BibleSponge

Wow.  You hear about it all the time, yet it never quite hits home until you see it first hand.  I’m talking about Pulpit Pimps defined as…

Pulpit Pimps (pul-pit pimps)
One who prostitutes the Gospel of Jesus Christ for financial benefit while members of the congregation are dying in their sin lacking being fed spiritually

My daughter and I were recently off for a weekend enjoying the mighty Detroit Red Wings (they won of course) and were in a city where a supposed phenomenal ministry lived.  So, we rose early Sunday to check it out before the game.

Though you may figure it out, I’ll not name the church or the pastor, as that is not the point here.  I just want to draw attention to such abominations in the church landscape and hope that they are called out and that they see the devastation they are causing in the Kingdom.

We were greeted at the doors like any other church.  As we walked in the sanctuary, it was overwhelming seeing the extravagant layout on the supposed pulpit and thousands upon thousands of seats.  So far, so good.

Worship began with music (I think it’s laughable when pastors say “after worship…”  Shouldn’t worship continue through the whole service?).  The music was very inviting as vocalists and musicians sang out praises backed by a ginormous choir.  Although most of the music part of worship seemed authentic, there were several times it bordered on entertainment, especially when the pastor took over it later on in the service (dancing around singing R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”…probably thinking about all the money about to come in).

On to the message (or whatever was about to take place).  After music, a gentleman appeared and like an emcee winding up a crowd at some event, verbally played up the pastor about to appear.  Awkward, but we were still going along.

Enter the pastor.  He started out directing the church to 1 Timothy 3.  However, we never really made it there.   He was quickly distracted to a member’s testimony.  At the end of a heart-wrenching moment of the climax of this man’s testimony, WHAM! he get’s knocked upside the head and laid out on the stage.  One down several more to go.

You see, there was no message.  There was only feel good stories of testimonies that always ended with a reference to money.  Want to be free from debt, give money.  Want to end your woes of meekness, give money.  Want healed, give money. And on and on and on and on.

This church has a prep school and bible college.  But at it’s heart is an amount of hollowness and deceit that is criminal.  This is what happens when people are out of their mind and see godliness as a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5).

I believe pastors should be well compensated.  It’s one of the hardest jobs on earth.  However, godliness is not in the car you drive or the suits you wear.  Pastors should “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)

Let me ask you something,

What benefit is it to the lost person that may have wondered in to this dog and pony show?  How is going around wackin’ people on the head and talking about money going to do anything for that person?

There is no benefit.  Only to the pocket of the pastor.

We have people dying everyday in their sin of homosexuality, addiction, fornication, abuse, etc. and abominations like these Pulpit Pimp$ thriving off it.

In taking all of this in, I go back to Matthew 21:12-17 where Jesus drives out the money changers in the temple.  Yes, Pulpit Pimp$, your day is coming.  Jesus will clean out the temple and return it to a ‘house of prayer’ and not the ‘den of robbers’ (Matthew 21:13) you have allowed it to become.

JS