What Does The Father Say About Preaching?

After preaching yesterday, there was one comment that made me deeply ponder...

"Wilson... God is the super star. But today, you are the super star. You got to be very careful."

I was reflecting through this comment. "Did I not preach a Christ-centred message?" "In what way did I draw the attention to myself?" "How can I avoid this?"

Jesus preached and it often drew multitudes to Him. Yet He often withdrew from the crowd when they wanted to 'crown' Him. Jesus never once liked the attention, even though His message & life drew their attention.

I have seen those who said that they never like the attention, but their actions speak otherwise. The things they post on Facebook reveal otherwise.

I guess this is the pitfall of those on the stage - and this includes worship leaders. There is a thin line between receiving affirmation and liking affirmation. The former acknowledges God before us, but the latter acknowledges us before God. It is a very, very thin line and only God truly knows the heart.

I'm not a superstar. Yet I get to feel a very little of what Francis Chan experienced when he was a superstar. This was an area he struggled deeply within. He was a popular public figure. He preached well and strong. But he struggled with liking the affirmation and working towards getting it. His books were bestsellers. His messages were high in demand. The whole thing crushed him. Because he wasn't ready to handle the popularity.

Well, of course, I'm not comparing myself to him. I'm just a father with a son. A simple man. Likes coffee and chips. Period. And I desire to show everyday, normal believers, that everyone can walk in power and love.

Yet this one comment got me really wonder how I should approach the pulpit ministry.

A couple of people texted me few days before the service that they were looking forward to my preaching. A few texted me that they were kind of disappointed that they couldn't be there due to church camp. On the day of service, some told me that they were waiting for me to preach.

But these are precisely the danger of pulpit ministry. I want to do it well because I believe that the message should be preached well. It's about taking the pulpit ministry seriously.

I thank God that I have left full-time church ministry, which means that I won't get to regularly preach at the services. After all, I enjoy reaching out to people in the streets one soul at a time. Life is always simple in the secluded place.

I asked the Father, "How can I handle this?"

He replied, "It doesn't matter if someone looks upon you as a 'superstar', as long as you come to Me and know that I am the One who spoke through you. As long as you know it is Me."

It requires continual communion and gratitude towards Him, to stay in the place of knowing who He is and who I am to Him.