We do not preach ourselves 04/10/2021

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

[2 Corinthians 4:5 NIV]

I am going to be very honest with those of you who read this blog. I like telling stories about myself. I am even prepared to recount incidents where my reputation is at risk - just as long as I am the subject. So today's title is a personal challenge. Paul says - we do not preach ourselves but instead we preach that Jesus Christ is Lord. Paul is not saying that he does not mention himself at any stage in his preaching. He tells us more than once about his conversion on the road to Damascus, for example. What Paul is saying is that he makes every effort to ensure that his preaching exalts Jesus Christ and not Paul the apostle. This is a good principle for all service for the Lord.

'The flesh' is a very powerful force in our lives and needs to be crucified.

Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [Galatians 5:24 NET]

Paul speaks about the sinfulness of the whole human body and the absolute necessity to 'crucify' this sinful nature. Sadly, so much of our activity in the church is often done in the flesh. If we are jealous of others who are serving the Lord in a similar way, this is an obvious sign of the flesh. We are good at spotting signs of this in others but fail to see it in our own lives.

If we place any emphasis on ourselves in the preaching of the Gospel, we have failed to grasp the holiness of God and our own sinfulness. A quotation from A.W. Tozer is very relevant in this context

To be specific, the self-sins are these: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins, egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion, are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the Church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.

[From A.W. Tozer: The Pursuit of God Kindle Edition page 33. ]

It is 4.06 am. as I am writing this blog, and the words of Tozer have really challenged me. The extract I have quoted comes from a chapter entitled 'Removing the veil.' This is the language of 2 Corinthians chapter 4. What has struck me with force this early morning, is that my self-promotion and self-advancement is acting as a veil preventing others from coming to a knowledge of the Gospel. This is a real challenge. Tozer talks about the 'blessedness of having nothing.' This is not just about our material possessions: it is about regarding our gifts not as something to be proud of but as 'gifts' from God on loan to us to enable us to accomplish His service. They are so often barriers to knowing God and proclaiming the Gospel to others.

Recently, I have been through a personal experience which has exposed my emotional weakness in public. I find this a bit embarrassing. Why has God allowed this to happen? It is so that I will think less of myself and more of Christ.

[Picture of Pastor Preaching in Wix Media]