The Power of Preachers
by Chadwick Brewer
“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.…And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom…I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, … so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:17; 2:1-5).
People find many things impressive and alluring about certain preachers. Many will talk about these qualities with awe and equate them with their status as preachers. An abbreviated list might include eloquence, charisma, the ability to memorize, possessing an eidetic memory, quoting all the scriptures in their sermons, preaching without an outline, and strong and powerful rhetoric. In short, we often equate these qualities with a preacher's quality or power.
However, Paul said that he was sent to preach, and when he preached, he was not eloquent or powerful. He did not have any gimmicks or flash about him. He preached Jesus Christ and him crucified. The cross is the power of the gospel, not Paul’s words or talents. It was God who saved them, not Paul.
Preachers are merely stewards of God and workers in God’s kingdom. Their power, if they have any true power, is not in their public speaking, their charisma, their recall, or any other personal attribute, but is rather it’s in accurately proclaiming Jesus as the Christ and Him crucified.
Preachers do not deserve your allegiance; God does. Respect the man; if he is a good steward, help him and send him, but revere the word of God. Regard him as merely the steward of the one who has the power to save. Never empty the cross of its power, and never confuse and confer that power to a man.