I Corinthians 3:7 “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
Who is your favorite preacher? Perhaps he is in Heaven now, or maybe he is still preaching, but my question carries with it an inherent danger. What can happen is, you take something good (preaching) and somebody good (your favorite preacher) and get something bad when your preacher becomes the standard. That is, you make him the test for whether something can be or will be a blessing to you. It can happen to us all! What gives power to preaching is not the person but the message itself.
In I Corinthians 3, Paul addressed people he called babies, carnal, and fleshly. Those are not pleasant names, but the believers were full of envy, strife, and divisions. Why were they divided? Verse 4 tells us: “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” For some, Paul was their guy, while others listed Apollos as their favorite. Paul settled the debate in verse 5 when he said, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers. . . .” The best anyone can hope to be is a servant!
The message, not the person, gives power to preaching. The preaching of the Gospel is the “power of God.” (I Corinthians 1:18) This week in your church, you may see the harvesting of seeds that were planted and watered by some other preacher. The important fact is not who is preaching but that God “giveth the increase.” At the end of the day, God should be the One getting the credit!
I thank God for preachers (I am one) and for the people He uses, but whomever God uses is simply an instrument. It is God’s power that enables and does the work, and He should be the only one getting credit. It is not wrong to have a favorite preacher (I happen to have a few), but always keep in mind that it is God’s message, not God’s messenger, that gives power to preaching. The important thing is what is being preached, not who is preaching!
Prayer Requests:
1. Services tonight in Howard, PA and Glastonbury, CT
2. Recruiting of college summer staff this week