An Amazing Message

I’m seldom impressed with one of my sermons and there wasn’t any reason to think that night would be any different. It was a camp night and like with most they had asked me to speak, I suppose, because they thought that was the easiest way to get me there to do a hypnosis show for the kids as their night time activity. Like most camps nowadays they had a well planned week with a theme that ran from devos, to classes, to services, even to activities. And, that meant I had an assigned topic. As you would, I put a lot of time and energy to teach to the specific audience, in the specific place, on the specifically assigned text. But something unusual happened. It went well. Very well. I was already feeling pretty good about it, when one young preacher/staff member got up and went to the back and started recording it. That really made me feel good and encouraged me onward. That sort of visual encouragement from the audience can bluster my confidence and did that night. Then something really odd happened. Another young staff member got up and stood beside my recording guy, held her camera/video phone up and also started recording my work, maybe she was streaming it. How cool. I’m feeling really good. When a third got up and joined them, I knew something must be up. And turned around to see, behind me in the open air pavilion, the most beautiful sunset I think I have ever seen!

So, that was what they were recording. Thinking about it now, it is a microcosm of what I can do unwittingly. All the while I thought they were admiring MY WORK, when they really were amazed by GOD’S WORK! And, isn’t that what our preaching really ought to do, help people be amazed by GOD’S WORK not impressed with ours. Astounded by HIS WORD, not our words. Spurred to move by HIS INVITATION, not ours. Influenced by HIS PLANS, not ours. 

Thank you for remembering it is HIS WORK we are doing, not ours. What a reason not to quit!