A Gospel of Power (Remastered)

the words to which I should like to call your attention this evening are to be found in Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians in the first chapter in the fifth verse the fifth verse in the first chapter of Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians 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 I want particularly to deal with the first part of that statement for Our Gospel came not

unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance the uh test that is ultim Ely to be applied to anything that claims for for itself the name Christian is the test of power is if you like the test of success now this is true whether you think of the Christian position in terms of the church in general or of the individual Christian the test to apply is the test test of power the test of success I know that in a way there that can be a dangerous

test this so-called pragmatic test it can be abused it can if not used properly lead us to false results and conclusions because we are aware of the fact that there is an enemy who can counterfeit a good deal of what is Christian there were false prophets in the Old Testament there were false teachers in the New Testament and there is a great deal of warning given against the activities of such people and they have their results the Cults can produce some sort of result so that from one Ang standpoint this pragmatic test the test of

power and of success may be a dangerous one and yet I say that we are compelled to assert that the final test which must be applied to the church in general or to the individual Christian is this very test of power of success because while it is true to say that the false May produce its spurious results the true also produces its results and therefore in avoiding the false we must not go to the ridiculous position of saying that the true is not to be estimated in terms of results now this is an argument that

the great Apostle Paul very frequently uses it as he uses it here in this very passage that we're looking at together this evening he says there is no doubt about what happened amongst you he says the results prove it not only that he says I knew it was happening when I preached amongst him the test which he applies is this test of power he does it in many other places in writing his first epistle to the Corinthians he says the kingdom of God is not in word but in power there had been trouble in the

church at Corinth and Paul says I'm coming to visit you and I he he says that some of you are talking a great deal you're making great statements and you're talking a great deal very well sis Paul I'm ready to listen to you but I would remind you before I come that what I shall be interested in is not what you say but what you are the kingdom of God is not in word but in power and if there's no power the words are idle and they're useless he says the same thing in his second

letter to them people are saying says the apostle that I'm not an apostle I'm not worried about that he says you are our epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men I'm not worried about my reputation says Paul for this reason that you Corinthians Christians members of the Christian church are a guarantee of the fact that I am an apostle of Jesus Christ the pragmatic test proves it the fact that you are what you are is a living demonstration of the thing and this I say is an argument which he app implies

in many many places as he does in our text this evening well now judged by this test the question is what is the result we find I want to look at this test this evening as applied to the church in general and as applied to individual Christians we must face this question the state of the world compels us to face it how does the church I say stand up to this particular test the test of power the test of results well is it not unfortunately the truth to say and we've got to admit it that

the result which we find is this to use the language of this very verse we're looking at this evening the word of the church seems to be in word only oh there's no shortage of words the church in a way has never been more busy than she is at the present time multiplying her institutions and organizations holding our conferences using all the modern media having our discussions this there's nothing the church isn't doing pouring out books there have never been so many words the church in a sense has never spoken so much but the question

is what does it lead to what are the results and there unfortunately there is no question the statistics speak loudly the facts are there facing us whether we like them or not and there it is that the words of the church seem to be ineffective and that the number of Christian people is falling from year to year the church then I say judged by this test of power the end of success seems to be failing nothing seems to happen but I'm also concerned I say about the individual how has all this come to you my

friend it's come as a word of course it's come as words but the question I'm asking is this what is the evidence in your life is there power is their success what has it led to it's one thing to listen to this message you hear words but the question is has it done anything has it achieved anything has It produced something Our Gospel came unto you not in word only says the Apostle but in power he was able to say that about these members in this particular church at thessalonica and I'm asking therefore this evening

how do we respond individually to this self-same test that we have already applied to the church speaking generally well now the question is what is the cause of this failure and we are told today that the one great cause of the failure is what is called the problem of communication and I want to deal with this this evening I do so because I know that there are probably many in this congregation who are interested in it I sometimes get letters asking me this particular question you hear it discussed on the wireless and in the television

it's it's the main feature of religious programs what they call the problem of communication what do they mean they mean this they say the trouble is today that we are dealing with a people with a generation of people that seem to be in a postchristian condition there has been a great era of Christianity they say the Victorian era and so on we've gone past that we are in the postchristian era when people no longer know the meaning of Christian terms and terminology and are not interested we're living in a pagan Society a materialistic society and

