Successful preaching only happens when we follow God’s Word

Many of today’s churches focus on getting as many people as possible to come through the doors. Unfortunately, there are too many of them which try to appeal to the natural man by using various gimmicks instead of following God’s Word.

We waste a lot of energy and resources trying to be like the world we are to reach instead of being like Christ and giving them direction to Him.

Luke 5: 4-6, “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.  And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

We see in the verses above that Peter and the others had been working very hard with no success. They had cast themselves into the work of fishing with all the skills they had developed. Their efforts produced nothing and all they did was to exhaust themselves.

The Lord Jesus stepped into their boat and told them exactly what to do. Peter believed it would be a waste of time but followed the Lord’s direction anyways. The success they had by waiting on the Lord and following His direction was shocking to them.

The church is to influence the world for Christ by following God’s Word instead of being influenced by the world around us. We must remember that Christ is the Savior and we are to follow Him. We can put in every effort and try every gimmick we know and have no success in reaching the lost. If we simply listen to the Lord and follow His direction we would be much more successful.