PREACH JESUS!!!
I was inspired to write this message after listening to a powerful man OF GOD preach about making JESUS the centrality of our preaching.
Introduction
I googled this about sunflowers and paraphrased it in my words.
SOUTH AFRICA IS THE TENTH LARGEST PRODUCER OF SUNFLOWER SEED IN THE WORLD IT IS GROWN IN THE FREE STATE WHERE I WORK Once. A Farmer TOOK ME ONE DAY AND SHOWED ME THE MOST AMAZING SIGHT I EVER SAW MOVEMENTS OF SUNFLOWERS FOLLOWING THE SUN
They literally follow the sun.Watching one sunflower follow the sun is amazing. But Watching hundreds in absolute unison follow the sun is incredible. Something I found out recently, is that Sunflowers continue tracking the suns direction long after the sun is set. They ensure that they are always oriented in the direction of the sun. Their unity is totally dependant on one thing. Their relationship to the sun.
1: Sunflowers produce oil after following the sun their entire lifetime.
2:What will Christians produce after following Gods son the anointing
I heard a story of a preacher that was struggling to find something to preach about on Sunday,and he was vocalizing it in despair,when suddenly he heard a LOUD voice from the kitchen, PREACH JESUS PREACH JESUS.HE SAID HE WAS UPSET WHEN HE FIRST HEARD HIS WIFE SAY PREACH JESUS,BUT OVER THE YEARS HE SAID THAT WAS THE BEST ADVICE SOMEBODY COULD HAVE GIVEN HIM.IT MAY SURPRISE TO KNOW THAT JESUS IS HARDLY PREACH IN OUR CHURCHES today WEVE BECOME MORE SEEKER FRIENDLY.
Colossians 1:25-29
25: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 1: A: Whom we preach,(plural)
A: HIM WE PREACH (AMP)
2: B: warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
4: C: that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 D: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
1: A: HIM WE PREACH (AMP)
IF JESUS CHRIST IS NOT THE CENTRAL FIGURE OF OUR PREACHING ITS Not BIBLE BASED PREACHING. WE MUST PREACH HIM. JESUS CHRIST!Let's look at Pauls preaching of the gospel of Jesus and what he preached.
Acts 9:18-20
18: And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
So it is very clear from scripture that straight-away Paul preached JESUS.
THERES A STORY OF THE CONTRACTER WHO WON THE CONTRACT TO REWIRE LONDON BRIDGE.THEY CAME WITH THEIR MODERN NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND THEIR NEW DRAWINGS, BUT HAD TO GO BACK,TO THE ORIGINAL BLUEPRINT.AND FOLLOW THE OLD PATHWAY. THEY FOUND OUT THE OLD PATHWAY WAS BETTER AND CHEAPER TO FOLLOW.LETS GO BACK TODAY TO WHEN THE CHURCH STARTED IN A BLAZE OF GLORY . LET'S LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL BLUE PRINT,WHAT TYPE OF PREACHING BROUGHT THE CHURCH INTO PROMINANCE.
Today there is all types of pet preaching
REMEMBER THIS IS THE FIRST PREACHING THAT STARTED THE CHURCH.IF YOU WENT TO BIBLE SCHOOL YOU WILL KNOW THE TERM
THE LAW OF FIRST MENTION
This is Gods servant PETER preaching his first recorded sermon,so to speak.
Acts 2:21-27
27: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25: For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also
my flesh shall rest in hope:
27: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
WHO IS PETER SPEAKING ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. OK LET ME EXPLAIN
WHO JESUS IS ITS SEEMS THAT THE CHURCH HAS FORGOTTEN,WHO JESUS IS.IT'S IN FASHION TO SAY GOD BUT YOU MUST NOT MENTION JESUS.THE CLERGY IN JESUS DAY TOLD THE DICIPLES NOT TO PREACH AND TEACH IN THAT NAME WHAT NAME THE NAME OF JESUS.Lets look at another example IN ACTS STEVENS EXAMPLE OF PREACHING HIS FIRST RECORDED MESSAGE IN ACTS 7
Acts 7:51-5
51: Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One;
of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stevens whole message in a nutshell is,he was trying to get the people of the day to see,that old testament prophets were preaching and writing about the coming messiah, JESUS CHRIST BUT THEY HATED HIS MESSAGE THE MORE AND STONED HIM
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
1: wisdom,
2:and righteousness,
3: and sanctification,
4: and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.(JESUS) we have everything in CHRIST
1: In Genesis, He is the Creator God.
