“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” -1 Corinthians 2:5
I remember when I first got saved and was put into the ministry. I witnessed a man giving a sermon to the youth group. This man when giving his sermon kept going on in making historical points, one after another. What he did not realize, though historical points have their place and importance, is that his witness was to be that of what the Holy Ghost has and was doing through him that men might find their faith in the power of God, not in merely giving historical points. This is outside of the fact that most in the room who were listening were bored to death or fast asleep.
If we have truly been saved by the Lord from our sins (Matthew 1:21), we are then going to be written epistles to be known and read of by all men (2 Corinthians 3:2). Furthermore, as it says in Acts 2:32, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
People want to see the Gospel that is not in word only, but also in power.
“For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” -1 Corinthians 4:20
After all, genuine Christians want Christ to do for the people what He, in fact, did for them and more, and only He can do that, and this He promised to do.
As for me, in my particular case, I was going to settle for nothing less than the Holy Ghost doing for me what He did for any other that called upon the name of the Lord.
After going through a long process of breaking through repentance (Psalm 34:18, 51:17; Isaiah 66:2), the Lord used a prophetic man to speak into my life in conveying unto me that which only Jesus knew and could do on my behalf, and He did so (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
“I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” -Revelation 19: 9-11
He did so in raising me up and putting me into the ministry (1 Timothy 1:12) in order that those that I go to might also find their faith in Him and not in the wisdom of man’s words.
Enough of the dead sermons, enough ( 1 Corinthians 15:17).
Men need Christ, and Scripture is very clear in this matter. Those who have the Son have life, and those that have not the Son, have not life (1 John 5:12). This Scripture was given so that they might know what sort of men were among them.
“For our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” -1 Thessalonians 1:5
