Category Archives: For Preachers

The Jesus Agenda

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Mat 4:23-25  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.  And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Jesus went about teaching, preaching, and healing.  He did not have His own agenda, the Father supplied it! The agenda was the advancement of the Kingdom of God.  He did what He saw the Father do and said what the Father told Him to say.

When you do what God wants you to do and say what He wants you to say you get supernatural results.  He becomes your publicity agent; no need to promote yourself.  Self promoted people have to be self-powered.  Promote Jesus!  William Seymour used to tell people “Don’t leave here talking about tongues; leave here talking about Jesus!”  Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.  Psalms 75!

There followed Him great multitudes of people.  Do what God tells you to do.  Go where  God tells you to go and leave the results to Him.  Faithfulness is the key.  Just keep doing what He told you to do last.  Faith = Obedience!  Numbers don’t mean success.  Wealth and riches are worldly standards of success.  You have a reward in the heavenlies that will outlast anything this world has to offer.  In addition, He will bless the work of your hands while you are here.  Don’t trade for husks!

Preach it with Simplicity

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I’ll be honest, I don’t always enjoy coming to church. There are times when staying at home or doing something else sounds appealing. There have been a few times in the past decades that I have been in a service that was dragging on and on thinking, “Get me outta’ here!” The vast majority of time this is not the case. I have found it to be of great value to have a regular pattern of church attendance. I need the teaching of the Word and the fellowship of other believers. Then there are those services that make a life changing impact. You are thankful that you were there and not someplace else. Pastor had words that were “just for you.”

Young preachers, in particular, should take a good look at what F. B. Meyer said about preaching. Make it a point to preach the Word and do it with simplicity. Like someone told me, “It is better to drive one point home than to leave three on base.”

F. B. Meyer on Preaching with Simplicity

He is a successful preacher who manages to present one great conception before his people each time he addresses them, so that, as they break from the spell of his influence, they may be possessed by one thought, inspired by one motive, and compelled toward one act.

Form your message around one thought and let it burn itself into the heart and mind of your hearer.

In the first one or two paragraphs state the truth you have discovered in the text.  Illustrate and enforce it by references to the world which men know so well.

Cut out everything that detracts from the main point.  Cut out every piece of needless rhetoric.

If we will do this, we can deliver the truth and keep people coming back for more!