OUR HEAVEN APPOINTED MISSION

REVELATION 14:6

A. MESSENGERS OF PRESENT TRUTH
  1. Noah preached present truth in his day:
    1. He warned the people of the coming flood - Gen. 6:1-22
    2. He preached the gospel of righteousness by faith - 2 Pet. 2:5
  2. John the Baptist preached present truth:
    1. "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." - Matt. 11:10
    2. He was a voice crying in the wilderness - Matt. 3:1
  3. Our blessed Lord was a preacher of the gospel of righteousness by faith: John 12:44-50
  4. We, of all men, must have a positive message to a judgment bound world:
    1. ". . . wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing thou hast no tidings ready?" 2 Sam. 18:22
    2. The Three Angels' Message is as positive as any truth can be.
B. STRESSING THE GREAT FUNDAMENTALS
  1. Bible creation: Gen. 1; 2; Ps. 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:1-6
  2. Origin of sin: Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18; Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 5:12-18
  3. Salvation through Christ alone:
    1. No other name - Acts 4:12
    2. His blessed name is the only hope for lost sinners - Matt. 1:21; Acts 16:31
  4. The new birth, the gateway to the kingdom:
    1. It is a must - John 3:3-9
    2. The work of the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6
  5. Obedience to the law of the Ten Commandments -- the fruit of faith in Christ: Matt. 5:17-19; Heb. 10:15, 16
  6. The spiritual gifts, among them the gift of prophecy: Rev. 12:17; Isa. 8:16
  7. Loyalty to all the light the Lord has given to us as a people: 1 John 1:7-9
C. SOME IMPLICATIONS OF PREACHING PRESENT TRUTH
  1. Only childlike faith in Present Truth will give us power to win souls for this message:
    1. Truth gives power and authority.
    2. It will bring conviction.
    3. It gives saving power - Rom. 1:16
  2. We must be able to say, as Paul said, "I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you." Acts 20:20
  3. Our preaching must ever be Christ-centered: People ought to testify of our message. ". . . Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:32
  4. An effective sermon has a fourfold objective:
    1. To create a desire in the heart of the hearer to search the Word of God - Acts 17:10, 11
    2. To connect the hearer with Christ; or to connect every promise in the Bible with Christ - John 5:39
    3. To reveal the love of God to a loveless world - John 3:16
    4. We must be able to say with John, ". . . God is love." - 1 John 4:8; or to say, " "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, . . ." - 1 John 3:1-3
    5. We must show the awfulness of sin in the light of the Cross of Christ on Calvary. "But we preach Christ crucified," - 1 Cor. 1:23
  5. Our preaching must be inspirational:
    1. Like Stephen's message - Acts 7
    2. Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2
    3. Paul's sermon on Mars' hill - Acts 17:22-34
    4. We are told that a Christless sermon is a wasted sermon, and that is true. "If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me." "Behold the Lamb of God" must be our burden as we stand before the people.


Design © John Bryant 2011