all these terms which once meant so much mean nothing today people don't know the ABC of religion so they say that we are up against this whole problem and question of communication and the problem is in other words how are we to overcome this how are we to speak how are these words of ours to come in such a way that they'll come to people with power and with meaning and with understanding will turn them into Christians and will bring them into the Christian church now that is the great problem we are told today the

problem of communication and all kinds and sorts of efforts and Endeavors are being made to overcome this problem of communication it's being studied from the psychological point VI ministers are being trained how to appear on television how to speak how to use their gestures anything to get this art of communication to get it over salesmanship they say look at it commercial television they can rocket up the sales of these things why will they've got the right technique this is The Church Must develop this get hold of this means this mechanism this means of communication and

recommend its gospel to the people and all this is being done I say uh with the great effort and much expenditure of money and of time and of organization it's been done for a long time but the question is what does it lead to and I say that the statistics obviously indicate that it leads to nothing in spite of all the concentration on this the statistics are against us now then why is this well I want to suggest to you this evening that it is because the whole of that approach is entirely wrong and that

for any Christian person to say today that the problem the outstanding problem is the problem of communication is to make the most fatal admission that a Christian men can ever make of a complete misunderstanding of the very basic principles of the Christian Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel now then that is what I want to suggest to you the Apostle is telling us in these words that we're looking at this evening the answer is given here look at the position of the Apostle Paul here is a man who receives a vision of the Lord

Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus undergoes a profound change in his life and is sent out as a preacher and as an evangelist to whom is he to preach well he's to preach to Jews who don't believe in Christ who hate him who crucified him who else well these Pagan Gentile Nations who are they well they believed in a multiplicity of gods they hadn't gone as far even as the Jews they were indeed as far away as a men could possibly be from God living oh in a state of sin which almost be description

you'll find occasional descriptions of it in the scriptures second half of Romans 1 1 Corinthians 6 beginning at verse 9 and a few verses following there it is they were living in squat in moral filth and degradation ignorant unenlightened illiterate everything you can say that is bad about them was perfectly true there they are and here is this man sent to preach this gospel to such people what was the problem problem of communication wasn't it see there's nothing new in this we talk as if there had never been this problem before it's always been there

the Apostle Paul was rarely confronted with what was an apparently imp possible position when he went to thessalonica and began to preach his message but you remember what happened as the result of his preaching tremendous things happen so much so that some people began to say this man's turning the world upside down people were entirely changed they joined the Christian church that's what he saying here in this very chapter isn't it he says you were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia from you Ed out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia

and Thea but also in every place you were Faith to godward is spread abroad these people who seem to be an impossible position became Christians the gospel the preaching of this man had achieved something he' revolutionized the whole situation and Christian churches were spreading up and Rising all over the world here are sure facts which are recorded by the apostle and of course this not only happened in the New Testament times it has happened ever since in every period of Revival and of Reawakening it happened at the time of the Protestant Reformation people were ignorant

utterly ignorant had been in the darkness of Roman Catholicism for centuries didn't even understand the language it was all done in Latin and the common people didn't know Latin they had no idea what was happening couldn't read their Bibles couldn't do anything no popular education you can't imagine worse conditions yet look what happened in the Protestant Reformation look at the change in this country what did it ah it was you see that men arose who preached as the Apostle Paul had preached same thing reenacted it happened in the Puritan period it happened 200 years ago

here in the city of London conditions were appalling read Wesley breed is England before and after Wesley about the appalling state of men and women in this city of London in their ignorance and sin and degradation and how the whole thing was changed what by the preaching of these men it always happened like that and then think of the great story of the missionary Enterprise the beginning of it in the last century 150 years ago men went into countries where there were cannibals everything was against them but they're no longer cannibals the the whole situation

has been changed what did it well the preaching of this gospel it didn't come in word only it came in power and in the Holy Ghost and with much Assurance very well then I say here is the answer to the problem for the mass and for the individual it has always been like this why well the answer can be put like this the problem you know is not in the world because the world has always been the same the world never changes the world is no different tonight from what it has always been in the

