"Seekest Thou Great Things For Thyself? Seek Them Not!"

Jeremiah 45:5

It had been Baruch's privilege and responsibility to record the words of Jeremiah,God's prophet, to write out the message of God to his people. Baruch had done his job, in a sense. He wrote down what God had spoken by his prophet, without alteration, but he took it upon himself to add words of his own which served his own purposes (Jer. 36:1, 4, 32). Therefore the Lord sent Jeremiah to Baruch with this word of stern reproof, "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not."

This is God's word to every gospel preacher with an ambitious spirit. "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not!" Any preacher who craves attention, seeks to make his name known, desires to be in a position of significant influence and power, wants to be pastor of a large, influential congregation, or wishes to be the man to whom other preachers look for advice and instruction, has got his priorities totally bent out of shape.Religious hucksters in denominational religion, professional preachers, strive after such things. I do not doubt that they convince themselves that what they do is right. They foolishly imagine that once they have attained their goals they will use their powers to influence many for good. But along the way they compromise the truth of God and every principle of faith. Like Esau, they sell their souls for a mess of beans. And,like Esau,they find no place for repentance!

Bro. Preacher, seek not great things for yourself! Seek nothing but to glorify God and serve his people, according to his will, by faithfully preaching the gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Christ. What can be greater than this? Be content with the place of your calling and with the sphere of influence God has given you. Be content with the gifts God has given you and the way he is pleased to use you. God did not call us to promote ourselves, but his Son. He did not call us to serve ourselves, but his people. He did not call us to be men of renown, but men of the Word, who faithfully give themselves to prayer, study, and the preaching of the gospel.

Don Fortner