(Kent Heaton)
The work of teaching and preaching the good news of salvation was entrusted to men to carry out the message. Jesus sent His disciples into all the world and instructed them to make disciples and to firmly establish them in the faith. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20) The work was difficult and filled with persecution. It was also a work of joy that brought the good news of salvation to many hearts. On the day of Pentecost 3,000 obeyed. Five thousand were counted with the disciples in Acts 4. Great fear was upon the early church and "daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." (Acts 5:42)
In the history of the early church, great works were begun in many cities and peace was enjoyed with edification. During the persecution of Saul many left homes to preach the gospel in every place. Later, the apostle Paul was instrumental in the vibrant work of preaching the gospel, making many disciples, appointing elders in every church, praying with fasting and preaching with every opportunity. After Paul and Barnabas had completed one such work of teaching and "strengthening the souls of the disciples," they "sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." (Acts 14:27,28)
The remarkable things that were accomplished during their travels would have been a joy to hear about. Many souls were brought to Christ and churches were established in many places. The audience in Antioch would have been spell bound by the harrowing tales of stoning and persecution. Tears of joy would be seen in the story of the cripple healed in Lystra and the power of God. As the brethren sat and listened to the words of Paul and Barnabas they noticed an additional sign of the power of God. Paul and Barnabas were not talking about what Paul and Barnabas had done but what God had done.
The pride of accomplishment is an evil that is not easily defeated. There was much for the preachers to tell in their stories of salvation being brought to the Gentiles. They could easily talk of how powerful their speech was and how many people were saved because of their efforts. It would have been natural in the minds of men to hear these men "brag" about their work and abilities. What they heard was not about Paul and Barnabas but about "all that God had done with them." (Acts 14:27) What a valuable lesson for the church today.
When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he illustrated the manner that he viewed his work in preaching the gospel of Christ. "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase." (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)
Preachers are - at best - paper boys who deliver the message to the threshold of the hearts of the hearers. They are not the editor's of God's word to preach it any fashion they choose by adding to or taking from. Their work is to deliver the good news of salvation to the threshold of the hearts of every person. They are not to throw it in the bushes where it cannot be found or in the mud puddle where it will be stained. It is not their job to throw it through the front window of the heart in trying to force people to obey. Their job is to deliver it to the hearts of the people and the responsibility of opening the good news and obeying it is left to the reader.
A preacher is no more than an instrument of ministry that helps people believe in the truth. Paul writes, "As the Lord gave to each one." (v5) Preachers have different abilities and talents and when they use them to the glory of God, God receives the glory. Often preachers have the notion that they are to receive the glory. "Did I tell you how many people I baptized recently?" "You need to read what I have been writing on a particular subject." "Well, I have a lot of gospel meetings this year." And the list goes on.
Preaching the word is likened to being a farmer. A man buys some seed, prepares the ground, plants the seed and waters it and when it is grown to full fruit brags about what he did. What did he do? Did he cause the germination to take hold in the soil? Did he make the soil grow the crop? Was it in the power of the man to cause the fruit to bear on the stalk? The answer is, "No!"
The part the man played in growing the crop was to plant and water but God is the only one who can give the increase. This is what God has done and can do. Man cannot do that. When the gospel is planted and watered by men, the heart of the individual will respond if it is the good soil of Matthew 13. When the response is made, God is the one to be given the glory for what great things he has done.
Paul shows that preaching is like building a foundation and others build upon it. The foundation that Paul established was not the foundation of Paul but of Jesus Christ. "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11) He warns that preachers must be careful to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and take heed how he builds upon that foundation. Taking heed is to beware of seeking the glory for themselves rather than allowing God to have His perfect work.
There were people such as "Diotrephes" in the early church who loved to "have the preeminence" among the brethren. John said of Diotrephes, "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." (3 John 11) It is evil for men to exalt themselves above others in their braggadocios ways and revel in their self-glorification.
The work of God is the work of God and not of men. Paul and Barnabas affirmed the wonderful news of salvation to the church in Antioch by what God had done in them. The people glorified God and not men. There are those who would have been tempted to accept the glory given to them in Acts 14. "Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!'" (Acts 14:11)
Preachers are in a tempting position to believe more of themselves than they should. Because they write for a particular paper, hold many gospel meetings during the year, debate the great issues of the church and are held in great honor by misguided brethren who fuel the fire of conceit, the work of the Lord suffers in the glory of men and not of God. God is the one to be praised among men.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Notice again the emphasis is upon the Father, not the individual. Pride is taken away when the Father is glorified and the man is humble.
"When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom ... Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; though they join forces, none will go unpunished ... Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." (Proverbs 11:2; 16:5,18,19)
Paul told Timothy to "preach the word." (2 Timothy 4:2) The power of the gospel is in the message of salvation to the hearts of those lost in sin. Writing to Corinth, Paul said, " For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect." (1 Corinthians 1:17) Preaching the gospel of Christ was all Paul sought to do. The bounty of bearing fruit was a wonderful blessing to the message of salvation.
Paul was a water boy, a farmer, a delivery boy, a preacher. All that he wanted in his life was to be able to stand before his King and give honor and praise to His love, His sacrifice, His word and His power. This is best seen in his attitude expressed to the epistle of Galatians. "Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only, 'He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.' And they glorified God in me." (Galatians 1:21-24)
They glorified God in Paul! We should all take stock in our service before God to not exalt ourselves more highly than we should. Preachers, elders, deacons, song leaders, teachers and members should always remember that the preaching of the gospel is not about "I" and "Me" but about the Father, the Son and the Spirit. "To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." (Romans 16:27)