periods I've been describing to you there is no more difficulty about preaching the gospel tonight than there was when the Apostle Paul went to thessalonica none at all he was confronted by the same kind of people doing the same sort of things we just elude and fool ourselves by saying ah we are the post-war period the post-christian era nonsense we're exactly by nature what men has always been ever since the fall the problem is not in the world well where is it well clearly the problem must be in the presentation of this message why are

the messes of people not Christian there are two answers says the Apostle one is this they don't know the meaning of the word they're wrong about the word and secondly they have never experienced the power that can make the word a living word problem of communication there's no such problem the problem is to make sure that we know what the word is and then that we have the power and the demonstration and the authority and there's much Assurance about which the Apostle speaks so it comes to this you see there are only two questions what

is this word secondly how is it to be communicated now let's follow this great men as he outlines this to us the first thing he says is this you know he says you people at thessalonica I'm very proud of you because I know that you are you are election of God knowing Brethren beloved you are election of God how do I know it well Our Gospel came not unto you in word only but it did come in word you see he says it didn't come in word only but also but that means that there was

a word oh yes you must have the word you don't need a power without the word it'll be useless it's the power upon the word the word it came in word well very well here is our first thing what is this word what is this I am convinced that the people who are outside the church tonight are there because they don't know what this word is they think they know they're interested in many words but they've never known what the word is this word that the Apostle preached what is it well fortunately gives us a

very full answer here in this first chapter of this first epistle to the Thessalonians then it's supplemented by what we read out of act 17 which is the factual historical account of what the Apostle did at the beginning at in it when he went to thessalonica now here we've got a sort of summary of the word and therefore we must look at it what do you think the Apostle preached them what did he you do you really think that he spent his time in protesting what was being done by the Roman government by the Imperial

power nearly all these nations had been conquered by Rome at that time did he spend his time protesting against that and trying to organize them into protest movements against it did he spend his time in dealing with injustices in the government as it was being Meed out there was a lot of slavery then did he spend his time about that you see the moment I ask the questions you see how sadly Christianity is being misrepresented at this present time and it is because people think that that is Christianity that they don't believe it and it

is without power and it leads to nothing the impression is given that Christianity is nothing but something negative the Christian Church spends half a time it seems to me in protesting at Brewster sessions trying to prevent some people from having an extra half hour to keep their public houses open I'm not saying they shouldn't do that but I am saying that if they give the impression that that's the gospel they know nothing of what the gospel means Christianity in the eyes of the message is a sort of protest something standing against always opposing this that

or the other Sabbath observance this or that drink armaments War always against the spoil sport of the people some negation something that restricts and restrains life and makes it something small and contemptible and they say if that's your Christianity I don't want it and I'm free to sa from this Pulpit I don't blame them I don't want that sort of Christianity because that isn't Christianity no no what is it what is this word well the Apostle tells us our gospel Our Gospel came not to you in word only what is this word well it's a

gospel good news the preacher of the Gospel is like a man displaying a plard he's got a thrilling announcement to make he's a Herald he's trumpeting for something what is it it's the greatest good news that has ever come into the world and your negations are not good news your protests are not good news your organizations are not good news your exhortations to men to do this and that that's not good news good news is something to come that comes to men in need and they jump at it they thrill at it the most marvelous

thing they've ever heard good news gospel and do you realize that this is good news my friend what's your notion of being a Christian is it that you just don't do this that and the other and that you're nice and respectable and smug there's no good news about that there's no joy in that kind of thing but this is something that is a gospel good news from God and the Apostle went round and traveled everywhere proclaiming it and preaching it that's the first characteristic of the word but let us take nothing for granted this evening

let's look at its content what is this good news what's it about well it's all in this one chapter listen to what he says he says here in verse 9 they themselves show us of what mannering of Entry we had un to you and how you turn to God from Idols to serve the living and the true God what's Christianity about well it sounds almost ridiculous but you know we're living in times when we've got to say it this comes as a surprise to many people the first thing that Christianity is about is about God

