A CRUCIAL COMMAND

 

Can you imagine if a preacher dared to enter the pulpit drunk?  It is likely (and likely should be) that he would be fired. Yet, how many preachers will stand before the congregation tomorrow—relying on their study, leaning on their skills, trusting in their strength. It may be that none will confront them—in fact, they may please the people and receive a pat on the back. But, they have sinned as much as the drunken preacher slurring his sermon!

“Be filled with the Spirit,” is as much an imperative as “be not drunk with wine.”  To disobey either is sin. It is just that one would be more obvious.  Yet, because it is not so apparent, the failure to be filled with the Spirit may be more insidious!

From the Day of Pentecost, there was this linkage between being filled with wine and being filled with the Spirit. Why?

One who is drunk is mastered by alcohol. It controls everything about them. It changes their thinking, their vision, their speech, their emotions, their walk. To be filled with the Spirit is to be under the Lordship of Jesus Christ—fully. So much so, that His Spirit affects the way we think, how we see, what we say, how we feel, the way we walk. 

This is a crucial command. Jesus demanded the disciples assemble for prayer after His ascension and not cease seeking the Spirit’s power until He came upon them. They did. He did. There were 3000 added to the church that day!  The world has never been the same. 

Pray!  Seek the fullness of the Spirit. Do not cease asking for His anointing on the preaching of the Word and ministries of the church. Be empty of self, that you may be full of the Spirit.

It is a crucial command!

THE PROMISE OF POWERFUL PREACHING

There is a puny, pitiful, punchless, powerless preaching that is pointless!  It is tragic and worthless. Concerning this, Paul spoke of God, “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬‬). “Letter” preaching may be “by the Book.”  That is, the content is Biblically based and doctrinally sound—as it should be—yet, is dry and deadening to the hearer. Old Vance Havner said, “You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically, and empty as one spiritually.”  It is the Spirit who gives life. He is the promised power in our preaching. Remember how in the vision of a valley of dry, dead bones, Ezekiel was told to preach to them—and this we must. But, it was when the Word of God was accompanied by the Wind of God—that same Divine Breath of Pentecost—coming into them, that they had life, (cf. Ezek.37:1-14). 

With this in mind, consider the promise of our Lord in Mark 13:11. “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”  (Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬‬). In the context, where the preacher is arrested and will be indicted before a judge for preaching the Gospel, he will have no library, no Bible, no occasion of sermon preparation. Yet, there is no need to fear, for the Spirit will give the right message—an anointed one—in such an occasion. This does not mean under normal circumstances that we should not study and prepare, instead trusting spontaneity in proclamation. Should such need arise, God will provide. Yet, if we can prepare, we must. Do not be like the old boy that said, “Sometimes I preach from notes and sometimes I just talk out of my head.”  That is apparent from some sermons you hear! God does not bless laziness.  Study and have something to say.

Yet, there must not be reliance on preparation in your study, but dependence on the Spirit. He is the One who breathes life into dead bones. Preaching “by the letter,” is deadening. It may induce nodding heads of agreement as to content, but then leads to nodding  heads of slumber. It is promised, “the Spirit gives life.”  God’s man can claim the promise of the Lord not just when summoned from a prison, but when standing in a pulpit: “But whether is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” 

How does this happen?  I heard Stephen Olford say years ago, that there must be “emptiness, prayerfulness, and yielded-ness.”

There must be emptiness. God does not fill a man with His Spirit that is  full of himself. A glass cannot be filled with milk, if even a quarter of it is full of lemonade.  You must empty the glass and then you can fill it. Spiritually, this demands our repentance. We confess our sin and claim God’s forgiveness.  We head to the cross and die to all that we are in order to live in all He is.

There must be prayerfulness. James said, “Yet you do not have because you do not ask,” (4:2d). We must pray in faith, asking God to fill us. It is His will to do so, for He has commanded, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,”. (Eph. 5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬‬). 

There must be yielded-ness. This is the surrendered life of utter dependence on the Spirit of God. As being filled with wine means one is under the control of alcohol, so being filled with the Spirit demands we be under the mastery of God. When I stand to preach, I need to be gloriously intoxicated with God!  As alcohol will impact every dimension of my life—how I think, see, speak, feel, and walk, thus the one who is filled with the Spirit will find his mind directed by Scripture, his vision focused on eternity, his mouth declaring transformative truth, his heart full of love, and his walk aligned with the Word.

