Dear Pastor Mike, Why Do You Offend People?
Please don’t misunderstand me—I really appreciate your teaching. You are insightful and unique, especially compared to other pastors I listen to. But sometimes, it feels like you push things just a bit too far. From a friendly perspective, I think the church might grow even faster if you dialed things back a little. Could you consider easing up on the edge?
Answer:
Hmm…
It sounds like this is mostly a compliment—so thank you, I think?! Let me offer a few thoughts in response:
The Church Isn’t a Business
While the free market has done a lot of good for society, it’s also shaped how people see the purpose of the church—and not always in a healthy way. The church is not a business, and the “customer” isn’t always right. In fact, when it comes to spiritual truths, we’re often wrong.
The church’s mission is fundamentally different from a business’s goal. We’re here to counter culture, not conform to it. And if the church is faithful to her calling, it will naturally cause some friction with the culture around us. History teaches us that the most culturally popular churches often become the most spiritually hollow.
The Enlightenment and the Rise of Individualism
The Enlightenment shifted the center of the universe to the human heart, fostering the belief that truth is something we discover within ourselves rather than something revealed to us from beyond.
There are so many examples. I’ll just offer one. Bible sales are up nearly 20% this year, but many of the most popular versions are journaling Bibles—designed for placing your personal thoughts right beside the Bible verses. If you scroll through Christian social media posts, you’ll notice that journaling Bible pictures often focus (literally) on personal reflections about the Bible rather than the Bible itself. It’s like we’re all saying, “Hey everyone, look what I think about this Bible verse. That’s the important part.” Don’t hear me wrong. I’m swimming in this post-Enlightenment culture too—guilty!
This trend of placing our thoughts in parallel with the Bible would seem strange to much of church history. The Bible isn’t just another book for personal interpretation—it’s the ultimate standard by which truth should be measured. Journaling is great (I journal a lot), but we must remember that the Word of God is unique and vastly above our thoughts.
(Side note: I probably just offended some “enlightened” folks by saying that—lol!)
A Prophetic Calling
I’ve been told I have a prophetic bent. What does that mean? It means I feel compelled to point out where things don’t align with God’s truth. My preaching isn’t first aimed at winning favor with people—it’s driven by a deep conviction and trust in the Word of God.
We’re living in a chaotic time: artificial intelligence, government secrets about aliens, political polarization, economic instability, and the runaway train of postmodernism coming at us full force. But even in this cultural storm, I don’t feel lost. My head is clear, and my gaze is fixed on the North Star: Jesus saves.
That’s the message people need, and I can’t help but proclaim it—even when it offends someone’s version of truth.
So, I hope you’ll keep listening and leaning in. Just know that the primary “applause” I’m seeking comes from the nail-scarred hands, not yours.
Blessings,
Pastor Mike
