Pastor, Are You on the Wrong Side of Amen?
“Amen” means agreement. It is a way of saying, “That is true,” or, “Let it be so.” Pastors hear it from the congregation. Sometimes they say it themselves. But there is another side of amen, and every pastor needs to think about it.
A man can preach truth and still live against the truth he preaches.
Jesus said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.” (Matthew 15:8)
That is the wrong side of amen. Saying the right words while living the wrong life.
A pastor can preach about holiness and excuse sin in his own life. He can preach about repentance and refuse to repent. He can preach about humility while becoming proud. He can preach about faithfulness while becoming careless in his marriage, his private life, or his walk with God.
The pulpit does not place a man above the Word of God. It places him under it.
Paul wrote, “Therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself?” (Romans 2:21)
That question should stop every pastor for a moment.
It is easy to preach about someone else’s sin. It is harder to let the same Scripture search your own heart. A pastor can spend so much time preparing sermons for others that he forgets the Word of God is speaking to him first.
Paul told Timothy, “Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:16)
Notice that Paul did not say only to watch the teaching. He said to watch yourself too.
A pastor does not have to be perfect. No pastor is. But he must be honest before God. When he sins, he needs to repent. When he is wrong, he needs to admit it. When his life does not match what he is preaching, he needs to deal with it instead of hiding behind his title or position.
James wrote, “Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.”A (James 3:1)
That should put some fear of God into anyone who regularly stands before people and teaches Scripture.
This is not about a pastor who stumbles and gets back up. It is about a pattern. Preaching obedience while living in disobedience. Calling others to repentance while refusing to repent. Warning others about sin while protecting your own.
That is the wrong side of amen.
Pastor, your people need more than correct sermons. They need a man whose life shows that he believes what he is preaching. Your wife needs that man. Your children need that man. Your church needs that man.
Do not ask only, “Was my sermon biblical?”
Ask, “Am I living under the same truth I am asking my people to obey?”
That is what it means to stand on the right side of amen.