believe

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  (Rom 1:16)

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”  (1Co 1:18)

“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”  (1Co 1:21)

Several years ago, while I was still running my construction business, I had to go collect from one of my customers. It was a Friday evening so my wife decided to come along with me and afterwards we would go get a bite to eat. When I got to my customer’s house I found out she wasn’t home, so we thought we would kill a little time and go visit the shops that were in town a few blocks away. We happened to walk into a joke shop and my wife heard a man that was behind the counter playing a hymn on the mandolin. We asked him if he was a Christian and he acknowledged he was. He then pointed to some brochures that he had on the counter. They were brochures for his ministry, which was visiting churches and doing magic shows for the kids. He would use that as a means to share about Jesus. I am not bringing this up to judge the man, but I will say I would not invite a magician to perform at my church. Anyway, the man told me that quite often when he goes to a church to perform his magic show, the adults that are in the room as well as some that may be watching from the hall will come up to him afterwards and tell him they got more out of his magic show then they did from the sermon the pastor preached. Something happened to me right at the moment he told me that. I would normally get mad and say something in my heart like, “Why are you even bringing that magic show into the church?” but then I realized, the problem isn’t the magic show; the problem is that the preacher couldn’t out preach the magic show. Saints of God, the lack of powerful preaching is an epidemic in some of our churches today. I even heard one pastor say that preaching just doesn’t work anymore. Maybe talking or orating doesn’t work because God never ordained just talking, He ordained men full of the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to be the chief means to reach the lost and strengthen the saints. I have heard it said and I am sure you have to, that the message never changes just the method. I use to nod my head in half hearted agreement with that, but today I boldly tell you that neither the message nor the method has changed. If you don’t think preaching the gospel is relevant to our sophisticated generation then consider this; “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”  (Mat 24:14). Did you see that, the gospel is going to be preached right up to the very last of the last days? By another verse we can see that preaching will go on even during the tribulation period; “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” (Rev 14:6). By the way, skits, entertainment, songs and such are not what is considered preaching. To preach means to announce the good news, but scripture teaches us that it is more than just announcing, it is demonstrating and manifesting Christ through preaching. Real Holy Ghost anointed preaching reveals Christ to the listener. This kind of preaching can only be accomplished through Spirit filled believers. I am not just talking about pulpit preaching, I am talking about anytime anyone of us shares with the lost.

Before Jesus ever started His earthly ministry He was filled with the Spirit. It was said about Jesus, “The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.” (Joh 7:46). Jesus spoke like He did because He was endued with power from on high. This same power is promised to every believer that will ask our heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit. We don’t need another invention or gimmick. We don’t need to put on some spectacular show to try to attract and win the lost. The preaching of the gospel is the answer and you can take that with you wherever you go. All that was prescribed to Ezekiel to raise up those very dry bones was to prophesy, which means to speak under inspiration; that is Holy Ghost inspiration. Peter, filled with the Spirit, preached less than a three minute sermon on the day of Pentecost and it cut the heart of 3000 men and made them desperate. Stephen preached a short synopsis from Abraham to Solomon and then identified it with his present age and the crowd couldn’t handle it and stoned him. However, it didn’t end there, Saul, who later became Paul, heard that message. After he was converted he went armed with the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and through much opposition, brought thousands to the Lord. At the closing years of Paul’s life, he did not discover a more effective way to win others to Christ. The last verse of the book of Acts tells us he was, “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” (Act 28:31). Our generation needs you saint of God, to be filled with the Spirit and rise up and preach the gospel. There still is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is preached by Spirit filled saints.