2 Corinthians 5:6-17 page 1

To view the Bible passage in a separate window click here.

It's interesting to see what expectations people have of a preacher. As a student I once turned up at a church to conduct a family service and my greeting was, "Oh good, you're the person who has come to entertain us." They didn't get a positive response.

Other expectations are seen as in the book that was popular a few years ago, '101 Things To Do During A Dull Sermon'. I have been given a list at one church of which preachers send a certain little boy off to sleep.

Or - another expectation is guilt. Somebody at one church I served opposed the idea of removing the pews on the grounds that "You're not meant to be comfortable at church." His point was that church worship was the place where you were meant to discover just what a terrible sinner you were. The pews were the advance guard of the Last Judgement.

Yes, guilt. Some preachers are good at inducing guilt. And most of us know that there are a few pet subjects for sermons that can bring about an almost automatic sense of guilt it most hearers. Giving is one. Prayer is another.

And evangelism is a third. Here in this passage Paul talks about his motivations for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. And I think it's worth paying attention to his motivations, because they are very different from the way we load guilt onto people.

And that may surprise people who can only conceive of Paul as being a severe person. When we explore the motivations that led him to share his faith, I believe we too shall gain something profitable and encouraging.

next page

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ About Me ] [ Articles ] [ Kulcha ] [ Links ] [ Messenger ] [ Musings ] [ Search ]

Copyright © David D Faulkner, 2006 except where other sources are attributed or noted as inspiration.