LMD Week 15

Preparing for Spirit Empowered Christ-Centered Preaching

Intro: Part II of Alex’ first lesson

John 14:12 ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

We want to preach the gospel but we are powerless in of ourselves.

But Jesus promises us we will do it.

The greater works are not the charismatic miracles, but Jesus is talking about the sphere of the gospels influence expanding!

Jesus was only in the Middle East. It explodes.

The way we will be able to do it is because Jesus goes to the Father, after the cross and resurrection. Because he does the mission he was sent to do (redeem us) are we able to do this.

John 16:5–8 “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:”

His leaving initiates the enabling. Ezekiel 36: he will be in us permanently.

We indeed have the power in his Holy Spirit to preach as he commanded us.

The Supreme MISSION PURPOSE of The Word Is To REVEAL CHRIST (MESSAGE)

The Entirety of The Scriptures is About ONE Thing, (or rather) ONE Person

What it is NOT: the Bible is not a book of virtues, principles of character, how to live your best life, manual of navigating through life’s ups and downs and how to win.

The META-NARRATIVE - THE BIG PICTURE GENESIS TO REVELATION is about the wickedness of man and the helplessness of man and the plan of God to save mankind through his Son Jesus Christ.

History, poetry, wisdom, drama, prophecy:

Michael Horton

“To preach the Bible as ‘the handbook for life,’ or as the answer to every question, rather than as a revelation of Christ, is to turn the Bible into an entirely different book. This is how the Pharisees approached the scripture; however, as we can see clearly from the questions they asked Jesus, all of them amounting to something akin to Trivial Pursuits: ‘What happens if a person divorces and remarries?’ ‘Why do your disciples pick grain on the Sabbath?’ ‘Who sinned – this man or his parents – that he was born blind?’ For the Pharisees, the scriptures were a source of trivia for life’s dilemmas. To be sure, scripture provides God-centered and divinely-revealed wisdom for life, but if this were its primary objective, Christianity would be a religion of self-improvement by following examples and exhortations, not a religion of the Cross.”

John Calvin

“The Scriptures should be read with the aim of finding Christ in them. Whoever turns aside from the subject, even though he wears himself out all of his life and learning, he will never reach the knowledge of the truth.”

Find Christ in all the Scriptures

Charles Spurgeon

“Don’t you know, young man, that from every town and every village, in every hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road that leads to London?... So, from every text in scripture, there is a road towards the great metropolis, Christ. And my dear brother, your business is, when you get to a text, to say, now what is the road that leads to Christ?... the sermon cannot do any good unless there’s a savour of Christ in it.”

The New Testament Reveals CHRIST

NARRATIVES (Matthew to Acts)

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The words and works of Jesus revealed.

EPISTLES (Romans to Jude)

John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

FLESHES OUT THE THEOLOGY OF JESUS

Doctrine

Ethics

“the truth” about the specifics of Christ in his person.

PROPHECY (Revelation)

What is to come.

How JESUS will come, judge the nations.

The Old Testament Reveals CHRIST.

2 Timothy 3:14–15“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is writing to Timothy that the Old Testament gives the wisdom that leads to salvation through FAITH IN JESUS.

Not a book of history of virtues but a book of salvation in Christ.

The OT was all they had. Can’t read the OT isolated from the NT.

1 Peter 1:10–12“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

The person, the times, the sufferings, the glories of Christ. The prophets were looking for Jesus Christ. The OT is Christ centered.

Romans 1:1–3 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh”

Romans 16:25–27“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

John 1:43–45“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.””

John 5:39

John 5:45-46

Acts 17:2-3

Acts 26:22-23

Acts 28:23

Luke 24:25-27

Luke 24: 44-46

The Supreme MINISTRY of The Spirit Is To REVERE CHRIST (MEANS)

He was sent to GLORIFY CHRIST.

The Holy Spirit is needed to understand and appreciate the Bible.

Christians need the Spirit of Truth to illuminate his heart and mind to the Scripture.

Christ went to Father so he would pour out the Spirit on our hearts.

John 16:14–15 “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Jesus predicts that they will be heavily persecuted.

The Spirit given not to protect the apostles, but to glorify Jesus Christ.

The SECOND comforter, Paraclete.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 15:26 ““But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

The Holy Spirit works in us to glorify Jesus Christ!

He makes Christ glorious. That should be the point of the message and teaching, to the glory of this Person.

If you want to see the Spirit’s power, then don’t forget that the Holy Spirit testifies about Christ. If not, your work is lost.

If your work does not reveal Christ, then the Spirit is not there.

