False Preachers Promote Themselves More Than Christ

One of the clearest signs of a false preacher is the shift in focus from glorifying Jesus to glorifying themselves. When the servant becomes the spotlight and Christ becomes the background the heart of ministry has been lost. The true gospel exalts Christ while false ministers use Christ to exalt themselves.

The Apostle Paul warned against this mindset in 2 Corinthians 4:5 where he wrote “For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” True preaching points to Christ as Lord and the preacher as servant. In modern times however many preachers have reversed the roles. They present themselves as the center their revelation as superior their brand as essential and their influence as the measure of truth.

False preachers often favor environments where their name their image and their personality are elevated. Their sermons contain more personal stories than scripture more self promotion than doctrine and more focus on what they are doing for God rather than what Christ has already accomplished. Jesus warned in Matthew 23:5 that the Pharisees performed their works “to be seen of men.” Their problem was not lack of religious activity but the motivation behind it.

John the Baptist demonstrated the posture of a true minister in John 3:30 when he declared “He must increase but I must decrease.” John understood that visibility should shift toward Christ not toward the minister. False preachers operate in the opposite spirit. They increase while Christ decreases in their message and methods.

This self centered ministry model leads to a culture where followers become fans instead of disciples. People begin to identify their faith through a personality rather than through Christ. Paul addressed this issue in 1 Corinthians 1:12 when believers began saying “I am of Paul and I of Apollos.” Paul rebuked this mentality because it placed men in positions only Christ should occupy.

False preachers may even use flattery to gather support building loyalty through charisma rather than truth. Jude 16 warns that false teachers use “great swelling words” to flatter people for personal advantage. Their ministries thrive on admiration applause and platform rather than repentance holiness and obedience.

The prophetic rebuke of Ezekiel against false shepherds in Israel also applies. God said through the prophet “Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves should not the shepherds feed the flocks” Ezekiel 34:2. Instead of caring for the sheep these leaders nourished their own influence. True ministry serves the flock false ministry consumes the flock.

It is important for believers to evaluate who is actually being lifted up. If sermons produce dependency on a preacher rather than on Christ then the spiritual fruit is rotten. If a ministry collapses when a personality falls then the foundation was never Christ to begin with.

Paul resolved this issue by refusing to draw attention to himself. In Galatians 6:14 he said “But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” True spiritual leaders take glory away from themselves and redirect it toward the cross.

False preachers make themselves the message. True preachers make Jesus the message.