ONE of my greatest assets as a believer was to be raised during the time when there were not so many sound books available.
We had the likes of E W Kenyon whose books were not easily available like they’re today as well as many other spiritually sound and doctrinally error proof resources.
I don’t preach from any Bible book that I have not read that particular week.
We’re told by Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
A sincere believer should read the Bible through in a year and a preacher countless times per year.
I want to make two disclaimers before I proceed. It’s worthy noting that I am not the measurement of good or bad sermon, the Bible is.
I’m not a spokesman for Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy. I don’t even agree with him on so many issues like “Holy” Communion, water baptism, among others.
However, I find it nauseating to hear some preachers from “Pagomba” or First Street in Harare saying Pastor Chris “haana shoko” loosely meaning he doesn’t know and have the Word of God in articulation as a message or sermon.
- Of Uzziah must die
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If Pastor Chris is wordless, then I don’t know what the Word is.
Some of these preachers; I shudder to call these folktale entertainers preachers because all they do is to have a Bible story and spew vitriol at churches ( read denominations or ministries), preachers and power.
I agree that the church has the right to speak the mind of God to power but I don’t agree that people should use the Bible to gather naïve attendees to tell them fables or ngano in Shona.
Elsewhere we have taught on what a sermon is.
Back in the day there was a popular message titled, Uzziah must die.
It came from Isaiah 6:1, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”
They taught that since King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord.
They trumpeted that Uzziahs in your life should die in order to see God.
Some Uzziahs were not tithing or giving first fruits.
Anyone with New Creation knowledge knows that this is hogwash.
For starters, it isn’t in the spirit of the Bible to kill. Jesus came to save life.
Read the whole Bible then the particular book to grasp what you want to teach.
Every book of the Bible is part of the whole Bible and also part of a section of the Bible.
In our case, Isaiah is in the major prophetic section.
The book opens thus in Isaiah 1:1, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”
From preschool and crèche we already know that Prophet Isaiah uses the periods that the kings were in power as his dating system.
He wasn’t stopped from seeing the Lord because Uzziah was still alive.
In chapter 6, he dates the death of King Uzziah as the day of his vision of the Lord Whom he saw many other times besides trying to kill Uzziah.
Never attempt to preach if you don’t have an overflow of the Bible for the flock to munch.
In any case why would King Uzziah die? Before I answer that, he like other kings disobeyed God including King David.
Here is King Uzziah’s resume. 2 Chronicles 26:15 records, “And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.” Wow! And should die for that!
In Isaiah and other books, Uzziah is used as a historic marker.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
- All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
- Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI.
