There Will Be No Hot Shots In Heaven

In the modern Church we seem to have an abundance of celebrity preachers or pastors. They have large churches, TV shows, books galore. Even secular TV hosts will have them on their show. We have come a long way from men like Paul who called himself the Chief of Sinners and the least of all the apostles.

I have seen the magazine from a fairly large church here in Texas where the pastor is pictured in somewhat a Robert E. Lee pose and the list of all his accomplishments are listed to the left of the picture. I have been to conferences where men line up for $10 a pop to have their picture taken with some big name preacher.

If indeed these men are pastoring churches full of saved folks I am glad that the Kingdom of God is advancing and people are being saved. I have some doubts about some of these men though. I also know that the bulk of Christians in America are being ministered to by pastors with not so big congregations. They have no time or money for TV or radio shows and they will never be on famous talk show. They spend most of their days in hospitals, prisons and rescue missions not at book signings. Sadly, they are often criticized by members or corrected because they don't say what Dr Soandso says in his latest book or in his recent TV sermon.

One thing is certain there will be no hot shots in Heaven. More kudos will likely be given to some pastor who has ministered in the inner city or in small town America then to some of the Super Stars. Indeed, blue haired grandmothers in nursing homes praying for their families, genetic and church, their pastor and the nation may get more jewels in their crowns than the jet set preacher who seldom sees his congregation let alone minister to them outside of the pulpit on Sundays.

We need to not be respecters of men. Yes, give honor to whom honor is due, but we must humbly worship God because of our state.

1 Cor 1:30-2:5

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

We are saved by His grace. There is nothing spectacular about us. We are born sinners and we excel at sin. In verse 30 we see that everything we have is in Christ and granted from God the Father. We had no real wisdom before we were saved and none after if we are not walking in his wisdom but our own. We certainly had no righteousness. We were unrighteous to the core. We had no hope of sanctification or being set apart to be used by God for we were dirty and vile unfit for anything but Hell. We could not redeem ourselves by our works for they were a best filthy rags. Redemption came from Him. We were in a sad state of affairs until Christ saved us by His grace through His work on the Cross.

Because He has given us everything we must humbly worship Him. As verse 31 says, we should glory in the Lord, not ourselves or any other man for only He is worthy of glory, honor and praise. If any man seems to be having some success in ministry or life it is only because God has given that success. It is to no glory of his that he is fruitful. Once a man has done all that he can do he is still an unprofitable servant for he has only done that which was his duty to do. (Luke 17: 7-10)

We must humbly worship God because of our example.

1 Corinthians 2

2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Paul was the most learned of the Apostles. As you know, most of them were unlearned fishermen who astounded the Sanhedrin and others with their exposition of the Scriptures and boldness of their message without having their equivalent of seminary training.

Yet, here in verse 1 we see Paul forsaking the ability that he had and did not speak with the learning that he had received from men, but rather that wisdom he received from God just as the fisherman did. He was not eloquent nor did he look like a super star or a candidate for the cover of GQ. Indeed, people said his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible. (2 Cor 10:10)