| 08-08-2007 |
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The word preach appears 153+ times in the Bible! The word “Preach” in the Webster dictionary says the word “Preach” means this: To deliver a sermon; To give earnest advice. To proclaim; To publish in religious discourses; To deliver in public, as a discourse….. When people hear the word preach we have a tendency in our minds eye to in vision a self righteous person pointing the finger telling people get right or go to hell!  With that in mind folks will use the phrase “Well I don’t need to preach to people I just show them with my life” While there is some truth to leading by example in the above statement not preaching would be the furthest thing from the truth. Concerning the true meaning of preaching and whether or not we as believing Christians should preach to an unbelieving world, preaching the word of God is in all reality advancing the Kingdom of God! Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Now let’s lay a proper foundation what it is we are exactly preaching and what it means. Preaching is proclaiming publicly the condition of mankind and being separated from God and enslaved to sin and the Good news of salvation through Christ and his work on the cross as almighty Gods plan for redemption of man kind! Isaiah 61:1 [ The Good News of Salvation ] “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings(News) to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 Timothy 4:1-3 (New King James Version) Preach the Word 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at[a] His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  Now with the preaching of Gods word signs and wonders follow! Matthew 10:6-8 (New King James Version) 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,[a] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. We as believers are commissioned to preach the Gospel in season and out of season! Commission in the Webster dictionary means: Trust; warrant; a written document, investing one with an office; allowance made to an agent, ect. For transacting business; a body of men joined in an office or trust, or their appointment; perpetration. To appoint; to depute. We as believers are commissioned to preach the Gospel to everything that has breath! Mark 16:14-16 (New King James Version) The Great Commission 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Here is why it is vitally important! Romans 10:13-15 (New King James Version) 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”[a] Israel Rejects the Gospel 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,[b] Who bring glad tidings(News) of good things! We not only have to preach with our lives as the lesson book for those around and involved with us but we are also to preach the Gospel. The Gospel meaning, Gods word as to Gods plan for the redemption of mankind from judgment which is GOOD NEWS! Not bad!  You see but with this come public acknowledgment of Jesus Christ! This is where we can have a tendency to back away for fear of rejection! You as a follower of Christ are either going to fear God with whom you will spend eternity or fear man?  It would be no different for an example: being married and publicly denying acknowledgment of your spouse! How smooth do you think your marriage would be if you publicly did not acknowledge your wife or husband to your friends, family, co-workers or people you meet? I think we all know the answer to that one! According to scripture we as the body of believers are the Bride of Christ, to be married and joined to him when he returns! How do you think He would feel about joining himself to those who would not acknowledge the lover of there soul to those they knew? Luke 12:9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. Matthew 10:32, 33 Confess Christ before Men 32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. This means in the work place as well especially if you are a business owner to acknowledge Jesus Christ in some way. You ever notice you can go into a Chinese restaurant and they proudly display a statue of there God at the door and nobody gets offended by that! You see Jesus is a rock of offense a stumbling block on to men because he is the only begotten son of God and the only true way to heaven and therefore an enemy of Satan! So with public acknowledgment comes a reaction from your adversary Satan! But this is nothing new the Bible is full of examples of this; the point is why do we think it will be any different for us now? When you speak or represent real truth with it will come persecution and rejection from the world. So we then have to choose who we will serve? But wait! There is good news! Matthew 5:10-12 (New King James Version) 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 10:22 (New King James Version) 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. • Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. So in closing my brothers and sisters in the Lord God Almighty be bold as the Lion of Judah and acknowledge Jesus Christ before the world everyday with your lips and actions and by telling them the good news of the Gospel! |
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