The preaching of the gospel is a simple commission that the Lord gave us before His resurrection and ascension (Matt. 28:18-20). However, in order to preach the gospel in an effective way, there are many things that need to be considered.
First of all, in order to preach the gospel in an effective way, we must forsake or be delivered from many things. What do we need to forsake, and from what do we need to be delivered? For us to effectively preach the gospel there are at least four things we must forsake or be delivered from. The first thing is sins. If someone wants to preach the gospel powerfully and effectively, he must first get rid of sins in a noticeable way. He may have had some notoriously bad habits or a temper in the past. However, once he is saved and has a desire to preach the gospel, he has to show people clearly that he has been delivered thoroughly from all these things. If he does this, the gospel will go forth from him. If the gospel is not powerful in us, we cannot expect that it will be powerful in others.
Therefore, for a person to powerfully and effectively preach the gospel, he himself must first receive the dynamic gospel of the Lord (Rom. 1:16) that he may be delivered from all his sins and bad habits. If we try to preach the gospel without getting rid of all our sins, temper, and bad habits before the Lord, it will be hard for us to have power in the gospel. For example, if we have a certain habit that our classmates or colleagues look down on, then we should not expect that our gospel preaching will be effective among them. Some brothers and sisters lack power in the gospel because they talk too much. They might be good in all other aspects, but they talk too much. Eventually, all their classmates or colleagues not only disapprove of, but even are disgusted with, their talkativeness. Hence, their gospel is not powerful because their talkativeness has not been dealt with. If their excessive speaking is dealt with, many people will receive their gospel. When we preach the gospel, we have to thoroughly deal with all the things that other people condemn or disapprove of.
This can be compared to Paul’s saying that he became all things to all men (1 Cor. 9:20-23). He did this so that he would not offend others. The basic reason for the lack of power in the gospel and for the failure in preaching the gospel lies with us. Many brothers and sisters cannot preach the gospel before men because they have many offenses with which they have not dealt. For example, although they may have offended their classmates or colleagues in the past, now that they are saved they still do not go to them to apologize, to ask for forgiveness, or to make restitution. This is the reason that they do not have power in the gospel. Only when we have thoroughly dealt with all these offenses will we have power in the gospel. This is not only the case with other people, it is the same with our family. We have to absolutely deal with every matter in which we have formerly wronged our parents, husband, or wife. If we have never had a thorough dealing before our family, we should not expect that the gospel will be powerful with them. This is impossible. Only when we have had thorough dealings will we have a powerful gospel.
Second, in order to preach the gospel effectively, we have to be delivered from the world. Being delivered from the world includes being delivered from our manner of life, our living, and so forth. A gospel preacher should be one who forsakes everything. The more he forsakes, the more powerful the gospel will be. This is why the gospel could be so powerful on the day of Pentecost-the disciples had forsaken everything. Today even though some people have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they still do not have the power of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost the disciples forsook all things to follow the Lord, putting aside all of their possessions, reputation, prestige, and family background. Hence, they received power. Of course, whoever receives the Holy Spirit’s outpouring will receive power, yet the Holy Spirit will come upon only those who have forsaken all things. The Holy Spirit comes upon us to empower us, but we must be those who forsake all things to follow the Lord. If we have not left all things to follow the Lord, even though the Holy Spirit may come upon us, no power will be manifested. Not only does the Bible tell us this, but church history also confirms this. Every time a person has forsaken everything to follow the Lord, the Lord’s gospel has been powerful in him. However, whenever we live a life of ease, we will lose the power of the gospel.
Those who are sent by the Lord to preach the gospel are the Lord’s called ones. One time in 1934 we had a time of powerful gospel preaching in Chefoo because all the gospel preachers that day had forsaken the earth and were filled from the heavens. Anyone who has never answered the Lord’s call to leave the earth has no way to be filled from the heavens. Every powerful gospel preacher is one who first answers the Lord’s call to forsake the earth, who is sent by the Lord, and who is filled from the heavens to preach the gospel to all the nations. Only this kind of person can be powerful in preaching the gospel.
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