Power to Preach
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Preaching Power
Preaching Power
Where does it come from? The power to move the unmovable: recent events in Hawaii and the lava flow that will literally take out anything in its way, the fissures spewing lava, where does all that power come from? The earth shakes and trembles, it was a daily occurrence, but has slowed here in Oklahoma with new regulations, but the power to shake the earth, where does it come from? The winds that topple trees and at times overturn homes, where does the great power come from? A car on its roof trapping a child or loved one, and a parent seems to move the car to free the child, the power to tame the tongue, power to work feverishly for 24-36 hours at a cause greater than yourself; where does the power come from?
In the recent movie, Hacksaw Ridge, Seventh Day Adventist Desmond Doss, was featured. His unprecedented power to save the lives of 75 soldiers by finding them, dragging them to a safe position, and lowering them down a one hundred foot cliff on the island of Okinawa was heroic and earned him the medal of honor, our highest military award. Where did the power come from to work feverishly for some 30 hours saving lives, alone.
Where did John Wesley receive his power to preach? Wesley travelled widely, generally on horseback, preaching two or three times each day. Stephen Tomkins writes that he "rode 250,000 miles, gave away 30,000 pounds, ... and preached more than 40,000 sermons... "[88] He formed societies, opened chapels, examined and commissioned preachers, administered aid charities, prescribed for the sick, superintended schools and orphanages and published his sermons.
Where does the power of Mother Teresa to end famine and heal the sick come from?
How did Martin Luther get the power, the courage to take on the church and reinvent her ways?
Where did Paul find the power to overcome stonings, shipwrecks, lashings, prison and remain positive about his future in Christ?
Where did Peter get the power to stand and preach when moments before he was locked in the upper room in fear of the Jews?
Its Pentecostal Power! Its the power that comes when Jesus resides in the heart so deep and is fastened so tightly, we empty ourselves of all else and allow Him and Him alone to rule. All one can do is speak of Him and his graces.
Its Pentecostal Powers that allows the Holy Spirit to invade our soul uninhibited by our mind that says stop and our will that says no, not now. The uninhibited will the will that says yes to God will receive a fullness of pardon that sets the soul ablaze and says no matter what man does, i will work to his good with a Holy Love that is unstoppable!
Here is my message today. This power, this filling of the Holy Spirit is not meant for a few, but for the whole. He is for you, He is for today, He is for Holy living, He shines the light and truth of Jesus into our lives.
Last week Cornelius sent for Peter, Peter told them about Jesus and they, he and his household were filled with the Holy Spirit. You and your household should be filled with the Spirit.
Peter states very clearly in our reading this is what we are to do, 32-38
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has a place in your life
55 times mentioned in the Book of Acts, Praxies
The Holy Spirit has a place in the Church
There is one church universal, and Jesus is the head
The Holy Spirit is the source of all power in the church, the power to bring men to salvation in Christ
He is the bond that ties us together
He is our Truth, He will bring to our remembrance all truth and without His enlightenment, the world will go dark
The Holy Spirit is at work in our world
Prevenient Grace
The Holy Spirit is available to any and all who seek Jesus, first, the gifts of the Spirit second. Have you responded to Him, to His call, to His love, to His work?
I want you to imagine you were going to run a marathon. In preparation you run a while, walk a while and then run some more. You get up to a couple miles, but you become defeated. You don’t have the strength or stamina. Someone asks you, well what do you eat before you run and when? You say you love hamburgers. You eat two right before you run. This person explains to you that hamburgers should not be consumed before running, there isn’t enough calories here to sustain you.
You never eat another hamburger ever again
You never eat ever again
You stop running all together
This is what i think the church sees in the Holy Spirit.
I’m never going to sin again
I’m never going to try to stop sinning i just cant get it right
I quit the church
The answer is to eat calories at the appropriate time in the appropriate amount to sustain you during the course of the race.
The Holy Spirit is that sustaining energy
Will you call on Him today? Jesus has provided you the cleansing of salvation, adoption into the family and justified you for enterance into the kingdom. The Holy Spirit wants to give you power from on High for endurance in the race.
Kyle