This is the promise of powerful preaching!  May the Lord bless us with preachers on this Lord’s Day who stand and speak in the anointing of God’s Spirit!

RECHARGED!

 Batteries must be recharged if what they power is to continue to work. Using the equipment drains the energy, and if not recharged, it will eventually become unproductive. I have a battery powered chainsaw. I used it several days ago. When the battery drained, the work ceased. But, I plan to resume cutting trees later today. I have recharged the battery. It is no different in the service of the Lord. We cannot be constantly going and doing without recharging. 

We need to plug in “at Jesus’ feet,” (Luke 10:39). In the story, Martha was in a frenzy, preparing a meal, irritated that her sister Mary would not help. Yet, Jesus told her that Mary had chosen wisely. It is not that service is to be neglected, but that until our spiritual energy is replenished at Jesus’ feet, we will eventually shut down.

Think of the principle of the weekly Sabbath. Six days we are to work, but we need a day of rest. Sadly, I think some Christian workers neglect this. From Friday night until Saturday night could be a day of recharging.  What happens when we plug in at Jesus’ feet?

It is a place of RESTORATION, “Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.” (Matt. ‭15‬:‭30‬‬). The lame could not go, the blind could not see, the mute could not speak, the maimed could not work. All that would change because of time spent at Jesus’ feet. They would be restored. Those of you who serve the Lord must continue to go out on mission, you must be able to see with vision, you must be able to speak with conviction, and to serve with passion.  At Jesus’ feet is the place of restoration.

It is a place of RECEPTION, “And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.” (Lk.10‬:‭39‬‬). Mary was on the receiving end of the Lord’s teaching. She was soaking in the truth, receiving the Word of the Lord with all its transforming power. On Sunday, preachers will need to stand and speak for God. How can we unless on Saturday (or another day) we have sat and soaked in the Word of God?  I cannot presume to speak for Him unless I have first heard from Him. At Jesus’ feet is the place of reception. 

It is a place of REVERENCE, “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.”  (Matt. ‭28‬:‭9‬‬). It is difficult to worship the Lord, if we wait to do so as we are leading others in worship. Our mind can be easily distracted by our responsibilities. Yet, we need a day to sit at Jesus’s feet in reverence and rejoice in Him!  I would suggest that our public expression of worship together will be real only if rooted in our private experience of worship alone.  

We can wake up on the Lord’s Day, with resignation, “I’ve got to go to church,” or with rejoicing,  “I get to go to church!”  Bowing before Him and experiencing His presence personally makes the difference. At Jesus’ feet is the place of reverence.

Let’s get alone with the Lord today, bowing at His feet, that we may stand tomorrow to serve and speak with power!

TAKING IN THAT WE MIGHT GIVE OUT

In the book, “Anointed Expository Preaching,” written by Stephen Olford with his son, David, it states: 

Therefore, like Jehovah's Servant (the Lord Jesus Himself), we must be able to say, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (Isa. 50:4–5; see also Mark 1:35). Jesus never missed His quiet time. Dare we do anything less? It is estimated that the average pastor spends less than ten minutes per day in this devotional discipline. God have mercy on us!

To cram in study on a Saturday night for a Sunday sermon, as one might foolishly try to do before taking a big test the next day is as likely to fail!  Our need to study goes beyond even examining the text that we are preaching. There is a need to feed—to take in from God’s Word that we might serve Him productively. Fervent devotion in seeking Christ on a daily basis will yield fruitful delivery in sharing Christ on a Sunday morning. Our cup will be filled to overflow, spilling out grace and truth to the congregation. Otherwise, our soul will shrivel from malnourishment and there will be no power in the pulpit. The ears of men and women might be tickled by a gifted communicator, but the heart of the people will not be transformed apart from one who has experienced that touch of the Spirit from His inspired Word, day after day.

Don’t be an emaciated expositor!  Take in, so you may give out!

