Sermonette: Message or Messenger

I don't know how it all started, but someplace along the line the people on Madison Avenue in New York City decided that it would make an easier sell to have somebody important touting their products. Madison Avenue in New York is to advertising like Wall Street is to stocks and bonds and finance. Personally I don't care who endorses a product. It might be a world-famous athlete, the world's richest person, or the world's most beautiful woman I don't care. If I like something I buy it, if I don't, I won't. Simple as that.

I've met some very wealthy people in my day. From professional wrestlers to businessmen but I must admit, I don't see where it helped me in any way whatsoever. I once worked on a Christmas event sponsored by wives of the Minnesota Vikings. We brought in children to Dayton's and within a certain budget, they could shop and buy presents for their family. These most likely were the only presents those children would have been able to buy. As great an event as this was, I don't remember any of the names of the Viking's wives I met that day. I've been in a bank's private box at Colorado Rockies baseball game. Guess what? Other than my boss at the time, I don't remember any names there either. I guess what I'm saying is meeting or knowing people with a lot of money didn't do me much good at all. Any fame involved was short-lived indeed.

Paul had trouble dealing with similar issues in Corinth. Admittedly, this would have been a very difficult place to start a church. It was a bustling center of commerce. Statues of the various pagan gods were throughout the city. Any possible vice humans can come up with flourished in Corinth. But, Paul did establish a church there. He resided in Corinth for roughly a year and a half before moving on. Now, while in Ephesus, he hears from several different sources that the church people he left in Corinth were drifting away from the message he had left with them. They were more concerned about bragging among themselves about whose word they followed. Some felt they were better than others because of whom they heard the message, some Paul, some Apollos, others Peter. Paul writes to these Corinthians and says you've got your priorities all messed up. It isn't to the person who brought you God's word that's important. It's the one who died on a cross for us, Jesus Christ, that is the one that is important.

So, I ask you dear friends. Who do you admire? How big of an advantage have you ever received in the long run by meeting or knowing somebody rich and famous? It makes no difference at all how important or rich a person is that we may meet during our lifetime. If you want to brag about knowing somebody important, just look at the cross. It is Jesus and his message that is important to us. Blessings to you all.