Just Preach The Word

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Just The Word

I heard a man say that hearing Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth,” caused him to fall on his face and believe.

Christians have got to stop thinking that we have to make it make sense or present some sophisticated, educated, persuasive argument. Just preach the Word!

Does not our own Scripture say in 1 Corinthians 1:18,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”?

It is His Word that saves, not our words or ability.

Avoid dressing it up.

Build the altar with whole stones.

Do not corrupt it with our tools.

Do not be ashamed of the gospel.

Be submitted to the Holy Spirit in your preparation, presentation, and just say His Word!

Testify! Just declare His Word. Bear witness to the Word’s effect on your life.

One of the most effective sermons in all of history was a woman without a seminary degree who simply testified and pointed to Christ.

Effective preaching always starts with and brings hearers back to the Word.

It’s not you, intelligence or how agreeable the message is that’s saves. We are only saved by faith through the revelation of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit through the Word.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

If they are “saved” any other way, they are not saved but deceived.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching [were] not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

To my fellow co-laborers of the Gospel, which is all of God’s children (this is not just for “preachers”, we all have a ministry):

Preach the Word.

He does it. Not us.

Trust the Seed.

We Have To Be More Than Biblical

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - We Have To Be More Than Biblical

We have to be more than biblical.

The Pharisees were biblical.

But, Jesus criticized them for obsessively following what was written and completely missing the point.

“You must be born again,” Jesus said.

This must happen before we can unlock Scripture and know the Word at all.

We must be born again in order to apply Scripture properly, that results in life.

Just being biblical results in death.

ANYTHING we do in the flesh (according to our own thinking –without the Spirit who gives us the heart and mind of God) is death, including churchy / religious activities.

Jesus is the cipher.

He is the correct interpretation of Scripture. And, we must be born again in order to see it.

We have to be more than biblical.

Without the being born again, what we think and say about the Bible will be wrong as hell.

Believe Jesus.

‘Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!’
– Matthew 23:24

‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’
– Matthew 5:17-20

‘And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.

You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.

But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.’
– John 5:37-39

‘Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ‘

– John 3:3-16

The Bible doesn’t save you. Jesus does.

Beware Bible Devotions, Sermons, And Being Spoon Fed

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Beware Bible Devotions And Being Spoon Fed

Beware seeking to hear God primarily through devotions, sermons, classes, music or someone’s extra-biblical writings, including mine. Don’t look to be spoon fed.

If you were convinced there were precious things buried in your yard that were worth a fortune, you would not wait for someone else to get it for you. You wouldn’t rest until you got the treasure yourself.

Approach the Word of God that way. Do the work yourself. Dig! Labor, toil, make every effort to get it. You won’t really get anything through preaching, devotions or otherwise, unless you want it like that.

You won’t get anything from someone else that the Spirit won’t give you when you approach the Word open and diligently seek Him.

Rend your heart.
Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear.
Read your Bible.
Believe Jesus.
Receive.

“He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

Connect and share with me:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/brainflurry
Twitter – https://twitter.com/brainflurry

How The Bible Comes Alive

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - How The Bible Comes Alive

Reading the Bible is good (Romans 10:17).

But, reading the Bible won’t unlock it (Deuteronomy 29:29, John 5:39-40, 1 Corinthians 2:14).

I must acknowledge my dire need (Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 5:3-8, James 4:6).

And, I must be open to Jesus’s ability to meet that need (Mark 9:24, Hebrews 11:6).

Then, when I seek Jesus through reading the Bible, He will give Himself because that’s what He’s eager to do (Luke 12:32).

And, if I accept what He gives, He will give more (Luke 8:18, 2 Corinthians 3:18).

He will give more and more until my cup runs over (Luke 6:38),
and from my belly begins to flow rivers of living water (John 4:13-14, 7:37-39).

Come to Jesus and be healed (Matthew 11:28, John 7:37).

But, He is of no help to us if we’re well (Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17, Luke 18:9-14).

Pray to experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to be given ears to hear and eyes to see your desperate need for God (Deuteronomy 29:4, Matthew 16:17, John 16:8).

And then, the Bible will come alive (Hebrews 4:12).