Fall Family Festival 2008

The Fellowship at Weatherford

1 THESSALONIANS 2:4-6: 1: “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.” CSB

OBSERVATION: “You’ll become a good preacher someday!” I will never forget these words. I had a dear friend when I pastored who would come up and say that to me each Sunday. I would chuckle and say, “Keep praying for me!” While I know he was saying it in jest, deep down, I struggled with the thoughts…

Was this a good message?

What did people think of my message?

Why didn’t more people respond to the message?

Am I really a good preacher?

One of the hidden truths of the ministry is that most Pastors and Ministers suffer from a sense of personal inadequacy. When you’ve been given the task of feeding an entire congregation with the Word of God, it is a solemn and daunting responsibility. You want to be faithful to God’s leading and His Word. Yet, there is something else at play that is hard to admit. Pastors and Ministers struggle with many of these feelings.

Do people like me?

Do people respect me?

How do I measure up, compared to my colleagues?

Do I know enough?

Is my message catchy enough to keep their attention?

I will never forget the story I heard about some very big names in the Church. There was a leadership conference, and all the acclaimed speakers who were teaching at the conference were having breakfast around a big table. There was a strange silence around the table as they dined together. Finally, one brave soul spoke up, “Is everything alright with everyone?” Then, one person spoke up, sharing how they felt inadequate sitting with so many acclaimed speakers. What did they have to share of any value among such learned and accomplished colleagues?

Then something strange happened. One by one, each one admitted that they were feeling the same thing. Each person, although a renowned speaker and author, was feeling inadequate in the presence of their colleagues. They were worried about how they would measure up against all these men and women of God, and how the crowd would receive them. Were they going to bomb? Would they look foolish compared to everyone else? Was this the end of their career?

The Church at large suffers from a worship of personality rather than a pure devotion to Jesus Christ. This fuels the insecurities for Pastors and Ministers and causes many to fall prey to the temptation of becoming people pleasers and rely on style and presentation rather than the power that is in the Gospel. This is nothing new. Paul was facing his own personality competition in the churches he planted.

“Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!” I Corinthians 1:12-13 NLT

To the Thessalonian Church, Paul noted,

“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”

The Pastor and Minister’s goal in all they do is to build up people, not to focus on pleasing them. Their goal is to be pleasing to one and one only – God Almighty! This calls for the faithful teaching and preaching of the Whole Counsel of God’s Word. We are not to preach merely topical sermons on subjects that everyone wants to hear. We are to faithfully divide the Word of Truth and teach everything God has spoken!

Also, Paul notes that the Pastor and Minister must not rely on their delivery and emotional techniques that can move the emotions but not change the heart.

“Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.”

When you have been given the solemn and holy task of feeding the flock of God, you must never resort to style, gimmicks, or techniques. You can draw a crowd with these, but you cannot build God’s church with them. You can generate a big offering by pulling on people’s emotional heartstrings, but you will never please the Father or build the Kingdom of God.

As I grew to know the friend who challenged me each week, I realized that he was not critiquing my style or delivery. He was exhorting me to press into being a faithful steward of God’s Word. He was not comparing me to anyone else. Rather, he was calling me to hear the voice of God and faithfully teach and preach the Whole Counsel of God’s Word. As I look over my final years of pastoral ministry, I believe that his prayers were answered.

While most Pastors and Ministers will never headline an event, publish a book, host a radio show, or be on TV, all are called to faithfully teach and preach the Word of God as if they were doing it for an audience of one – God Almighty. In the end, it is not the accolades, awards, or recognition that we receive here during our earthly ministry that matters. It is the words that any faithful child of God longs to hear at the end of their life.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master!”

Lord, bless all those who faithfully teach and preach the Word of God to congregations all over the world. May they receive this exhortation from me this morning in the spirit it is intended…

“You’ll become a good preacher someday!“

In Jesus’ Name!