The primary thing that motivates the work of a pastor is to hear the words: “God will honour you!”

However, in the pursuit to receive this honour, many become charismatic in their evangelism and preaching because, deep down, they want everyone to acknowledge their success.

After all, their ego is boosted when they know that people are talking about them and making comments such as, “Did you see? God is with him!”, “Did you see how many people go to his church?” or “Did you know that his prayer made a paralytic stand up?” And there are other examples.

People will always make comments like this. However, the problem arises when a servant of God is flattered by those comments, as though everything he did was of his own strength and not through the Word and the name of the Lord Jesus.

Some people even desire to be honoured by God just so they can show others that they have a calling; that they were anointed from above to preach. Isn’t this a clear sign of personal vanity though?

It’s important to understand that the Holy Spirit’s commitment is to honour His word, and not the preacher who seeks his own glory, through the preaching of the Gospel.

Of course, God is good and just, so He knows the perfect way to honour His faithful servants. However, that comes naturally and not because of the servant’s desire for recognition. A servant’s reward is the souls he conquers for his Lord.

How can a servant of God desire the honour of his ministry more than the honour of his Lord’s name? Some people are more concerned about defending their own cause than the cause of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, which is God’s power to save anyone who believes in Him.

The human heart is corrupt. Satan knows it, so he subtly instigates work that promotes personal recognition.

Evangelism that attracts crowds is important as it spreads the knowledge of the Gospel, but it is through discipleship that people are saved and future workers for the Kingdom of God are born.

Raising disciples takes time and effort and is a job that isn’t visible. Maybe this is the reason why some people don’t put as much effort into following the order the Lord Jesus gave when He said:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

Bishop Domingos Siqueira