Preacheritis

Articles

Derek Long
06/10/18 - Titles

Preacheritis
By Derek Long
God speaks of the important role preachers fill in His
plan to save the lost. God has determined one must call upon Him to be saved but in order to call one must first believe and hear. In order to hear though someone must be sent to preach. Romans 10:14-15 reminds us, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” While preachers perform an important function, we need to make sure we do not elevate them to a position God does not intend for us to put them in.
Preachers and teachers of God’s word are still accountable to God and will be judged on the basis of their actions and doctrine. James 3:1 warns, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” All mankind including preachers are accountable to God (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Paulreminded the Corinthians of the fact that, “He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Preachers need to recognize they are not to please men but God because it is God who will ultimately decide whether they did a good job or not (Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4). A preacher who leads others down a path which is not right will be lost himself and will bring others to destruction with him. Remember Jesus’ statement in Matthew 15:14, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Preachers at times may need to be corrected or be supplied with more information. Apollos was preaching the baptism of John. Thankfully, “when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). What would our response be if we heard a preacher teaching something which was not correct? Would we think I don’t know enough to challenge him? Would we think he is the preacher so he must be right? Would we take him aside and seek to teach him God’s word more accurately? Would we not even notice because we are not paying attention and verifying what he is saying is in harmony with the word of God (Acts 17:11)? Preachers have things they can learn and need to receive correction from time to time. Peter had taught several individuals but when he acted hypocritically at Antioch Paul, “withstood him to his face, because he was to be
blamed” (Galatians 2:11-21). Just because a man is a preacher, does not mean he lives a perfectly sinless life all the time. He may need someone to correct him about his sin as well.
Preachers are not to be followed more than God. Many people become so attached to the preacher it seems they are more loyal to a particular preacher than to God. Paul rebuked
this attitude among the Corinthians on multiple occasions. He wrote, “Now I plead with you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). In 1 Corinthians 3:3-4 he writes, “for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?” When we begin to follow men instead of God or place men on an equality with God, we need to be careful! Our loyalty needs to belong to the God we serve not some human messenger of His word. We should not trust what some preacher tells us over what the word of God says. Remember how the younger prophet was deceived and led astray by the lie told by the old prophet (1 Kings 13).
Preachers cannot be saved for us. I cannot rely on my connection with some great preacher and think I am alright with God. A preacher may end up being saved while some of the people he taught may be lost. I need to make sure I work to develop my own faith and godly character (2 Peter 1:5-11).