Fixating on One Issue

Fixating on One Issue

“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:27

Have you ever known people that are obsessed with one subject? No matter what you try to talk to them about, it always goes back to that one thing. There are pastors that every sermon they preach, they somehow tie it in with their favorite hobby-horse issue. Fixating on one issue is a common tendency that many of us struggle with. The Bible is a deep book, so as Christians, and especially as pastors, we need to make a concerted effort to stay balanced.

Some preachers only like to talk about the King James Bible versus other versions. Others focus on end-times prophecy, creation versus evolution, or even specific false religions. Some people want to blame all of the evil in the world on Islam or Catholicism, and they wonder why I don’t preach more about their most hated religion. They need to realize that the Devil is in control of all false religions, so I try to hit on all of them.

I don’t want to be known for just one thing. I don’t want to be just that post-trib guy, because I also want to be the guy that defends the King James Bible. I want to be the one that takes a hard stand against the homos, but I also have a lot to say about Bible reading and memorization. I like to preach sermons on marriage and child rearing, but I’m also all about soul winning.

Little kids often want to watch the same movie or hear the same book read to them over and over again, but as we get older our interests should broaden. Babes in Christ will often want to fixate on a convenient doctrine that doesn’t require a change in their life. They want to keep hearing how bad the homos are or what’s going to happen in the end times. They aren’t interested in hearing preaching against their besetting sin, but that’s precisely what they need to hear.

If you are considering becoming a pastor, you need to take an interest in a variety of different subjects—both popular and unpopular. One of the reasons I like doing the Wednesday night chapter sermons is that it forces me to preach about things I may not have otherwise thought to preach on.

There are people in the pulpits as well as in the pews that go overboard on certain things. We need to make sure that we get a well-rounded view of Scripture instead of trying to make every chapter of the Bible about that one doctrine we are fixated on. This is especially true for aspiring pastors. People will enjoy the preaching when they first start attending a new church, but they will quickly become bored once they realize the sermons all revolve around one topic. If you want to grow spiritually, you need a balanced diet, and if you are a preacher, you need to avoid running any one subject into the ground.

Here is a sermon to go with this article.