life of Christ.
This is why the statement, “A pastor without power is a lecturer,” should not simply be dismissed. Take it as a challenge to every pastor instead of getting offended and being defensive.
7 POINTS FOR EVERY PASTOR /BELIEVER
1. NOT EVERYONE CALLED “PASTOR” WAS CALLED BY GOD. SOME HAVE NO AUTHORITY.
“Pastor” can be a genuine ministry office, but it can also be used as a title. A person can call himself a pastor, carry a Bible, stand on a pulpit and speak about God without necessarily being divinely called and empowered for ministry.
NOTE; Despite 3 years+ of intense learning, Jesus still instructed His disciples NOT to go straight into preaching what they learned, but to first “tarry in Jerusalem until you are clothed with the Holy Spirit and with power”.
Therefore, a title is not a calling, a pulpit is not anointing, and biblical knowledge and experience is not spiritual authority.
2. NOT EVERYONE WHO OPENS THE BIBLE IS PREACHING THE GOSPEL
The Bible contains history, law, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, religious instruction and, above all, the revelation of God’s redemptive purpose in Christ.
A lecturer can teach biblical history. A teacher can teach Religious Education. An academic can analyse Scripture. A theologian can explain doctrines with Greek and Hebrew words. All of these may involve legitimate knowledge of the Bible and others can even have the title of pastor..
But the Gospel is more than information about the Bible. The Gospel reveals Christ and carries the power of God unto salvation. Hence, Jesus Christ had a “running battle” with pharisees despite that they were so educated and teaching from the same scroll.
Paul declared:
Romans 1:16 NASB “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”
Therefore, someone may be preaching from the Bible without actually preaching Christ as the Gospel.
3. THE PHARISEES SHOW US THAT RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE ALONE IS NOT POWER
The Pharisees were highly knowledgeable in the Scriptures and religious traditions of their time. They knew the Law and taught others, yet Jesus repeatedly confronted them because their religious knowledge was not producing the life of God.
They had the Scriptures, but they rejected the One to whom the Scriptures pointed.
Jesus said:
John 5:39 NASB “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.”
This is the danger of having the Bible in your hand without Christ ruling in your heart.
Paul himself had extraordinary religious education, having been educated under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Yet religious education alone did not make him a minister of the Gospel. His life and ministry, as a powerless carnal theologian, only changed when he encountered Christ.
The same Scriptures can therefore be handled by different people, yet produce completely different results depending on whether the person is merely explaining the text or ministering under the revelation and power of the Holy Spirit.
4. POWER IS MORE THAN FALLING, SHOUTING OR CASTING OUT DEMONS
This is important because, instead of addressing the matter at hand, others are addressing the meaning of power.
When we speak about power, we must not reduce it to manifestations only yet we cannot completely remove it from the gospel of Christ
*Jesus cast out demons (Power)
*Jesus healed the sick. (Power)
Jesus walked on water (Power)
*Supernatural manifestations accompanied His ministry as a teacher why not you?
However, the greatest expression of Gospel power is salvation and transformation.
Romans 1:16 NASB the Gospel is:
“the power of God for salvation.”
The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).
Therefore, a sermon can be delivered quietly without anyone falling to the ground, yet someone may repent, surrender to Christ, forgive an enemy, abandon sin and begin living a transformed life.
That is also power.
BUT DON’T SETTLE THERE. DESIRE ALSO TO HEAL THE SICK, CAST OUT DEVILS ETC
5. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONVINCING AND CONVICTING
A preacher (pastor) can become very skilled at convincing people to remain in his denomination, defend his doctrine or organisation, attend his programmes and support his ministry.
But that is NOT necessarily the power of the Gospel.
The Gospel does not primarily say:
“Come and join our denomination.” But It says: “Come to Christ.”
Paul said:
2 Corinthians 4:5 NASB
“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord.”
*The true Gospel produces people who know God, repent, believe, obey, grow and live for Christ, even beyond denominational boundaries.
6. THE WORD MUST FIRST WORK IN THE PREACHER
A preacher must not merely know the Bible academically. He must allow the Word to work in him.
He must study it, meditate upon it, obey it and allow the Holy Spirit to make it living and experiential in his heart for him to preach with power.
Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:16 NASB “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.”
*There is a difference between preaching information from the Bible and preaching from life. The word of God written on the tablets of our hearts that has been transformed by the Word is what produces power NOT theology.
Knowledge gives information.
But when the Word and the Spirit work together, the preacher ministers life and reveals power.
7. THE FIVEFOLD TEACHER IS NOT THE SAME AS A SCHOOL TEACHER
Ephesians 4:11 speaks of the ministry gifts:
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.”
The teacher in the fivefold ministry is a divine ministry gift. That should not be confused with the ordinary profession of being a teacher or university lecturer who can also mount the pulpit and can call themselves pastor.
A person may possess academic qualifications and be an excellent lecturer without being called to fivefold ministry.
Therefore:
Education can give knowledge.
Training can give skill.
But calling gives divine assignment, and the Holy Spirit gives spiritual power.
IN A NUTSHELL;
*A pastor does not become powerful merely because he has a title, a theological degree, a large congregation, a powerful voice or an ability to explain Scripture.
Neither should “power” be measured only by people falling, shouting, speaking in tongues or demons being cast out. Yet this manifestation cannot be completely taken away from the gospel of Christ which is not only in words but in the demonstration of God’s power.
*The ultimate question is: Is Christ being revealed? Are people being convicted? Are sinners being saved? Are lives being transformed? Are believers being brought into deeper obedience to God?
Paul declared: 1 Corinthians 4:20 NASB
“For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”
Therefore, the statement “A pastor without power is a lecturer” is a challenge to every preacher:
Are you merely explaining the Bible, or is Christ being revealed through your ministry?
Are you producing informed church members, or transformed disciples?
Are you building denominational loyalty, or are you leading people to Christ?
Because a title can put you on the pulpit.
A degree can give you knowledge.
Experience can give you skill.
But only the Holy Spirit can make the ministry a channel through which the power of the Gospel is manifested.
REMEMBER;
🔥 THE PULPIT IS NOT MERELY A CLASSROOM.
🔥 THE GOSPEL IS NOT MERELY RELIGIOUS INFORMATION OR HISTORY
🔥 THE BIBLE IS NOT MERELY AN ACADEMIC TEXTBOOK.
🔥 THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT IN WORD ONLY, BUT IN POWER.