God the Christian message is not something that people who don't believe in God can agree with and put their names to it but so much that peses as Christianity can include those people you know them but this message is a message about God the Living God it is a proclamation that there is only one true and living God and that there are no other gods these Idols are not gods they are manmade they are figments of men's imaginations they're the creatures of men's own citations projection of men's own mind they have no being they have

no existence they have no reality men are worshiping false gods today worshiping themselves worshiping ideals worshiping ideas and Concepts worshiping programs political programs social programs and everything as these have become their gods they put their faith in them they spend their time thinking about them elaborating them working them out these are their gods here comes a message which says there isn't a god apart from the one only true and living Living God God the Creator The God Who made everything out of nothing The God Who orders everything and who controls everything and then it goes

on to say that this is a God who is to be served he turned he says to God from Idols to serve the living and the true God that's what this generation has forgotten you know that God is there over all and that the Lord still reth the Lord is still controlling man thinks he's so marvelous he can shoot his Rockets land them on the moon shoot them further now and he's worshiping himself and he's forgotten God the world is as it is because it's forgotten God and The Business of preaching is to remind men

that there is God that God is there Paul went to these people and said look here these are Idols you're worshiping they're not God they have no existence they have no being you're fooling yourselves you're in the dark you're ignorant listen and he told them about this God who said let there be light and there was light the god of who revealed himself through the Jews and the whole story of the Old Testament he says here is God I've got proof of it and he brought out his proof in the person of Jesus Christ and

his resurrection but I say he taught that this God is to be served this God is to be worshiped God is to be obeyed he told them about the Ten Commandments he told them what God had indicated with respect to life and he said this God is to be listened to why well because he is the judge of all the world he says there is a WTH to come you turn from Idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which

delivered us from the Roth to come he told them that men are under God and are responsible to God and that the whole world will have to stand before God will judge the whole world in righteousness and that he has made it perfectly plain that all who do not believe in him and have not submitted to him will be punished the wroth to come and that is what I tell this modern conceited sophisticated world that thinks that it's got everything anything in its grasp it is under judgment and time is running out and the end

is coming and God's judgment will be revealed it's the message of this book from beginning to end the Roth to come I would remind you again as I did last Sunday night we've all got to die and we've all got to stand before God in the judgment and the terms have been made perfectly plain and clear in this Revelation where is your good news say someone I'll tell you the good news comes in at that point the only people who recognize it as good news who believe are those who believe what I've already said what

is it ah the good news is about this Jesus and to wait for his son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus what's our message our message is this that the trouble and the Calamity and the confusion in the world is due to the fact that men have forgotten God and have sinned against him and he is manifesting his wroth against their unbelief and against their Rebellion is there no hope there is God in spite of that has so loved the world that He Sent His only begotten son into it this Jesus

you see that's what Paul did in the synagogue when he began preaching in thessalonica wasn't it he did two things he reasoned with him on two points the first was this that the Messiah the Christ must needs have suffered secondly that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is the Messiah now then he said this is the message God has so loved the world that he has sent his only son into it there has been a man in G in in in Palestine in Galilee particularly called Jesus Jesus of Nazareth who is this this is

the Son of God this is the savior of the world and his message was that this had been proved by the resurrection Jesus whom he raised from the dead listen to me says the Apostle I'm preaching facts to you I'm not preaching a theory I'm not preaching an idea I'm here to tell you about one who's TR the face of this Earth who worked with his hands as a carpenter who was known as Jesus of Nazareth I'm telling you that he was Son of God savior of the world on what grounds do I say it

he's been risen from the dead he was killed he was crucified he was taken down from the cross and buried in a grave but he rose again he arose literally men saw him I saw him as one born out of due time I've seen him the Risen Jesus he's the Lord Of Glory he's God's son he's coming to the world what for he tells us and to wait for his son from Heaven whom he raise from the dead even Jesus who delivered us from the rth he came into the world in order to deliver us

in order to save us in order to rescue Us in order to redeem us and he did it in that way by being put to death by being crucified by dying the Christ must needs have suffered there's no other way it's the only way God is a just and the holy God who must punish sin and yet he fe's to save The Sinner how can it be done where he's found it he's just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Jesus delivers Us by dying for us by giving his life a ransom for

