Don’t Forget, The Power Is In God’s Word

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Many years ago I decided to read Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount as my sermon on Sunday. I was thinking that He was the greatest preacher and Matthew 5-7 was His greatest sermon. I tried to read it slowly and with feeling, so it took about 17 minutes. We then sang an invitation song and since there were no responses, I called for our closing prayer.

I expected to receive lots of compliments that day on the sermon, not on me, but on the sermon. I don’t remember one single compliment on the sermon, but several comments by church members did suggest that I needed to prepare a more normal sermon. One man did say, “That was the best sermon you ever preached.”, but he was just laughing. Another man suggested that I hadn’t put in the proper study time, so I just read scripture and that any church member could do that. I wasn’t sure how to handle things that day.

If that same thing happened again today, after 51 years of preaching, I think I would know what to preach on the following Sunday: God’s Power Is In His Word. Then I would probably ask everyone to reflect on these verses:

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Isa 55:10-11 “… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Ps 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

Jer 23:29 “Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”

Jn 6:63 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Mt 4:4 “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

1 Thess 2:13 “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”

Eph 6:17 “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

I would close that sermon with Jonah. He was everything a preacher wasn’t supposed to be; disobedient, grumbler and a racial bigot. I’m sure he enjoyed the words of judgment on the people of Nineveh, after all, he hated them and wanted to see them punished by God. But they repented, 120,000 Ninevites repented. And Jonah was mad. He forgot that when God’s words are delivered, there is great power; it’s not the power of the deliverer, but the power of God’s words. So when God’s words are delivered, no matter the deliverer, great power abounds.

It isn’t wrong for a preacher to use illustrations or to give explanations for clarifying scriptures. But everyone must remember that the power to touch souls, to convict people of sin so that they can come to repentance, rests entirely in the words of God, inspired by His Holy Spirit. So always rejoice when the words of God are delivered and don’t focus so much on the deliverer. God bless.

Mike “Pawdad” Sublett, Pastor @ Hi-Land Christian Church, Pampa, Texas 79065, 630-730-8015