1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 “…when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God …” (NIV)

The Christians at Thessalonica were led to Christ by God’s word. They heard the word of God as it was spoken by the mouth of Paul. When they heard what Paul had to say, they had to choose what they believed. They had to decide if Paul spoke the word of God, or did he speak merely human words. If he spoke only human words he could not be trusted. They decided that he was speaking God’s word, and they believed both in him and what he said. That belief led them to believe in Jesus, and their faith in Jesus reconciled them with God the father. God’s word became their word of salvation.

People today, who have been exposed to the Scriptures have it a bit easier than the people at Thessalonica. They had to first believe in Paul, then in what Paul preached, and finally they had to have faith in Jesus that Paul’s preaching made known to them. Today a person can pick up a Bible and discover Jesus through reading. That does not mean preachers are no longer needed; a preacher’s job is still to proclaim the word of God. The word of God is not limited to leading us to salvation, but the word of God also teaches us how to live right with God, our fellow man, and the world around us. The role of the preacher is to deliver truth found in the word of God in a way that leads to understanding, and that understanding then leads to transformation.

Preachers deliver messages. However, if the message does not come from God’s word it is merely human words. Human words might be true, but they might also be false. God’s word is always true.

When a preacher’s message can be found in a scriptural text, we know it is God’s word. There is not enough time to listen to every preacher; we should choose who we listen to wisely. Choose the messenger who delivers a message from God’s word.