many here's the good news he has been delivered for our offenses he has risen again for our justification and here said Paul to these people is your only way of escape and of Salvation believe in this Jesus who alone can save you from the wrath of God against all sin and all ungodliness and evil here is the good news that just as you are in your utter helplessness and in your vness and in the depth of your sin you have better to look at this Jesus and Believe on him and believe that he died for

you and you're forgiven you're rescued you're redeemed you're saved you're made a child of God and you'll begin to look forward to his coming again to wait for his son from heaven for he will come again and he will judge the world in righteousness and he will set up his glorious kingdom in which you shall reign that was the word Our Gospel came to you in word and that is the word and you realize that that is the gospel my friend and you realize that that is Christianity that that is the Christian message I haven't

discussed your view of war or peace have I I haven't discussed your view of South Africa tonight no no I'm discussing your view of yourself your view of God your view of Life your view of death your view of your eternity that's your question this is Christianity gospel good news that though you and I and all of us deserve nothing but damnation and Hell that God has provided a way in his own son Jesus of saving us and rescuing us and redeeming us that's the word that's the word the Apostle preached that the reformers preached

the Puritans preached Whitfield and Wesley preached that has always been preached when the church has been with power and with might but that brings me to my second point which is this he says that my gospel came unto you not in word only it did come in word and if he doesn't come in that word nothing will happen and yet even that word alone is not enough Orthodoxy is essential but Orthodoxy is not enough a church can be Orthodox and dead dead Orthodox a man can be Orthodox and dead I'm not asking you therefore simply

whether you're Orthodox I am asking that but I'm asking this further question do you know anything about the power and the Holy Ghost and much assurance merely to utter the words of the Gospel doesn't save anybody you can read your New Testament and remain unsaved and lost and dead in a spiritual sense what is it that saves then oh it is this that upon this word comes this power not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and with much Assurance power problem of communication here's the answer there is no problem of

communication the holy spirit is the answer to the problem and he is the only answer now listen to the Apostle as he demonstrates this here and in other places in his great writings you know sis Paul I was in no trouble about you at all I knew that God was calling you knowing Brethren beloved your election of God well how well he says Our Gospel came not unto you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and with much Assurance what's he mean well he means two things one the power was in

the Apostle himself the Apostle knew that while he was preaching that something was happening he knew he was not just uttering words he felt a power he knew it the Holy Ghost was using him the Holy Ghost was upon him he had absolute Assurance this assurance about which he speaks was in himself not in the people I did it he said with great Assurance I knew I I knew as I was preaching that God was using me and that something was happening to you I did it with much Assurance in the power and demonstration of

the Holy Spirit how did he do it then well again unfortunately I must bring in my negative he didn't do it by trying to ingratiate himself with them he tells us that in the next chapter listen to this in Chapter 2 he says our exaltation was not of Deceit nor of uncleanness nor Inu I wasn't trying to catch you or to Weedle you or to get round you but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God which trith our hearts

for neither at any time used we flattering words as you know nor a cloak of covetousness God is our witness nor of men sought we Glory neither of you nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the Apostles of Christ you realize what he's saying he said you know I didn't try to get around you I didn't try to bribe you or to attract You by uh trying to please you he said you know I didn't try to give you the impression that I was just one of you after all so that

when I addressed you I put on my pipe and lit it and so the people would say after all I he's a person yes but he's a decent fellow he lights up his pipe he's one of us everything's all right would Willie yes you use their language talk to the tomies in the trenches smoke your woodbines and then when you go back from the war they'll all go crowding into your churches they'll all become Christians but they didn't and they never do no no he wasn't a men pleaser he didn't try to ingratiate himself or

courau their good opinions or try for some cheap popularity no no he didn't put on a dancing show or a skiffle or whatever it's called in ordered you see to appeal to the people get them in in anyhow put on a show put on a dance put on an act anything just to get them in and then just get in your little word at the end if you can I didn't preach I didn't do it with gu says the Apostle there was no Shem no pretense about this he didn't just have a nice quiet argument

