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The Greatest Sermon – 6/22

Producing The Proof

Journey Into The Promised Land

Matthew 10:5–28 (CSB)

Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town. Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worthy of his food. 11 When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it, 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it; but if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

PERSECUTIONS PREDICTED

16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts and flog you in their synagogues. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

FEAR GOD

26 “Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops. 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Greatest Sermon

The secret to the success of the Early Church was that they made disciples. A disciple is not simply someone who changes his viewpoint. It is someone who is galvanized into action to further those viewpoints.

The dictionary defines a disciple as “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another, a convinced adherent of a school or individual.” A convinced adherent to Jesus Christ is going to do something more than warm a pew in a church. A disciple is someone who, once he has an experience with Jesus Christ, does not rest night or day. He tells everyone on the street, everyone in his work, about Jesus. He witnesses until he spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the whole area of his personal “Jerusalem,” “Samaria,” and his “uttermost parts of the earth.” A disciple does not sit down.

It is going to take an army of such disciples, dedicated men and women, to perform the task Christ has given to the Church. You are part of that army. God is raising you up.

You may think you are very insignificant, but do not underestimate your strength. It takes a lot of privates to make up an army. What kind of an army would we have if we did not have privates? There is no such thing in the army of God as an unimportant private. The very least person can have a part in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world and making disciples for Him.

The disciples became Proof Producers, as we must too. God is raising up a special breed of disciples in this day…

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Take this verse in the context of what we have been talking about, not in the context in which we use it in our denominational meetings, when we speak of giving witness to Jesus Christ. Jesus was not talking about walking up to someone and saying, “Are you saved?” He was talking about the ability of His followers to show to the world that He is God.

In Acts 3, when Peter was brought before the religious leaders in the synagogue to be questioned about the crippled man who was healed, he said:

…ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate… (Acts 3:12-13)

What a sermon! Not just silver-tongued oratory, not just verbosity, big words and a lot of spiritual cliches — but a miracle! The greatest sermon that can be preached in the world is that which the power of the Holy Spirit can demonstrate.

Make this declaration:

When I open my mouth to share God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will demonstrate God’s power through signs and wonders.

*Adapted from MCWE email – Journey Into The Promised Land by Morris Cerullo

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