2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as
Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
I like the candid writings of the
Apostle Paul. He always tells it like it is, even though his words may rankle
our 21st century understanding of living our faith. He lived the
latter part of his life as a devoted servant of Christ and ended up in prison
for his faith. His mission was to spread the Gospel, plant churches, and
confront evil in the world. He was arrested for being a religious radical and
executed for daring to appeal to Caesar. I think if he was alive today, he
would still end up being incarcerated or assassinated. Paul practiced what he
preached and died for what he believed.
He must have been a great preacher,
whose reputation spread across the small church communities in the Mediterranean
region. He could have lived a charmed life and set himself up as a powerful orator,
who would have been greatly esteemed and widely supported. However, Paul knew
that his ministry of preaching was not about himself; it was all about Christ.
He did not preach or teach to win personal favors. He preached to convince people
of their sinful ways and essential need of Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Preaching
was not a vehicle to pander to what folks wanted to hear; it was a channel of
God’s Word, Work, and Way. To Paul, it was a method of leading people back to
God’s favor and blessing through the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of
Christ.
These days, preaching does not have
the affect or influence that it once had. In any given week, preachers have
about 20 minutes to impact church folks, which is not a lot of time compared to
the hours we spend watching sports, viewing our TV programs, or catching up
with our favorite celebrities. And it’s virtually nothing compared to the time
we daily spend texting, tweeting, or face-booking. And yet, as Paul correctly wrote
thousands of years ago, preaching is all about Jesus Christ being our Lord and
how we should serve Him with our lives. In other words, preaching is about
preparing us for Eternity, instead of pandering to triviality or popularity.
Questions for personal reflection
What did the pastor
preach about last Sunday? Is that message still affecting me today?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You personally chose
Paul as the most important preacher of the Gospel and teacher of Your Way. His
words still ring true today, but we sometimes push back against them. Help us
to re-read his writings to give us a better understanding of how to live our
lives in service to You and God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray.
Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian
Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make
a comment about today’s message, John will be delighted to receive your email.
Send him your comments to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is John’s current bulletin cover design and is based on Psalm 150. If you
would like to view a larger version online, please click on the link: Psalm
150.
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