For years, the Lord has reminded me from time to time, “Keep the main thing, the main thing.” And it dawned on me recently, why not write an article to that effect? You know, the Lord gives me lots of things to write about. And if I don’t write them down, they will slip my mind. Once a person asked me, Don’t you ever run out of ideas? Well, as long as God has something to say to His people, I will have something to write. This is somewhat directed to Ministers and Pastors, but it’s also for everyone else who calls Jesus their Lord and Savior.
It’s good to teach people about healing. They need to know God wants them healed. It’s good to teach about deliverance. Jesus came to set the captives free. It’s good to teach about prosperity, God doesn’t want His kids broke. It’s good to teach on authority. Jesus gave it to us, not to abuse, but to further the Kingdom of God. It’s good to teach on the power of God. It teaches us that the devil is no match for us. But let’s keep the main thing the main thing. Why did Jesus come to earth? What is the over-arching purpose in His coming? We can clearly see it in John 3:16-17.

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
I think if I had to sum up the whole purpose of Jesus’ ministry, that would be it. The healing, deliverance, prosperity, transfer of authority power are just icing on the cake. They’re not the main thing. I told a friend one day, Healing is the least of God’s gifts. At best, it will last 100 years or so, and then we die. But His salvation lasts forever! Prosperity is wonderful, but we can’t take a penny out of this life with us.

In Matthew 17:1-6, it is written:
 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, 
And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 
And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. 
Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
Let’s look again at verse 5, the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

 That means pay attention to what Jesus is saying! This is serious business with God.
The disciples heard it and were sore afraid. How about us, when we hear the word of God are we sore afraid? We ought to be! What did He say? Are we saying the same things He said? Is the Father pleased with what we are preaching?
Luke 24:45-49 tells us that Jesus was not only here to do a work, but to empower His disciples to continue that work after His departure back to His Father.
 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, 
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 
And ye are witnesses of these things. 
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
When I read verse 47, it’s like getting hit between the eyes with a 2×4, it really gets my attention! Why did Jesus promise to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples? To empower them to preach salvation to the lost! I see so many teaching about prosperity, but so few teaching about repentance and remission of sins.

Think about this; which books will sell first on a Christian Bookstore shelf, books on how to prosper and get rich, or books that urge you to get sin out of your life and repent?

I rest my case. People want to hear what tickles their ear.  Well, I’m not on anyone’s payroll, so I’m going to preach what GOD wants. Many pastors don’t want to upset the apple cart, so they preach what brings the people in. What do most people want more than anything else? Money. Easy Street, the good life. Why? Because they’re carnal. Now, it takes money to live. It takes money to feed a family. It takes money to run a ministry. We all know that. But that’s not the main thing. It is written in Matthew 6:24-33,

 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 
 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 
 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 
 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 
 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Everyone is interested in how to get stuff. God knows there are things we need, He said if we would seek the Kingdom of God first, He would take care of the rest. We need to keep our focus. Some are downright zealous for material goods. Unfortunately, many of them are ministers! I’ve heard on TV: “OH, I heard from God today, he said for you to send me $1000 if you really love Him. One recently said, “There are 70 of you out there that need to send me a $1000 seed today.”

It made me angry for lack of a better word. I remember when Jesus took a scourge and ran the money changers out of the Temple. You know, Jesus always directed giving away from himself. Do those people? Jesus said, Give to the poor. Do they say, Give your $1000 seed to the poor? Ouch! What’s the main thing with them?

 If you hold a meeting on how to be empowered to prosper, you will have a full house.

 But if you hold a meeting on repentance you will be preaching to empty chairs, believe me, I’ve done both, I know. But if keeping the main thing the main thing, is important to God, shouldn’t it be important to you? I’m not trying to beat up on anyone, but rather to get your focus on what is the most important thing of all: Jesus came to seek and save the lost! Don’t you think we’d better be doing the same?

Jesus is coming soon for His church, and the Lord has told me time and again, they’re not ready. Who is holding up the “homecoming”? WE ARE! God is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance! Do you get that? Jesus said you will always have the poor among you…He’s not all that concerned with our material wealth, He’s concerned about our SALVATION!
While God is trying to get His Church cleaned up for the wedding, we are out here like little harlots chasing after the gods of money, homes, cars, comfort, and bless me, bless me. And the subject of our prayers is not the salvation of our lost brothers and sisters scattered upon the earth, but for our own ease of life.

Pastors and Ministers, what are you preaching? Are you preaching comfort, convenience, and prosperity, or repentance and remission of sin and discipleship? Look at your Church……what is the focus of your ministry? Souls saved? That was Jesus’ focus. Ten thousand years from now, it won’t matter how rich, or comfortable, or even healed, the people in your congregation are. It won’t matter how big the offerings are. The only thing that will matter is where you and they will spend eternity!

And if you neglect to preach the Gospel that Jesus preached, you will be held accountable. I don’t know about you, but that puts the fear of God into me! I’m not telling you to neglect the other things. But keep the main thing the main thing!