GOSPEL PREACHING

There is God’s sovereignty at work in the grace that calls sinners to salvation. Yet, there is also human responsibility in the Gospel declaration by the witness and the Gospel reception by the hearer.  How, this works has been the subject of theological debate for 2000 years of church history that I will not try to settle today. How it works, I may not understand, but that it works is undeniable, “knowing…your election by God.”  Gospel preachers call out the called.

In Gospel preaching there is PROCLAMATION, “in word.”  The facts of the Gospel—the vicarious crucifixion and victorious resurrection of Jesus—must be faithfully preached. The sower must sow the seed. We are not responsible for the condition of the soil, but the casting of the seed.

In Gospel preaching there is EXPECTATION, “in power.”  The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (cf. Rom.1:16). We are not called to sort out who the called may be, but to have confidence that if we are faithful to the Gospel, the Gospel will be forceful to do its work. It is the power of the message and not the persuasiveness of the messenger that matters.  If I can talk someone into a decision, someone else can talk them out of it!

In Gospel preaching there is CONSECRATION, “the Holy Spirit.”   It was not the powerful personality of the Apostle that wrought conversion. In fact, Paul was not impressive in his appearance or charming in his style (cf. 1 Cor.2:1-5). True Gospel preaching flows from a vessel fully consecrated to God so that the fullness of the Spirit poured in may then be poured out. Gospel preaching is a Divine transaction.

In Gospel preaching there is CONVICTION, “much assurance.”  The meaning of the word is, “conviction,” and so the ESV renders it. There must be conviction in the preacher—a confidence in the truthfulness of our message—that will produce conviction in the hearer. He or she will be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment through the Spirit’s work (cf. John 16:7-11).  One will not be converted until they are convicted. Someone isn’t saved until they realize they are lost.  Then, those who are converted  have the conviction that if they look to Christ by faith He will save them.

In Gospel preaching there is IDENTIFICATION, “what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”  A good shepherd abides with his flock. They see the consistency of his walk and then will listen to the communication of his words. He can identify with them in their hurts and difficulties, with their hopes and dreams. They do not see him as a man isolated from them, but identified with them—as God’s man, yet still just a man.  The Gospel preacher is not a hireling who serves for his sake, but for the sake of the sheep.  His preaching is not lofty theory, but down to earth reality.  It is not speculation spoken from an ivory tower, but identification from a man who holds a Bible with a hand that has had dirt under the fingernails.

In Gospel preaching there is REPRODUCTION, “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.”  It is not a momentary decision that fades with the feeling or withers under opposition or disappointment.  It was not a superficial response, but a persevering commitment that was made. True faith produces works—genuine profession produces a godly practice.  The reception of the seed of the Word will yield the reproduction of the Lord in the fruit of the Spirit.

Let us pray that God would so bless our preaching. After all, such preaching is in reliance on Him. We must be prepared to preach, but cannot unless we abide in Christ.  As the old hymn underscores, “All is vain unless the Spirit Of the Holy One comes down; Brethren, pray, and holy manna Will be showered all around.” (George Askins)

THE PATHWAY TO POWER

            

The Calvary Road is the pathway to power. We have heard the old cliche, “No pain, no gain,” as concerning exercise, but it is true of spiritual advancement, as well. In the flesh, Paul might have boasted of his accomplishments, but he knew that it was the power of Christ working though an earthen vessel that was to be credited.  The Apostle that preached grace for salvation from sin knew grace was just as needful for strength in service.  Humbling owning our weaknesses and dying to our self-sufficiency in brokenness, we can know the power of Christ in ministry. Nothing more is needed and nothing less will enable us to do Gospel work.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHURCH

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:24-29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The church will not rise above the level of commitment expressed by her leaders.  Paul was passionate and productive, “for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Col.1:24).  I want to challenge every leader—myself included—to elevate their effort for the sake of Christ’s body, the church.  I want to challenge those who are not in positions of leadership to pray for and encourage those who are—and to consider getting busy yourself!

There are several imperatives for us to follow in Colossians 1:24-29.

