The difference between what we preach and do truly determines the level and depth of our faith. As a preacher, I understand that churches can be guilty of “preacher talk.” “Preacher talk” is when the preacher speaks in this ideal and convicted way about what the Bible says and what we should do, but the church, and often the preacher, doesn’t take it serious enough to do it. The works of the church actually demonstrate the convictions and faith of the church more than what is preached.
Patrick Lencioni’s made this statement about secular companies that reminded me of this truth.
Once an organization successfully identifies and describes its core values and separates them from the other kinds, it must then do its best to be intolerant of violations of those values. It must ensure that every activity it undertakes, every employee it hires, and every policy it enacts reflects those core values. Few organizations actually take this important step, instead allowing their values to be minimized as mere idealism rather than building blocks of operation and culture (The Advantage, p. 101).
Sadly that quote hits close to home for most churches. In reality, there will always be some gap because we are sinful humans, but we should not allow a large gap between the “ideal” (what God requires in His Word and we preach) and what we do. James teaches us to be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
Leaders must live their faith and hold the church accountable to Scripture. If they don’t practice what is taught they unwittingly foster a “gap” culture where the church is comfortable with hearing, but not doing.
- If you preach evangelism, but do little actual evangelism.
- If you teach church discipline, but never practice church discipline.
- If you preach the necessity of worship attendance, but allow appointed church leaders to be exempt from those standards.
- If you speak against the sins of the tongue, but allow those who gossip to go unrebuked and uncensored.
- If you say we follow the Biblical qualifications for elders and deacons, but allow an influential and wealthy man to be appointed who is not qualified.
You get the point. Jesus called such living hypocrisy! We are all guilty to some measure. I certainly am hypocritical in many of the sermons I preach. But if this becomes the norm for your church, your convictions are watered down and your faith is a show. Your leadership loses all credibility. Growing churches are ones that hold clear convictions and aren’t ashamed to enforce those. Leaders will be challenged, just like a toddler challenges a parent who makes a rule, the more you fail to live the convictions and values you set, the more the church loses its way!
