Pastor and missionary in Costa Rica

When people used to crowd around George Whitefield and praise him because of his marvelous preaching, he would stop them like this: “The devil told me that just before I came down from the pulpit.” Then he would add, “There are many who can preach the gospel better than I can, but none can preach a better gospel.” It is the message that counts. The servant is really nothing, and the more we realize this and are willing to take the place of nothingness, the more God delights to come in and work through His servants. ~ H.A. Ironside

The fact of the matter is that we will practically worship the men of old through whom God did great things—the Whitefields and everyone else. But we wouldn’t let them preach in our church nor teach some of the things they taught. Never forget this: The worst thing that could ever happen to a preacher, young man, is that he gets civilized. When he gets civilized and elegant and proper and respectable, he’s worthless! And that’s the problems with some of our seminaries. We’re wanting to produce these respectable intellectuals and these great reformed theologians, and all these different things… I do not see reformed theologians turning the world around. I see preachers who are reformed in themselves by the truth turning the world around. ~ Paul Washer (original audio here)

This topic has come up a lot in my personal life and ministry, and just recently in the last couple of posts on Personal Discipleship (article | audio). It’s interesting that in the last 10 or 15 minutes of this very message, Paul Washer addresses the issue. Apparently many have called him “mean spirited.” It’s a three-minute mp3, if you’d like to hear what he says, but I’ll warn you before hand: For most, it will be offensive. I didn’t find it offensive. Frankly, he’s barking up my tree. But, I’m just telling you… most will find this comment offensive.

• Paul_Washer_mean_spirit.mp3