Saturday, May 17, 2025
All That Really Matters
“It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.” (Philippians 1:15-18 NLT)
A preacher was moonlighting as a lifeguard to make a little extra money. His supervisors were shocked when they learned that people were drowning near his lifeguard stand at an alarming rate. Every day brought news of a new drowning, each one in the vicinity of the preacher’s stand. The supervisors were baffled. They wondered, What’s the problem with this preacher lifeguard? He’s been trained properly. So they went to observe him. Before long, they saw a pair of swimmers in trouble, waving frantically from the ocean. The preacher looked at the swimmers and said, “God bless you. I see that hand. God bless you. I see that hand.”
In case you’re too young or too new to the church to understand that punchline, it’s a reference to the go-to move for certain preachers during their altar calls. If you spend enough time listening to certain preachers, you’ll pick up on other quirks, tendencies, and habits. It’s an occupational hazard for pastors.
And when it’s lighthearted—like teasing about a joke you’ve heard more than once from the pulpit—it can be fun and even unifying. But when it takes a darker turn—when people start to question a preacher’s qualifications, motives, allegiances, or leanings—it can be incredibly damaging to the body of Christ.
Like it or not, we are all imperfect vessels delivering a perfect message. That goes not just for pastors and evangelists, but for anyone who shares the gospel. Skeptics and critics will ask, “Why should we listen to you? Who gave you the authority to say these things?”
It’s not a new phenomenon. The apostle Paul dealt with a similar situation in his letter to the Philippian believers. And in his situation, the criticism was warranted. There were people preaching out of jealousy and rivalry with Paul. But look at how he resolved the problem: “The message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice” (Philippians 1:18 NLT).
All that matters is that the Good News of Christ is being delivered. When the words of the gospel are spoken, God can plant the seeds of His truth in people’s hearts, regardless of who’s doing the talking.
God calls us to build unity in the body of Christ. We can do that by showing grace and gratitude to our fellow believers who deliver the message of Christ.
Reflection Question: How will you respond to someone who questions a pastor’s qualifications or motives?
Copyright © 2025 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Pamela D. McAdams
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of Jesus Revolution by Greg Laurie
God used the Jesus Movement to reach an entire generation with the hope of the gospel. In Jesus Revolution, Greg Laurie shares the true story behind this spiritual awakening and the people God used to change countless lives. Written with Ellen Vaughn, this book offers an inspiring look at how revival spread during one of America’s most turbulent decades.
Support Harvest Ministries this month and receive Jesus Revolution as our thank-you gift. For gifts of $50 or more, you’ll also receive the Jesus Revolution DVD to enjoy and share with others.
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