2: In Exodus, He is deliverer
3: In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.
4: In Numbers, He is your guide.
5: In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher.
6: In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror.
7: In Judges, He gives victory over enemies.
8: In Ruth, He is her kinsman- redeemer.
9: In I Samuel, he is the root of Jesse;
10: In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David.
LET'S FOLLOW IN JESUS FOOTPRINTS BEFORE HE ENTERED JERUSALEM TO BE CRUCIFIED ON THE CROSS.
1:JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE ON MONDAY
2:REBUKES THE JEWISH LEADERS ON TUESDAY
3: PREPARES FOR DEATH WITH PRAYER ON WEDNESDAY.
4: HE PREACHES THE GOSPEL TO THE DISCIPLES AND WASHES THEIR FEET AT THE LAST SUPPER ON THURSDAY.
5: AFTER THAT JESUS CROSSES OVER THE KIDRON VALLEY INTO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE,PRAYING AND CRYING WITH TEARS ,FARTHER IS IT POSIBLE REMOVE THIS CUP FROM ME NEVERTHELESS NOT MY WILL BUT THY WILL BE DONE,HIS SWEAT BECAME DROPS OF BLOOD.
1:IN THE GARDEN JESUS IS ARRESTED BY A BAND OF MEN AND OFFICERS FROM THE HIGH PRIEST.
THE PLACES MY SAVIOUR IS TAKEN BEFORE THE CRUCIFICTION WHERE HE IS BRUTALLY BEATEN.
TAKEN TO THE HIGH PRIEST ANNAIS,WHO WAS FARTHER IN LAW TO CAIAPHAS
THEN HE GOES TO THE HIGH PRIEST CAIAPHAS.
THEN HE IS HANDED OVER TO PILATE ,
WHEN PILATE FOUND OUT HIS FROM HEROD JURISDICTION HE SENT HIM TO HEROD
THEN HEROD, FINALLY SENT HIM BACK TO PILATE WHERE MY SAVIOUR IS SENTENCE TO DEATH.
AFTER THAT MY SAVIOUR IS HANDED OVER TO THE MOB TO BE CRUCIFIED.
THEN JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS AND WALKS THE WAY OF THE CROSS(THE VIA DOL A ROSA) ON HIS WAY TO GOLGOTHA.
ON HIS WAY HE STUMBLES AND FALLS WITH THE WAIT OF THE CROSS AND THE SINS OF THIS WORLD AND HE IS HELPED BY SIMON.
FINALLY HE REACHES GOLGOTHA AND HE IS CRUCIFIED AND DIES FOR THE SINS OF THIS WORLD On the cross, Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness PREACH HIM.
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 1:Whom we preach, PREACH HIM
2: B: warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
I noticed the church is very efficient in teaching everyone but not warning,warning is a Godly trait,I will prove to you in scripture
NIV Matthew 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
GOD WARNED THE WISEMEN ABOUT HERODS INTENTIONS
Matthew 2:13
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
GOD WARNED JOSEPH not to go back to his hometown but TO GO GO EGYPT.
God warned pharaoh in a dream.
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WARNING
I worked on various projects throughout South Africa.one of them was SASOL, I lived with a dear brother in Christ. We discussed many things of God together. I WARNED AND questioned him as to why he loved reading and looking at magazines that contained pictures of semi - nude women and he said he liked the cars and the nice ladies in it. He made a statement I’ll never forget. He said: “ KIM These things don’t affect me, i do it just for the fun of it. He continued filling his mind with this magazine, but it was not long after that, about a year or two later when his thoughts became his actions and his actions became his deeds. He got divorced after going after women, lost his car, home, family and most of all lost out with God.After many years of this lifestyle he developed cancer and before he died I had the privilege of restoring him back to God.WARN!!!
