1 Corinthians 3

V.3-5 Never follow a man or their teachings

Years ago, Shawnna and I attended a youth conference and one the speakers gave everyone a piece of advice that has always stuck with me. He said never base your ministry on the teachings of a man, always base it on the word of God. He said that he had made the mistake of forming his youth ministry around the teachings of a prominent national evangelist. He bought the books, videos, and teaching materials and poured it into the youth of his church week after week after week. One night while on a youth retreat, he was awoken by a knock on his hotel door. It was some of his church youth, they told him to turn on the TV so they could show him something important. Right there on TV was the minister that he had based his youth ministry around being arrested for soliciting a prostitute. It devastated his ministry and many of the youth was negatively affected because of this man’s spiritual failure. Everything he taught was biblically accurate and spot on theologically, but he wasn’t living what he preached. The speaker said he learned at that moment that he never should have based anything on the teachings of a man, instead of focusing on the man, the focus should have been on the Word of God.

In verses 3-5 of chapter 3 Paul tells the church of Corinth that the message being delivered is what has the power, not the man delivering it. God and His Holy Word should be the focus of everything that we should be doing in our lives. Human leaders all have one thing in common, they are not perfect, and they will let you down. If the basis for your faith is a man or the teaching of a man you are guaranteed to be disappointed. Instead place your faith in the hands of the One who is perfect and will never let you down, God.