in the Preaching of the Gospel

The Holy Spirit both prepares the people to hear the gospel and prepares the preachers to preach the gospel. 

Because of our depraved nature we would be totally unable to receive the gospel unless the Holy Spirit had prepared us to receive the preaching of the gospel.  The following verses of scripture show us the absolute necessity that we first be prepared to receive the preaching of the gospel before we are able to receive the preaching:

1.  John 8:43 “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.”  John 8:47 “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”  The Lord was speaking to the Pharisees, who were considered the most educated and knowledgeable religious leaders of that day.  They were well versed in the law.  The Lord told them that they could not understand his speech because they could not hear his word.  Now, we know they all had natural ears and heard with those ears the words that he spoke.  Moreover, they were well educated men and could logically understand what the Lord had spoken.  What they lacked was the ability to receive the spiritual understanding of what he spoke.  Moreover, the Lord told them that only those that are of God could hear God’s words.  He told them that they were not of God, therefore, they could not hear God’s words.  This teaches us that a man must first be of God before he can hear God’s words. 

2.  John 10:26 “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”  In this passage the Lord was speaking to some unbelieving Jews.  He plainly told them and also us by implication that the reason they believed not was because they were not of his sheep.  A person must be one of his sheep before he can believe.  The sheep in the scriptures are often associated with the elect born again family of God.  In conclusion, a person must first be of the elect born again family of God before he can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

3.  2 Thes. 3:1 “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”  Paul requested the brethren and sisters of the church at Thessalonica to pray for him that he may be delivered from those men that do not have faith.  This teaches us that there are men in the world that do not possess any faith.  These men are unreasonable and wicked men because they have not been born of the Spirit and consequently do not have faith. 

4.  Rom. 15:30 “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; 31 That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;”  Here, Paul requests the members of the church at Rome to strive together in their prayers to God for him, that he may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judaea.  Most of the religious world today seems to think that they want God to deliver them to unbelievers.  This is just exactly the opposite of what Paul desired.  He knew that a person had to be of God before he could hear God’s words.  He also knew that unbelievers would be a hindrance to him in preaching the gospel to God’s born again people.

5.  John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  The kingdom of God in this verse is referring to the church kingdom that Christ set up here on earth.  The Lord taught Nicodemus the impossibility of one seeing (spiritually understanding) the kingdom of God before he is born of the Spirit of God.

6.  1 Cor. 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”  Here, Paul teaches us that the natural faculties of man cannot see, hear, or have it entered into their heart, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  Then Paul affirms that God has revealed these things to us (the spiritually born children of God) by his Spirit.

7.  1 Cor. 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  In this verse Paul affirms the impossibility of a man who has not been born of the Spirit and thus only a natural man to receive the things of the Spirit or to know those things.  A person must have been born of the Spirit in order to be able to receive the things of the Spirit or to know the things of the Spirit.  Since, the gospel is of the Spirit, a man must, therefore have been born of the Spirit in order to receive and know the gospel.

8.  1 Cor. 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.”  There are two classes of people representing all of mankind in this verse.  There are those that perish and there are those that are saved.  Paul tells us what happens when each of these two classes of people have the gospel preached unto them.  He tells us that when those who are in the category that perish have the gospel preached unto them that they consider it foolishness.  In contrast, when those who are saved have the gospel preached unto them, they hold it as the power of God. 

From the above it should be abundantly clear that the purpose of the preaching of the gospel is not to give eternal life, but to bring the good news to those who already have been given eternal life and to instruct them in Godly living.  We will next consider the work of the Spirit in choosing, calling, sending forth, and enabling the men chosen to preach the gospel to God’s born again children. 

The Lord made a promise to his disciples before he was crucified and raised again.  He promised to send them another comforter: John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”  A key word in this promise is the word, “another.”  The Lord was their comforter before his death, burial and resurrection and ascension back to heaven.  The word, “comforter,” used here and other places in the book of John is not referring to just giving comfort to someone who has lost a loved one, or who is suffering from a disease or injury, etc.  Rather the context shows that it is referring to what Christ was to them, the Holy Spirit would be to the disciples after Christ ascended back to heaven.  In another, article we plan to address in greater detail the issue of the Holy Spirit as our comforter. 

There were certain things that Christ was to the gospel ministers during his three and a half years of his ministry on earth, that the Holy Spirit is to the gospel ministry since Christ’s ascension back to heaven.  The following verses teach us of Christ’s election, calling, sending forth and directing his ministers as to what to preach:

1.  John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”  The Lord chose the twelve apostles to whom he was addressing in this context.  They did not choose to become ministers of the gospel, but the Lord chose them.  Likewise, the Holy Spirit chooses what men he will have to become gospel ministers in our day.  True ministers of the gospel do not choose to become gospel ministers but rather are chosen of the Holy Spirit to become gospel ministers.

2a. Matt. 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  The Lord went to and called Peter and Andrew to follow him as gospel ministers.

2b. Matt. 8:22 “But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”  This is another example of the Lord going to and calling a man to preach the gospel.

2c. Matt. 9:9 “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”  Here, the Lord went to and called Matthew to follow him and become a minister of the gospel.

2d. Matt. 4:21 “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.”

2e. Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”  In this verse we see that the Holy Ghost had called Barnabas and Saul unto the work of the gospel ministry. 

        3a. Matt. 10:5 “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  The Lord instructed his ministry as to where they were not to go and as to where they were to go.  This teaches me that it is not my choice or decision to make as to where to go preach the gospel.  It is the Lord’s decision.  Moreover, the Lord told the ministers what they were to preach: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

            3b. Luke 10:1 “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”  Again, we see the Lord giving them specific directions as to where they were to go preach.

            3c. Acts 16:6 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”  In this passage, we see the Holy Ghost directing the ministers as Jesus had done before.  He forbade or suffered them not to go certain places and then directed them to go into Macedonia.  We should always remember, where we go to labor is not for us to decide, but it is the Holy Spirit’s decision.

    4. Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”  Here we are taught that the place of our labor is not our decision, but the Holy Ghost makes us overseers, where it places Him. 

Next, we notice that the delivery of a gospel message is not simply the product of study and a well organized lecture, but true gospel preaching is attended with the empowerment and emboldening of the Holy Ghost as the following verses attest to:

1.  1 Thes. 1:5 “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.”  If the gospel had come in word only, then it would have simply been the preacher’s study and lecture.  However, it also comes with power and in the Holy Ghost.

2.  1 Cor. 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:” Paul confirms that his preaching wasn’t a dry lecture, but was attended with the empowerment and presence of the Holy Spirit.

3.  Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”  Once again, when the gospel ministers were preaching the gospel, it was attended with the presence and empowerment of the Holy Ghost.