1. SUFFERING FOR THE CAUSE (v.24)   Why did Paul joyfully suffer?  It was for the cause of Christ; for “you,” he says—meaning the church.  We are familiar with the physical fitness mantra, “No pain; no gain.”  That is true spiritually, as well.  Every leader God uses has been forged in the fire of difficulty.  This wasn’t theoretical to Paul.  Note the word, “now,” and be reminded that as he was writing it was from a prison.  He was suffering in jail—his only crime being faithfulness to Christ.  But, he rejoiced!

2. STEWARDSHIP OF THE CAUSE (v.25-27)   Mark the word, “stewardship.”  It’s about more than money.  Paul was called to be a “minister.”  That word has to do with service.  Each of us has a work to do for God.  A steward was a household manager who took care of his master’s assets.  That’s what we do in the House of God.  Paul was a minister of the Word—a mystery he was unveiling.  The Apostle was part of a great movement to spread the Gospel around the world.

3. SUCCESS IN THE CAUSE (v.28)   Paul was a man of focus!  Benjamin Disraeli said, “The secret of success is constancy of purpose.”  D.L. Moody stated, “Give me a man that says, ‘This one thing I do,’ not ‘these fifty things I dabble in.’”  Paul had a laser-like intensity in his mission—to proclaim Jesus!  This is the church’s mission and is to be the leaders’ passion.  We cannot allow anything to distract us.

4. STRENGTH FOR THE CAUSE (v.29) Spiritual responsibilities demand supernatural resources. We are not smart enough to lead the church properly. We are not strong enough to lead the church productively. God wants to work in us and through us. This work is the work of God and He alone can do it, but remember this lesson I heard from John Maxwell years ago, “Apart from God, we cannot, and apart from us, God will not.”

POWER IN PREACHING

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.  (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

Good news can be presented in an orthodox form—and it should be—and remain only a form, resulting in no conversion or false confession.  So, Paul, in exhorting young Pastor Timothy spoke of those, “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  (2 Tim.3:5a)  The Apostle rejoiced that his preaching had not been so received by the Thessalonians, evidencing that there was power accompanying the proclamation!

What makes for power in preaching?  Two things are essential:  divine energizing and demonstrable example.

Concerning divine energizing, the key phrase is, “in the Holy Spirit.”  This is more than the Spirit in us—apart from that we are not converted ourselves!  This is our being in the Spirit—apart from that we cannot see others converted!  In the former, the Spirit is resident, and in the latter, He is president.  This comes in a dependence on God—seeking Him for spiritual power.  It is a refusal to rely on professionalism, rationalism, or emotionalism.  Rather, it is casting yourself upon God in faith, letting Him bear you up and carry you along in the act of preaching.   Think in terms of how God inspired the writers of Scripture, “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”  (2 Pet.1:21b).  Certainly our preaching will not be on the level of infallible inspiration, but we must honor that sacred revelation by preaching it in spiritual reliance.  Brother, on Saturday night, get naked before God—confess your utter helplessness—and then on Sunday morning, be clothed in power before you dare to enter the pulpit!  You can then speak with assured authority!

Pertaining to demonstrable example, this is a stressed by the phrase, “you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”  Power in proclamation must ever be linked to practice.  To demand in others what we are not willing to demonstrate is hypocrisy!  That is the kind of preaching the Pharisees did—and Jesus condemned it in forceful terms.  As you look at the qualifications for the pastor in 1 Timothy 3 it is quickly apparent that character is as vital as competence.  There are things we must do—there is nothing commendable in incompetence and indolence—but, there is also the matter of who we are—and that is integrity.  Failing to model the message short-circuits spiritual power.  The verbal proclamation from our lips can never be divorced from the visual pattern of our lifestyle.

When these are present there will be power in preaching—and this is the result: “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.”  (1 Thess.1:6-7)  This is fruitful reproduction: realignment to God’s will, “you became followers of us and of the Lord,” reception of God’s Word, “having received the word in much affliction,” rejoicing in God’s work, “with joy of the Holy Spirit,” and replication in God’s world, “you became examples to all.”