with him this is a great age for discussions isn't it We Don't Preach any longer we have a discussion a brain strust and isn't it frightfully interesting one gives an opinion and the other and there's no preaching about this not a man ranting and standing In a Pulpit and hammering it at us no no we we've grown beyond that we must have a discussion now and have a group discussion and and we'll have our findings and of course we must be very tolerant and we must allow the other men's point of view an exchange of

ideas can you imagine the Apostle Paul exchanging ideas of course not why not well I'll tell you why not this men was conscious of his authority and of his power he was preaching to them with much Assurance he declared unto them the gospel of Christ and of God it wasn't in word only he said but in power and the Holy Ghost and much Assurance he said you know as I was speaking to you I was thrilling with the power of the spirit upon me I knew that I was not myself speaking to you I was

weak I'm no orator I'm nothing but the power Came Upon me and I knew that I was being used and something was happening to you I had great Assurance about it what was his Assurance based upon it was this he had an absolute certainty of his message about his message he puts it in verse 13 of the second chapter like this for this cause also thank we god without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which he heard of us he received it not as the word of men but as it is in

truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe that's why you are what you are he said you knew that I was not just speaking my own words you knew that I was speaking the word of God and that you were not listening to Mere human Exposition but to an authoritative word from God and the apostle knew himself that it was God's word why this man had had to be knocked down on the road to Damascus in order to believe it himself he' argued against it he reasoned against it all that

he did was against it but he'd been knocked down by it God had revealed himself in Christ he'd seen him he'd been given the word and the message and the commission and he simply repeated it and he was absolutely certain of it he wouldn't discuss it he wouldn't compromise it was exclusive this was the only word he says to the Galatians look here though we are an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached let him be a cursive he says my gospel there is no other remember he

says that Jesus Christ of the seed of David is raised from the dead according to my gospel and there is no other gospel it's exclusive he knew it and he preached it with authority because he knew that not only that that he knew what he was talking about he'd experienced its power in his own life and in his own experience he'd been turned inside out and upside down he'd been changed the right about the blaspheming persecuting Pharisee had become a simple evangelist he knew the thrilling power of God's word to transform a man's whole existence

and to fill him with a joy unspeakable and full of Glory so he preached it with conviction and with certainty not a friendly discussion not try to engra it so that people might think well of him he doesn't matter he doesn't count he's nobody he's the offscouring of the world but the word the message God's way of Salvation And as I say he knew that something was happening while he was preaching he was beside himself he was looking on he said I came to you he says to the Corinthians not with enticing words of men's

wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power the Holy Ghost upon him and he knew and had full assurance and then the only other thing he adds was this the testimony of his life as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake he says it again in Chapter 2 in verse 10 you are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameable we behaved ourselves among you that believe it isn't cleverness of brilliant arguments or polished shafts of diction or a scientific knowledge or television techniques or radio

techniques or anything else that the man of God needs well what does he need he needs a holy life that men looking at him say I wish I were like that man what is this that his life convicts and his life confirms the believer and he has this assurance that it isn't his own message or idea but God's word given revealed and he is called and sent on a commission I had it says Paul with much Assurance I preached you it was in him yes but you see it was also in the heroes this Authority

and conviction and power was not only in Paul it was in those people who were listening to him do you know what happened well as he was preaching they were terribly convicted they themselves show us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how you turn to God from Idols to serve the living and true God as he was speaking they began to say this man is right and the gods we've worshiped are not Gods we can see it he's telling us about this other supreme god and his right they saw the Folly

the nonsense of their old belief and they felt the power concerning this God and they realized that this was the truth they were convicted of their unworthy lives that they'd been serving their own lusts and passions their own evil desires and these figments of their own imagination and that therefore they had been Rebels against God and sinners in his sight and were guilty before him and should be condemned in the Judgment they felt it and they not only felt it they did something about it they repented and they turned how ye turned to God from

