1 Cor 2 Heartbreak
Have you ever faced a troublesome day or week or month in which it seems like there is a huge rock along your path? It could be something real, or it could be a circumstance, but whatever it is, it has blocked your ability to study, meditate, and minister. This is where we find Paul. God opened the door for him to minister in Troas, but his heart was so heavy having not found Titus, his co-minister, he was unable to move forward. (He would later find Titus)
Paul has opened his heart to the reader so that we might be able to relate to his circumstance. Sadness of heart often renders our service lacking. We say it like this; my heart wasn’t in it. Even though Paul went through the motion of presenting the gospel—we later learn that a church was founded there because of his teaching—-his heart was not in it. He, like us, went through the motions but lacked the fervency of the message. Yet, even in this, God used the message, even though the messenger was lacking, to bring many to Christ. This is an important point: it is the message not the messenger that God uses to bring many to repentance.
If this is where you are, let us come alongside you to be your encouragement.
We know that Facebook users love, love, love pictures. Why? Because a picture is worth a thousand words. And Why do people love to switch churches? They don’t want to be told: you are a sinner! They want their ears tickled so they feel good when they leave church. People don’t like a preacher or a Facebook post talking about sin but if we don’t talk about sin and its consequences then we are failing to bring the Good News and Good News begins with the bad.