THE ROD OF GOD

So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod." (Exodus 4:2 )

Moses is one of the great Bible heroes. His first attempt at delivering his people, however, had been a disaster. Seeing an Egyptian abusing one of Moses' fellow Hebrews, he killed him and buried him in the sand. How long would it have taken to deliver Israel at that rate--one per day? Not only so, but Moses' bloody secret was out. The cat was out of the bag--or in this case the corpse! So, he fled for his life. He would spend forty grueling years tending his father-in-law's flock on the backside of the wilderness. This was God's discipline to humble him and shape him that He might use him. Until God brings us to the end of ourself, we will never discover what He alone can do because He alone is all we have.

There was THE SERIOUS PROBLEM Moses posed to God. When the Lord calls him, he recalls his failure, and an objection arises, "But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice" (4:1) It was an excuse masquerading as a reason not to obey. There was an element of truth, however. If Moses could not back up his claims, then his efforts would bring another failure, on a grander scale. The fact is that we cannot lead people wfor God publicly until the evidence is there that we have listened to God privately.

Here is THE STARTING POINT.  So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" (4:2) We often think that when we get to a certain place, obtain better resources, or develop greater skills that God can use us. What we fail to grasp is that God meets us where we are to bring us where He wants us to be. In the midst of the mundane, God can intersect with us. An old scrub bush in the wilderness can become the sacred spot where the Eternal One is encountered. The piece of wood in our hands can become a tool for God to work wonders! Remember how Jesus took a lad's lunch and fed 5,000? The starting point of the miracle was when all was surrendered to Jesus.

We must deal with THE SERPENT'S POISON.  And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. (Exodus 4:3) Moses must have wondered why God would have him throw away a perfectly good staff. When he obeyed, he found it had the nature of the serpent about it so long as Moses controlled it. Anything not surrendered to God does.

Moses then finds THE SPIRITUAL POWER.  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), "that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." (4:4-5) From now on this staff that in the hand of Moses could only do what Moses could do would be known as the rod of God and through it God would do only what He could do!

What has God called you to do? Will you surrender all you have so He can use you?

THE WISDOM OF MEN OR THE POWER OF GOD?

 

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.  (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

We can immerse ourselves in commentaries, seek to excel at homiletics, hone our public speaking by taking courses on communication, search for the best audio-visual aids—in short, do all we can to wow the congregation on a Sunday morning—and it all be so much wood, hay and straw to be consumed at the Judgment Seat of Christ!  While these things are not evil in and of themselves—as an aid they may prove beneficial—but, reliance on them is abominable.  It is to do the people of God a tremendous disservice and worse—it is to lay a foundation for eternal damnation of the hearers who come to have a faith that rests in the wisdom of men and not the power of God!  There are charming story-tellers who would be effective on the stage, and think that ability will carry the day in the pulpit.  There are comedians who masquerade as preachers, offering enticing entertainment.  Here’s the dirty secret—they are often extremely effective in what they do.  They are celebrated in the evangelical world.  Their congregations overflow their buildings.  People wait with eager expectation for the next internet download or the newest book release.  We judge them a success—and perhaps some are, but only the Day we appear before Christ will disclose that.

Again, there is nothing wrong with trying to express yourself more clearly, competently, compellingly—and to use the tools at our disposal to do so.  God never calls us to haphazard preparation, sloth in our study, and carelessness in communication.  It is just so easy to lean on the wisdom of man—when what we must have at all costs is the power of God!  That is the only source that will produce genuine faith—whether for salvation or sanctification.  Paul was determined to preach in utter human weakness, desperate for the Spirit-anointed message to be unleashed.  At the center of that sermon would be the cross of Christ—a scandal to the Jewish audience and foolishness to the Gentiles.  Yet, preach it he would—for that is the Gospel—and the power of God unto salvation.

My dear brother, on what are you leaning, as you move toward that Sunday morning appointment—and all those eternal souls hanging in the balance?  Are you urgently, fervently praying that God would move in power in your preaching and in the hearts of the people?  Will you settle for nothing less and nothing else?  Will you acknowledge that unless there is spiritual power—no matter the commendations of the congregation—that it is all worthless?

Dear Holy God—we are your servants, and have heard your call—yet, we are totally incapable of preaching unless You work.  We want to see a Divine demonstration tomorrow!  We beg you!  For the sake of Your Son who died on that cross, Amen!