Preach The Word

SERMON OUTLINE: Preach the Word 1. Reasons for preaching the Word Of God. A. It is a command. 2 Tim. 4:2 - says that the Word of God is to be our message. Our words will accomplish little, but God’s written Word will accomplish great things. Jesus is our example and He preached - Matt. 4:17. Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the Word that He spoke of in Isa. Chapter 61. Read Matt. 10:7-8. B. The Word Of God is Powerful. In Heb. 4:12 it says that the Word of God is powerful and alive, which means that it gives life to all who receive it. The Word Of God can even make a distinction between the inner spirit and the human soul. This is something that we cannot do in our own wisdom. Our spirit being the life our God breath in us at creation and the soul is our personality. The Word Of God also discerns our motives whether they are good or bad within our heart ( spirit ). Those who are mature and perfect in God’s Word can discern the difference between good and evil ( Heb. 5:12-14 ). C. The Word Of God brings Salvation. When Peter preached the Word of God on the day of Pentecost ( Acts. 2:14 ) out of the book of Joel ( Acts 2: 16 ) three thousand souls were saved ( Acts 2:41 ). Paul preached out of the books of the prophets and called the Word Of God salvation in Acts 13:26. To preach Christ is to preach the Word of God, see Jn.1:1. To preach Christ or the Gospel of Christ is to preach the Word Of God. In Rom. 1:15-17 to preach Christ brings salvation for it is the Power of God. 2. What does it mean to preach the Word Of God? A. To preach is to proclaim or to speak out loud the very Word Of God. The Jewish custom was to read from the scriptures out loud from the pulpit and this was called preaching. This is what Jesus did as recorded in Lk. 4:16-21. Jesus being our example did what He wanted us to do when He spoke in the synagogue. For example we should read the whole book of Colossians out loud in church from the pulpit and then expound on it. B. To preach the Word of God is to have boldness. In Acts 4:29-31 the disciples prayed for boldness to speak the Word Of God. Boldness and preaching go together and produce wonderful results. Because the disciples desired boldness to speak the Word the Holy Spirit came upon them again with power, shook the place where they were and filled them afresh with Himself. The preaching of the Word of God brings the Holy Spirit, Who enables us to preach with boldness. This is the purpose of the filling or baptism of the Holy Spirit, that is for us to preach the Word with all boldness. 3. What can we expect when we preach the Word Of God. A. Signs, Wonders and miracles follow the preaching of the Word Of God. Read Mk. 16:20 and you will see that it is God’s Will and plan for confirmation to follow the preaching of the Word when it is mixed with faith. See Heb. 4:2. Philip preach the Word Of God in Acts 8:4-8 and the people experienced and saw the wonderful works of God. Look at the passage closely, miracles followed the preaching. Not just a miracle but miracles of different kinds by the power of the Holy Spirit because of the preaching of the Word Of God. We are not sure exactly how many miracles but more than one would be plenty for most churches to handle today who still believe in the awesome power of God. We also see healings, the physical body changed into a healthy body. There were probably many healings because this was how Jesus healed the crowds. There was many deliverances, people who were afflicted with evil spirits. The preaching of the Word of God sets people free. One of the last things we find is that the city was filled with great joy, a real benefit of the Word preached. B. The preaching of the Word of God makes us perfect. Read 2 Tim. 3:16-17 and see what the scriptures are able to do. God’s Word makes us complete and whole in everyway as we feed on it. God wants to transform our bodies, souls and spirits into healthy prosperous people to the glory of God. Every time we hear the Word Of God we become more clean ( Eph. 5:26 ). How perfect you become in this life depends on how much of the Word Of God is in you and should be a goal of every Christian. Read Phil. 3:10-16. C. The preaching of the Word of God will produce the new birth. In 1 Pet. 1:23-25 it says that we are born again by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit and the Word Of God are not separate. In Jn. 3:5 it says that we must be born again by water and the Spirit. The water does not always refer to baptism. In Eph. 5:26 it says the water is the Word Of God. Read 1 Jn. 5:6-8, the water (Word of God ), with the blood of Christ and The Holy Spirit are in agreement. This is how the message of the gospel brings full power. This is why it is necessary to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the complete Word Of God message. Read 1 Cor. 1:23. D. The Word Of God when preached produces Faith. The passage in Rom. 10:13-17 gives us a clear understanding of what the preaching of God’s Word can do for us. We all need more faith and this passage tells us how to get it. People cannot come into the Kingdom Of God without the preaching of God’s Word. The church today needs a stronger emphasis on the preaching of God’s Word. This is important to do because God’s word has creative power unlike our words, see Heb. 11:3.The preaching of ourselves will not produce anything good. Read 2 Cor. 4:5. 4. When do we preach the Word Of God? Always, in 2 Tim. 4:2 it says to preach in season and out of season, in other words the proclaiming of the Word of God is always appropriate. Read on in verse 3 - 7 it says that this Word of God is what will do battle against false teaching in the end time and preserve the saints in truth. The Word Of God is Truth ( Jn.17:17 ) and needs to be proclaimed. www.lulu.com/BillN