PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Day 5 of our series on trust, and today, we’re going to talk about preachers.
The Bible has some very strong words on the responsibility of teaching God’s word.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:6, “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
For us as Christians, it’s important for us to be able to trust our preachers and pastors…
To be confident that they are representing God’s word accurately…
With the full understanding that they too are human and will make mistakes.
Both books of Timothy discuss the role of the preacher.
1 Timothy 5:17 says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”
And 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
It’s a huge, ginormous responsibility.
Not one to be taken lightly.
It’s a serious matter and we have to remember that those who are in the pulpit have incredibly stressful jobs.
But the point of today is trusting them.
How can we trust our preachers?
The litmus test is this: how accurately are the representing God’s word?
And that, my friends, begins with you and me.
We cannot leave it up to a preacher to fill us with all the knowledge we need about God.
We have a responsibility as Christians to familiarize ourselves with Scripture so that we can 1) have a deep and personal relationship with Christ and 2) discern Biblical truth.
Here’s another litmus test: just because someone can quote a Bible verse doesn’t mean it’s represented accurately.
Even Satan quoted Scripture when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
Knowing a Bible verse and understanding/representing context are two different things.
A true preacher will do both, but one who misuses the Word of God for selfish purposes is not one to be trusted.
A preacher worthy of trust is going to be humble, mindful of their responsibility, and care more about serving God than pleasing people.
They are going to be diligent in seeking His truth and be passionate prayer warriors for both their role and the hearts of the ones they are leading.
They are not in it for personal gain, but see themselves as servants, obedient to the call to teach others about Jesus.
But the buck doesn’t stop with them.
God called ALL of us to be preachers of the Gospel (Mark 16:15).
While we may not all use a pulpit, we all share in the responsibility of preachers to present God’s truth with bold confidence.
Today, as you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to bless your preacher.
Ask Him to strengthen your pastor and give them wisdom to present the Word accurately.
Pray for their families and ask for protection over them from spiritual attacks.
