Sermon Central
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The Proclamation Of The Church
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Sep 14, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: We live in a time where the proclamation of the Word of God is on a decline in our pulpits. As a Church we need to present and stand on the Word of God and proclaim it boldly to a lost and dark world.
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CHURCH
THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WE FOCUS ON WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR PASSAGE. SOMETIMES THE MAIN THEME FOR THE PASSAGE IS LOST IN OUR ATTEMPT TO PUSH OUR THEOLOGICAL AGENDA. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE MAIN THEMES OF THIS PASSAGE ARE THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME THE DISCIPLES WERE GOING THROUGH A VERY DARK TIME. THEY HAD LEFT ALL TO FOLLOW CHRIST. WHAT A GREAT ADVENTURE THIS WOULD BE. THE DEATH OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS THOUGH, BROUGHT THEM TO THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR. SOME LIKE PETER HAD LEFT THE GROUP AND WENT BACK TO THEIR FORMER WAY OF LIFE, FOR A TIME. WITH CHRIST THEY HAD EVERYTHING AND NOW THAT HE WAS GONE, THEY FELT AS IF THEY HAD NOTHING.
THIS IS A GOOD COMPARISON FOR PEOPLE IN GENERAL TODAY, FOR WE ALL WALKED THIS ROAD AT SOME POINT, AND IN FACT MOST PEOPLE STILL ARE.
BEFORE BECOMING A CHRISTIAN PAUL TEACHES US THAT WE ARE IN A STATE OF SPIRITUAL DEATH.
“1 ¶ ONCE YOU WERE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR DISOBEDIENCE AND YOUR MANY SINS. 2 YOU USED TO LIVE IN SIN, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD, OBEYING THE DEVIL-THE COMMANDER OF THE POWERS IN THE UNSEEN WORLD. HE IS THE SPIRIT AT WORK IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY GOD. 3 ALL OF US USED TO LIVE THAT WAY, FOLLOWING THE PASSIONATE DESIRES AND INCLINATIONS OF OUR SINFUL NATURE. BY OUR VERY NATURE WE WERE SUBJECT TO GOD’S ANGER, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
AS SUCH WE ARE LOST TO THE THINGS OF GOD. THEY DO NOT MAKE SENSE TO US. OUR ROAD, IS A ROAD THAT LEADS TO HELL.
AS THE DISCIPLES DID, WE LOOK TO THE PLACES AND THINGS THAT BROUGHT US COMFORT AND PEACE, NOT KNOWING THAT GOD IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF THAT PEACE.
THE DISCIPLES WENT BACK TO THE UPPER ROOM IN JERUSALEM. THIS WAS A PLACE OF GREAT PEACE AND A LOVING, SENSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS.
IT WAS IN THE UPPER ROOM THAT JESUS OFFERED THE COMFORTING WORDS OF JOHN 14.
“1 ¶ “DON’T LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD, AND TRUST ALSO IN ME. 2 THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM IN MY FATHER’S HOME. IF THIS WERE NOT SO, WOULD I HAVE TOLD YOU THAT I AM GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU? 3 WHEN EVERYTHING IS READY, I WILL COME AND GET YOU, SO THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME WHERE I AM.”
IT WAS HERE THAT JESUS PROMISED ANOTHER COMFORTER: JOHN 14:16:
JESUS PROMISED PEACE HERE: JOHN 14:27
IT WAS HERE THAT THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION WAS MADE KNOWN TO THEM: JOHN 20:23
YET THIS SURPRISINGLY WAS NOT ENOUGH TO BRING THEM PEACE AND EMPOWER THEM. THEY STILL FELT LOST WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THEIR LIVES.
THAT IS THE WAY IT IS FOR PEOPLE TODAY. WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THEIR LIVES, PEOPLE ARE LOST. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. WE SAY THAT WE MAKE A DECISION TO ACCEPT CHRIST, BUT THIS IS ONLY BECAUSE THE SPIRIT DRAWS US TO HIM. PEOPLE HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, OR THEY SEE IT IN THE ACTIONS OF HIS PEOPLE, AND IT WILL ATTRACT THEM.
PEOPLE MUST BECOME CONVINCED OF THEIR LOSTNESS, AND THAT GOD’S GRACE IS THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF ETERNITY. PAUL SPEAKS OF BEING PERSUADED UNTO SALVATION, BUT ALSO TEACHES THAT A PERSON CAN ONLY BE TRULY SAVED WHEN DRAWN TO GOD BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
JOHN 6:44: “FOR NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS THE FATHER WHO SENT ME DRAWS THEM TO ME, AND AT THE LAST DAY I WILL RAISE THEM UP.”
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO THINK THAT THEY CAN BEGIN THEIR SPIRITUAL WALK ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN SCHEDULE. THE FEELING IS THAT ONCE I’VE WALKED AN AISLE OR BEEN BAPTIZED THAT I’M IN THE KINGDOM. THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.
IF OUR LIVES ARE NOT SHOWING THE FRUIT OF A SPIRITUAL WALK, IF THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN OUR CHARACTER OR BEHAVIOR, THEN THE QUESTION MUST BE ASKED “HAS THERE BEEN AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE WITH GOD?”
AN AUTHENTIC CONVERSION EXPERIENCE IS A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE IS THE CONSCIOUS CHOICE NOT TO FOLLOW A SINFUL OR WORLDLY LIFESTYLE, WHILE OTHER PARTS ARE VERY NATURAL AND THE CHANGE IS NOT EVEN NOTICED. AN AUTHENTIC CONVERSION EXPERIENCE WILL KEEP A PERSON WALKING CLOSER TO THE LORD, NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO, BUT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO.
WHEN THE DISCIPLES RETURNED TO JERUSALEM, WHERE THEY WERE TOLD TO WAIT TO RECEIVE POWER, BUT WHAT POWER, AND WHAT WERE THEY TO DO WITH IT?
