Sermon Illustrations

Preach the Right Message

Take a look at the example of Pastor Carlton Pearson from Tulsa, Oklahoma. By all standards, he was a very successful preacher with a church of over 5,000 members. Well-known for being a powerful speaker, he reached many and continued to grow his church.

However, one day he came to a conclusion that there was no hell. He began to preach this message and reduced his megachurch from the weekly thousands to a handful of followers. The point isn’t that the church reduced in size, but that such a successful preacher could lose his way so quickly. You see, he stopped focusing on what the Bible had to say about eternal life and focused solely on the mercy of God. He ignored the fact that God is a just God as well as the judgment day mentioned in Revelation, the punishment of the great flood and the numerous captivities that Israel suffered through their existence as a people. Yes, God is merciful, but he is also described as a God of justice. Crime requires punishment.

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