A Life that Honours God

Preaching the Word of God 

1. Convicting the World

“our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction…” – 1 Thessalonians 1:5a

• One area where we definitely need the energy of Jesus working in us is in preaching the word of God and bringing conviction on the world.
• Paul said that he brought the Gospel to the Thessalonian church with “power,” “the Holy Spirit,” and “deep conviction.”
• We’re called to preach the word of God and convict the world of sin, but that conviction can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.  You can’t convict people – only God can.
• Jesus said that the Holy Spirit, “will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).
• We need to speak the truth, but do it in the energy and power of Jesus, not in our own strength.
• When we speak the truth, we need to trust that God will convict people. We don’t have to argue with them or convince them of the truth.
• Our job is simple: just preach about Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).  He’ll do the rest.

2. Challenging the Church

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” – 1 Corinthians 1:17

• Whether preaching to the pagan world of Rome or challenging the Christians in his church plants, Paul was clear that he came in the power of Jesus and not just his own wisdom or strength.
• We have a calling from God not only to speak the truth to the world but also to challenge the church to really live for God.  Both of these require the power of God to be effective.
• Has anyone here ever been challenged by another Christian to live more godly?
• When the power of God is behind a challenge, it’s a lot more effective than otherwise.  Check out 1 Corinthians 2:4.
• God expects us to speak up at church and urge our Christian brothers and sisters to live for God (1 Timothy 5:1).
• Don’t be rude, but don’t be quiet either!  Stand in the power of God and challenge the church!

Have a great day.

John 

This entry was posted on 25/07/2009 at 09:20 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.