He Animates The ANIMATES THE MINISTER With POWER To Glorify Christ

Luke 24:48–49 “You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.””

Telling them the Scripture is about Him.

The MINISTERS will be clothed in power.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

There needs to be real power from the Spirit to change dead into living.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

The Context: Paul in the time of Greek Philosophy - orators. Dazzle the people with speaking techniques (cleverness, persuasive words of wisdom).

Paul did not rely on his oratory skills for others to believe, but rather from the power of God alone.

The Meaning of DEMONSTRATION of Spirit and power in the verse.

This is proof, verification, evidence of the Spirit’s power.

The Meaning of of the SPIRIT and of POWER.

When it gripped the hearts of those he spoke to, the conviction was out of spirit and power.

The preaching of Paul was from supernatural verification from the power of the Holy Spirit, not modern communication methods.

They can see that Christ is glorifies. They had faith!

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5 “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

The Context: Thessalonians conversion experience, from God’s grace.

Two elements must always be present in the PREACHER’S work.

The gospel came by the word and power and Spirit.

Christ is placed up front and emphasized up front, directly into whatever the culture is. He is God, savior, straight up.

The emphasis is that the Spirit ATTENDS the Word.

The words about Christ, the Spirit glorifies Christ, with this attending of the word by the Spirit it is powerful preaching.

Ephesians 6:17 “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”

The Spirit is the one who wields the sword.

Preach the spirit without the word or word without the spirit.

This describes the work done IN and THROUGH the preachers (not talking about the hearers yet).

Sacred anointing

Unction

Thunder and Lightning

This is the PATTERN of New Testament ministry

“It is clear from the text, by way of practical instruction, that it is not enough to preach the gospel. Something more is wanted for the conversion of souls than even that. I have stirred you up very often to assist me, dear brethren, in training those of our young men who have been called to preach the gospel, that they may be more efficient in their ministry, and you have kindly helped me … We must have the energy of the Holy Ghost. There is the one all-important matter. What is there practical about this? Why, then it becomes more and more imperatively necessary that we should be much in prayer to God that the Holy Ghost would come” (from Charles H. Spurgeon, Volume XI, pp. 501-502).

Tony Sargent: “…(it is) the penetration and domination of the personality by the Spirit… It is the preacher gliding on eagle’s, wings, soaring high, swooping low, carrying and being carried along by a dynamic other than his own. His consciousness of what is happening is not obliterated. He’s not in a trance. He is being worked on, but he’s aware that he is still working. He is being spoken through, but he knows he is still speaking. The words are his, but the facility with which they come compels him to realize that the source is beyond himself.”

Lloyd-Jones: “What is this? It is the Holy Spirit falling upon the preacher in a special manner. It is an access of power. It is God giving power, and enabling, through the Spirit, to the preacher, in order that he may do this work in a manner that lifts it beyond the efforts and endeavors of man to a position in which the preacher is being used by the Spirit and becomes the channel through whom the Spirit works.”

Remove all pride. Humility must be acknowledged. This is the work of the Spirit alone.

Spirit of God you need to take over here, the sense of desperation, there is frequently uneasy feeling and weakness, not exactly comfortable. The weighty things.

What about “be anxious for nothing”?

He Animates The HEARER With Vitality To Glorify Christ (I Thess 1:6)

Paul now addresses the HEARERS.

Two elements always present in true CONVERSION: the gospel and the Holy Spirit.

Evidence of true CONVERSION.

The hearers can see Christ glorious at conversion.

Holy affections

The Supreme METHOD of Man Is To PREACH CHRIST (METHOD).

1 Corinthians 1:17–25 “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Paul is being pressured to change, but he didn’t.

Paul was committed to PREACHING (v. 22-24)

Definition: To Preach is to proclaim or to herald or to announce.

Not a discussion, not a debate.

JUST DECLARE WHAT GOD SAID. NOT WHAT PAUL THINKS WHAT GOD SAID.

WE PROCLAIM THE TERMS OF THE KING.

Tone: Needs to appropriate to the message being preached.

Aspects of persuasion and rebuke, ernestness

It’s about life and death, souls and eternity.

Appropriateness: the only way to declare God’s wrath on sin, man as sinners etc.

PLAIN PREACHING IS THE ONLY WAY!

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Preach the person and work of Christ, the comprehensive work of redemption.

2 Timothy 4:1–2 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

It’s not always comfortable or in style or matching the times.

Paul was committed to preaching CHRIST. This unleashes The next point:

Paul was committed to the power of the SPIRIT in preaching

IMPLICATIONS