I have something to say about Bro. Marvin Winans’ sermon at the Whitney Houston Memorial Service. He is a good speaker and has a good singing voice. But many things he said didn’t sit well with me. If you’re going to quote Matt. 6:33, you should preach on it with as little embellishment as possible, because it’s a very simple verse with a very simple message. I don’t understand all this about cars and owners’ manuals. I do understand “prioritize”. He said you can’t serve God and money. Well and good. Then, when he tried to explain what “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” means, the whole thing fell flat, despite the yelling, jokes, and gestures. He said it means to be in right standing with God. Well, we are already in right standing with God when we get saved. Rom 5:1 The whole doctrine of justification. If Jesus tells me to go out and seek the kingdom of God, He’s putting me to work in some way. Bro. Winans made it seem like something static and inert. What he did say is God wants us to improve ourselves, to which I totally agree. But this is covered elsewhere in the Bible. Matthew 6:33 is talking about something completely different. First he says you can’t serve God and mammon, then he says as long as you’re in right standing with God, you can go out and seek the things of this world and enrich yourself, thereby completely cutting the legs off of what Jesus was saying. Yes, God is going to take care of us, but the provision is we have to completely devote ourselves to taking care of His business, first. So in a subtle way, this man untaught what Jesus was saying, and taught what our covetous flesh wants to hear. “God don’t want no one broke.” Didn’t Jesus tell the rich young man to sell all that he had, and give to the poor? Matt. 19 Don’t the thorns (cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches) choke the word and make it unfruitful? And wasn’t this Whitney Houston’s tragic mistake? What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and loses his soul? The whole Bible teaches humility, not pride. So, this man misappropriated God’s Word.

Gerard Castanteen