Crazy Preachers

Crazy Preachers

Bruce Haynes sings the song, The Preacher from the Black Lagoon. It is about a lad in Louisiana that is a huntin’, alligator fightin’, hard workin’, crawfish pie eatin’, and grape Nehi drinkin’ good old boy. He’s a man’s man, but they poke fun at him because he preaches that the Lord is comin’ soon and "every Saturday night like Jekyll and Hyde he turns into a preachin’ fool." Hence he is "known down in the bayou as the Preacher from the Back Lagoon." In the song the questions are raised, "Is he crazy? Is he right?" The evaluation is that "Someday, we’ll know the truth."

The old boy in the song is not alone in being considered crazy because he preaches the Word. Most preachers today who stick to the Word are called crazy or Funny Mentalists or some such other derogatory term. In that light, I can say that I can speak to this topic as a subject matter expert. I am eminently qualified, as many have given me an honorary D.D. (Doctor of Dementia) for the things that I believe and defend.

Acts 26:24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. (KJV)

Indeed, I am in good company as the majority is seldom right, yet the majority has always considered the "minority" or non-politically correct preachers to be crazy. In fact, that maybe is how God separates the men from the boys. It is not easy to be a preacher at times. If you are a preacher and it is easy all the time for you then you need to check both your call and salvation. God has put His preachers in strange and not popular positions more often than not. Even their fellow "preachers", who desired the praise of men rather than God, persecuted them. I want to look at a few of the God called preachers. Yes, God called, not the Mama called and Daddy sent ones nor the ones seeking an easy career field.

One of the deacons at the church where I currently serve asked me if I wanted to be a pastor because of the prestige of the office since I was doing many of the ministries of a pastor right here. I laughed. Maybe in the 50’s and early 60’s there was some prestige to being a pastor, but for the most part that is gone unless you compromise and scratch the itching ears. I told him that it must be a sign of my insanity to see what I have seen over the past 27 years and still desire to pastor. I guess I am a glutton for punishment. Pastors are dropping out of the ministry faster and in greater numbers than ever before and I’m applying for a job. Yep, must be crazy, but let’s look at some other crazy men.

Isa 20:1-6

1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape? (KJV)

OK, how many of y’all are ready to jump up and be this object lesson to your people? Anyone want to be known as the Nekkid Preacher from Texas? Nope, did not think so. Some might question whether he was completely or partly naked. Well, the people were going to be like Isaiah and they were going to have their buttocks uncovered and most likely the front as well since that would have been even more shameful. Hmm, nowadays people go topless and show their butts without any shame so I reckon God would have to strip them completely to even get a slight blush out of them.

Most of us would have said, "Lord, can’t I just TELL them they will be naked and oppressed? Isn’t this a bit fanatical? People will think I am crazy. What will the boys down at the seminary or the girls in the ministerium think of me?" Not Isaiah, God spoke and Isaiah did so. Yes, he was crazy. Crazy about the Lord. Crazy about God’s Word. He was crazy in the right way! To be any other way would have been really crazy!!