Upholding Integrity While Preaching the Gospel
1 Thess. 2:3-4
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
What a wonderful set of guidelines given to us here of how we ought to preach the gospel! Let us break it down together, shall we? Verse 3 says, “For our exhortation was not of deceit…”; this means that our preaching should always be 100% truthful, leaving no room for misleading the congregation to benefit ourselves in any fashion. Then, it goes on to say, “…nor of uncleanness…”; this means that our preaching should always be 100% pure, leaving no room for carelessness and lack of discipline which might lead to filthy jesting or crude speech. We should also consider that a preacher is a preacher whether he is in church or not, so would this standard not apply only to our pulpit, but also our private lives outside of church?
Then, it says, “…nor in guile…”; in other words, no bitterness of heart. One of the biggest challenges preachers have today is not allowing their inner frustrations to bleed through in their preaching in such a way that poison winds up in the pot. We should mount the pulpits full of the Holy Spirit so that we avoid this kind of ill-spirited “preaching”. Now, notice the next portion, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak…” Paul is simply pointing out the fact that he never forgets the weight of responsibility entrusted to him as a preacher of the gospel. To maintain this kind of attitude alone should automatically guide us in our efforts to preach the gospel with utmost dignity and respect.
Finally, he says, “…not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” Though this may be the last point of our selected text, it is certainly not the least. As preachers of the gospel, we are never to preach so as to please men; that goes for the brethren as well! Too often I have personally witnessed preaching too easily recognized as “This is what I’m preaching because I know it’s expected of me” kind of preaching. May God deliver ALL of his men from the tendency to just hit all the points they know they’ll get a good hearty “amen” from the brethren on. May we preach the truth, even if it goes against the grain of the “chosen few”!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
What a wonderful set of guidelines given to us here of how we ought to preach the gospel! Let us break it down together, shall we? Verse 3 says, “For our exhortation was not of deceit…”; this means that our preaching should always be 100% truthful, leaving no room for misleading the congregation to benefit ourselves in any fashion. Then, it goes on to say, “…nor of uncleanness…”; this means that our preaching should always be 100% pure, leaving no room for carelessness and lack of discipline which might lead to filthy jesting or crude speech. We should also consider that a preacher is a preacher whether he is in church or not, so would this standard not apply only to our pulpit, but also our private lives outside of church?
Then, it says, “…nor in guile…”; in other words, no bitterness of heart. One of the biggest challenges preachers have today is not allowing their inner frustrations to bleed through in their preaching in such a way that poison winds up in the pot. We should mount the pulpits full of the Holy Spirit so that we avoid this kind of ill-spirited “preaching”. Now, notice the next portion, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak…” Paul is simply pointing out the fact that he never forgets the weight of responsibility entrusted to him as a preacher of the gospel. To maintain this kind of attitude alone should automatically guide us in our efforts to preach the gospel with utmost dignity and respect.
Finally, he says, “…not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” Though this may be the last point of our selected text, it is certainly not the least. As preachers of the gospel, we are never to preach so as to please men; that goes for the brethren as well! Too often I have personally witnessed preaching too easily recognized as “This is what I’m preaching because I know it’s expected of me” kind of preaching. May God deliver ALL of his men from the tendency to just hit all the points they know they’ll get a good hearty “amen” from the brethren on. May we preach the truth, even if it goes against the grain of the “chosen few”!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill