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Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore…”
There are two different kinds of meaning to the Word “Power”. The context of Scripture will help to identify the meaning of the word as well as looking at the Greek words. One refers to Ability and the other to Authority. The Gospel is the Power of God to Save sinners Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” In Mark’s Gospel we are told what to teach/preach. Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Paul tells us the reason that he is not ashamed of preaching the Gospel of Christ. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Why wasn’t Paul ashamed of the Gospel of Christ? a. Paul knew the Substance of the Gospel The Gospel is the good news. We have good news to tell the world. Christ came to seek and to save the lost. It is called the Gospel of Peace. Romans 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” As disciples of the Lord we must be ready to go forth teaching others how they can have peace with God. Ephesians 6:15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” b. Paul knew the Source of the Gospel There are so many false and distorted gospels today that only have the power to curse people to hell. Those that preach a false gospel will one day pay for their evil. Galatians 1:6-9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” It is the Gospel of Christ that has the power to save sinners from hell. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” c. Paul knew the Strength of the Gospel. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The power is found in the Cross of Christ, for it is the blood of Christ that has the power to cleanse a sin stained soul. 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” A person can only have victory over death and hell in Christ alone. Barnes said, “God alone is the author of this victory. He formed the plan; he executed it in the gift of his Son; and he gives it to us personally when we come to die.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” CH Spurgeon once “The Gospel is preached in the ears of all—it only comes with power to some. The power that is in the Gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher, otherwise men would be the converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning, otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of man.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: vs 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” It is the preacher’s responsibility to preach the Word as it is written, and it is the Holy Spirit’s business to work through the Word in people’s lives. Paul’s preaching may not have been inspiring on a human level, but on a spiritual level it had power because he stuck to preaching the powerful Word of God.
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