Now That Will Preach!!

There are times when we sense God is showing us a direction in preaching or speaking that will almost upset our life first, and then when it comes out it comes from a person who has already dealth with the Holy Spirit moving in their heart. It is that way for me and I actually like it that way. Less of me and more of Jesus. There has to be an outlet for it or I feel like I will explode. When I get into God's Word the Holy Spirit will speak so much to me and it is like drinking from a fire hydrant and I can't get it all down at one time. Praise God that happens because there was time in my life pilgrimage where I wasn't receiving much because I was not seeking hard enough.

In the following verses Peter has just experienced a movement of the Holy Spirit and He is so impacted it comes through in his preaching. Read the following verses and see what God through the preaching of Peter. Acts 2:14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel Peter's reference to the book of Joel is found in Joel 2:28-32. Then Peter continued on in the following verses in Acts 2:22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

Realize that Peter was responding to the misunderstanding the observers had about what was going on in that room when the Holy Spirit fell. Peter said they are not drunk, as you may think, but He went on to tell them that all of this was prophesied many years by the Prophet Joel. Peter told him that they were seeing "proof" of that prophecy being fulfilled and it was "happening now" today. When we preach the Word of God and we see that every bit of it is truly being fulfilled it makes that truth have more effect. Peter goes on to tell the what needs to happen to respond to this great happening in Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

The gift of the Holy Spirit was offered to them if they would repent and receive Jesus and what a message of hope and life. Peter just preached God's Word and the Holy Spirit did the rest. Thirsty souls found the water of life, just the same water Jesus offered to the Woman at the well and they were changed forever!! Here is the result in Acts 2:41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. This message from the Word of God was so powerful that about 3,000 souls were saved.

When the Holy Spirit moves in the truth of God's Word, that will truly preach and lives will be changed. All preaching must be done with the Truth and the Spirit.

Today's Message,

David Warren