Are You Presenting Jesus Christ by His Spirit?
Are You Presenting Jesus Christ by His Spirit?
Or Are You Preaching as Inspired by Religious Teaching?
Today, a lot of confusion exists about preaching the Gospel.
It seems that a new tide of so called “evangelism” is rising, where preaching the Gospel is believed to be about relating the terrible judgement of God towards sinners and seeking out every scripture to point the fact out to them that they are going straight to hell and deserve to be going there for denouncing Jesus.
A lot of this kind of preaching is found on the streets and at parades where sinners would gather.
These preachers gather around with extreme message of hatred towards sin being displayed and with portable devices from where they proclaim God’s judgement over these sinners and yell out that they should “repent or perish”.
As can be expected, there are tempers that flair up and the end result is a confrontation between these preachers, who then turn to defending themselves and their right to proclaim “the gospel”.
When attacked, it almost seems that it becomes a kind of trophy for their bravery in having faced off against the evil crowd and having “suffered for the sake of proclaiming the truth”.
Here is the problem!
I do not hear or see Jesus doing any of the above!
Neither do I hear or see Paul doing so!
I do not in fact, see any of this kind of “preaching” anywhere in the Gospels or the New Testament letters! Why not? Because it did not exist!
The only time I see Jesus pronouncing His Father’s judgement against people, I see it being pronounced against the religious system who was condemning sinners!
The only time I hear Paul judging sin, is when he does so in the Church!
Jesus LOVED sinners, and was equally loved by them!
He did not go around telling them how terrible and rotten and judged they were. He ministered His Father’s Life and His Love to them. He brought a message of reconciliation, of Love and eternal restoration.
Somehow the message of salvation, the message of the cross, the message of the Father seeking to restore those whom were destined to be joined together with Him, have been lost and replaced with a message driven by religious indignation and resentment.
Can it be that it is because His Love has been lost in the hearts of many preaching the gospel today?
Can it be because they have grown cold in their own walk with God, now doing religiously what can only be done by The Holy Spirit in presenting a Saviour Who loved the world more than He loved His own life?
Preaching the Gospel is not presenting verses from the Bible, it is presenting Christ Himself.
It is The Holy Spirit bringing the Presence of Jesus on the scene in the very Presence and Person of His Love, and it is His Presence and Love that breaks the heart of the vilest sinner to come to Him through repentance.
Let us rediscover Christ, and we will rediscover His true Gospel!
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?” 1 Corinthians 5:12.
~ Johann van der Hoven
Johann van der Hoven has been in service of The LORD since 1991 and has hosted numerous mass revival meetings. The Holy Spirit is announcing a NEW SOUND from Heaven beginning in 2020 — The Sound of His Glory being poured out!
For more info please see: www.sonsofsovereignty.com
Very well said thank you.