Take Two

1 Corinthians 1:20-21
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
KJV

I am just back home after preaching this morning and evening for my friend Mike Wilson in Delaware.  We love the church and they are like family to us.  It is always an honor to be there.

I was reminded of the above verses after preaching two sermons today.  Candidly, to judge for myself, they were not my best effort.  And yet for both services I had folks come up to me and tell me of specific issues in their lives that the Lord ministered to them via my preaching.  It struck me that, in God’s inifinite wisdom, he can use less than perfect oratory to address the needs of his people.  I am convinced that He often ministers in spite of our preaching rather than because of it.  In my mind, surely there is a more effective way to communicate the Word to the church.  And yet, in thousands of churches across the country (and the world), millions of preachers and teachers break the Bread of Life and feed the hungry.  To some, it is foolishness.  To the hungry, it is life.

I don’t understand how it works but it just does.