1 Corinthians 2:1-5 – And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

THEME OF THE DAY: THE STRONG AND THE SELF-SUFFICIENT NEED NOT APPLY. Imagine our church is in need of a new pastor. We have been asked to be on the pulpit committee to find and interview prospective candidates. The resumes roll in. They are impressive. Credentials and letters after each candidate’s name are long. Experience abounds in those wanting to be our next under-shepherd. There are listings of personal strengths, number of people attending their previous churches, and strong recommendations. As the stack grows, how do we sort all these out? Then, one is passed around for our review. It is short, not even a paragraph long. It simply reads, “A slave of Jesus Christ. I have no personal strengths but am weak and full of fear. I tremble a lot and my speech is not great.” We look at each other and say, “Is this for real? Is this a joke?” We toss it in the wastebasket and never give it a second thought. Then someone on the committee says, “Wait a minute. That sounds like something I read in the Bible.” The member pulls out the Bible and reads today’s scripture. The name on the outside of the now discarded resume reads, “The Apostle Paul.” It is likely many churches would not even consider the Apostle Paul, based on his abilities and credentials, to be their pastor. He wouldn’t make the cut. And that would be a sad indictment, not on Paul, but on us who often look to “employ” people in our church ministries based on natural talents, personalities, and worldly credentials, not the qualifications in the scriptures and modeled by the Apostle Paul.

Charles Spurgeon said something to this effect, “If you think you are qualified and able to do the Lord’s work, then you have just admitted your disqualification.” When it comes to not only becoming a Christian, but serving the Lord, the strong and self-sufficient need not apply. Only the people who see themselves as the Apostle Paul saw himself – weak, fearful, timid and without any personal resources whatsoever are qualified to not only know Jesus, but to serve Him. Jesus established these truths with His simple declaration – “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

So, let’s assume we “qualify” in a right way to serve the Lord; our credentials match those of the Apostle Paul. We profess to be “Paul-like” in our weaknesses and abilities. How would we know? What traits would be in us and our service for the Lord if we really are qualified? Let’s consider two. First, we would experience a deepening heart of humility. And it cannot be faked. Where humility is present, a focus on self is not. The true servants of Christ, weak and emptied of themselves, will not “volunteer” or seek to be in the limelight, to be visible, and have to be used in the Lord’s work in a public setting. They will be quite content in not being in the public eye. True humility, a work of the Spirit, simply will not draw attention to oneself. What is noticeably absent in the “qualified” servant of the Lord is attention on themselves.

A second characteristic in the “qualified” servant of the Lord is a consuming desire for their service to bring glory to God, build up God’s people and promote the Gospel. Let this “trifecta” be the filter of all service. Ask the question when being sought or seeking to serve in our churches, “Will my service in this area be motivated by the glory of God in order to grow His people and promote the Gospel to sinners?” Guard this criteria. If we don’t, we will serve self-motivated, self-sustained, and will eventually give up the service, and that relatively soon. Anything that includes “self” with the exception of “self-denial” in the work of the Lord will produce failure, disillusionment, and lack sustained commitment.

Yes, the strong and self-sufficient need not apply for anything of the Lord; from becoming His child to serving His kingdom. It is only those who truly know they cannot do anything for the Lord that are equipped and able to do glorious things for the Lord.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see my weaknesses are not liabilities in Your service, but necessities.”

QUOTE: “If we think we are equipped to serve the Lord we have just confessed we are not.”