WE MUST WARN THEM WHEN THEY READ THE BIBLE TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT GODS SAYING AND NOT WHAT THEY WANT THE BIBLE TO SAY.
YOU MUST WARN THEM THAT THEY MUST NOT FORSAKE COMING TO CHURCH AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS, IT'S NOT THEIR SPARE TYRE IT'S THEIR STEERING WHEEL.
WE MUST WARN THEM THAT SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE IS SIN,LIES, ADULTERY,AND HAVING A SPARE TYRE ON THE SIDE IS NOT CULTURE ITS SIN.
YOU MUST WARN THEM THAT JESUS SAID MOSES ( it doesnt say God) ALLOWED DIVORCE BECAUSE OF THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS BUT IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO,GOD HATES DIVORCE.
YOU MUST WARN THEM NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS you either LOVE GOD AND HATE SIN.
YOU MUST WARN THE PROPHETS that are not prophets TO STOP PROPER-LYING WE MUST START TO WARN THE CHURCH.
When I started my church I noticed something that alarmed me.In the seventies when I got saved,people got saved and delivered one time.Today including my church people have given their heart to the lord and are still bound after many years in church,so I ask the lord,now I'm not a person that says the lord this and the lord that,so I sense God saying to me, now this is not the only reason but I feel it is the main reason,we are trying to deliver people,with logic eg.seeker friendly methods,give THEM time,don't be to hard,watch out you gonna lose them if you come on to strong,come on let's look at the bible way.Jesus himself appeared to Paul and he he was never the same.CHURCH LET'S PREACH JESUS PREACH JESUS,HE WILL BREAK EVERY CHAIN.
Colossians 1:28-29
28: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
Acts 20:26-28
26:Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
3: C: that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Paul is saying at the end of my ministry THE MAIN QUESTION GOD WILL ASK IS WERE YOU FAITHFUL WITH WHAT I ENTRUSTED YOU WITH.WHAT PLEASES GOD IS CHANGE LIVES THAT ONLY PREACHING ,WARNING AND TEACHING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST CAN PRODUCE.
CHURCHES ARE FULL OF MEMBERS BUT NOT DISCIPLES, FULL of SPRITUAL babies running around with kimbies. Let me give you an example.My son chaim when he was born for Two years he couldn't walk. We became very worried so we took him to a paediatrician,to check him out from head to toe,we were very surprised at the results,he said mr. Oliver theres nothing wrong with you boy,i said what do you mean that theres nothing wrong with my boy he isbnot walking,he said firmly again mr oliver there is nothing wrong with you boy,so i told him to explain to me then why is not he not walking,he gave the most simplest answer but i was waiting for a deep lecture,YOU BOY CAN WALK BUT HE IS LAZY THATS WHY HE CANT WALK, and thats exactly what's happening with Christians today,they don't want to get involved because they are lazy,churches are crying out for volunteers but people are lazy,its not that THEY CANt hELP WITH THE MINISTRY BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO HELP.
4: D : 29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Lastly Paul saying im working with his energy,that's working in me mightily.
If you going to have a ministry full of mature believers, you can't piggy back ride on someone else or be lazy in ministry its hard work.I served my brother for many years he now has a 4000 seater church. Im in my tenth year in ministry on my own,and only now I'm starting to see tangible results.There were many times I wanted to give up,because ministry is hard work and lots of times i was very frustrated.If you HAVNT got tired of preaching yet you HAVNT preach long enough.
Preaching,Praying and fasting is hard work
Preparing sermons and writing sermons like what im doing now is hard work,reading and buying new books from all over the world is hard work,some books you read and wished afterwards that you never read it.
Loving people and councilling them is hard work
Faithfulness to God is hard work
Forgiving people is hard work
Sometimes you got to minister when you don't feel like ministring it's hard work
Sometimes you got to do things when you don't feel like doing them eg.PRAY FOR THE sick AND YOU YOURSELF IS NOT WELL.
Paul says I'm not working on my own Christ is working in me.Dont praise me WHEN GOD BLESSES ME ALL GLORY GOES TO CHRIST IN ME WHICH IS THE HOPE OF GLORY.
AMEN