Idols to serve the living and the true God they wept they went on their knees before God they pleaded for pity and compassion for mercy and for forgiveness they said oh God can you still receive us is it still possible and then of course on top of that they received this word which the Apostle preached to them this is the very thing of course that proved to be the turning point you received he says that when ye received the word of God which he heard of us he received it not as the word of men

but as it is in truth the word of God he says he became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word with joy in the Holy Ghost they believe belied the message about the Lord Jesus Christ they believed it they said thank God this is true this is God's provision for us so they turned to him they said we believe it we receive it and they went to God and they said we believe that Jesus is your son that he died for our sins they received the word and they became followers of

the Apostle and of all who were Christians ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much Affliction with joy in the Holy Ghost their lives were entirely changed they never worshiped an idol again they never went to an idol Temple again they never offered a sacrifice to an idol again they left them they forsook them they turned their backs on them they turn to God and they began to serve him they were new men their lives were entirely changed the squallor and the filth and the M of immorality in

which they dwelt they came out of it and they began to serve the only true and living God they prayed to him they obeyed his Commandments they consorted with his people they wanted to hear more and more of his word and as they went on doing it great Joy came into their lives ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much Affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost they were filled with a strange joy that they couldn't understand they didn't just decide to believe it and painfully try to live

the Christian no no they were thrilled with joy the joy of the Holy Ghost came into them they were beside themselves they were praising God they could scarcely contained themselves and remember that he says that they did that in much Affliction you remember that the account in act 17 tells us that there was quite a riot in thessalonica the Jews worked up a mob who attacked the apostles and all who believed his message you know it wasn't an easy thing to be a Christian in thessalonica you might be killed because of it the Jews would

hit you the pagans would hit you these men he says you believed it you submitted yourself to it you came after us though you were threatened with these afflictions and you smiled at them all you joyed and rejoiced you didn't care what people said about you you didn't care what they might do to you they you didn't care though they laughed at you though they ostracized you from the family and though they put you into prison and threatened to kill you it made no difference you joyed and rejoiced in your new found salvation and life

in security and you know Z this change that took place in you was so wonderful that it's being talked about all over the world not only in Macedonia and Thea but everywhere your faith is being spoken of you know says Paul when I go to a new place I don't get any trouble now they say it's all right we know we've heard about those people in thessalonica the news had spread abroad that as the result of these people listening to this message their lives had been transfigured and transformed and this holy Joy had come into

them they were living moral clean pure holy lives and people had said what is this what's done it it's that message so when Paul appeared they said we know what you're going to say we've heard of it and that has been God's method my friends throughout the centuries the trouble is not only in the Pulpit it's also in the PE it wasn't only Paul who preached this message it was people who believed it the these Thessalonians by living it not by standing up and giving a testimony no no by their lives by the change by

The Joy by all that was so true of them as Christians the news was spreading and it has always been like that in every Revival and every Reformation the preachers have preached the word with authority and the people have proved it in their lives your work your work of Faith your labor of love your patience of hope it's staggering said the Apostle and there's only one explanation of it it is the work of God in your souls through Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit my dear friend do you realize that this is Christianity tell

me what I'm asking you is this has this word come to you like this in power oh you say I believe the gospel I'm not asking you that have you felt the power have you felt the conviction of sin have you felt utter condemnation have you felt complete hopelessness have you seen that the life you've been living is wrong that your gods are no gods have you turn Leed have you repented have you gone to God in contri do you know the joy of the Holy Ghost have you got new life within you if not

you've been listening to words and you're only believing words when this gospel comes it comes not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance where do we stand the world round about us is going to hell as that ancient world was going to hell but you know the preaching of this men Paul revolutionized that ancient world the Roman Empire became a Christian Empire simply as the result of the preaching of this gospel in this way and men and women feeling its power being taken hold of their lives changed

and people saying what's happened what's happened to that man what's happened to this woman why this change it's altogether different what is this oh it is God's power and svision in Jesus Christ through that preached word ah they say and they began to listen and so it spread like wild fire like a prair fire my dear friend have you known its power as it come to you like that do you realize what God's word is to you do you know what it can do in you have you got new life are you a new man

a new woman are you amazed at yourself are you ready to die if necessary for Christianity joy in Affliction or are you rather ashamed of facing your friends in the office of the hospital Ward or in your college or whatever it is that occupies your time tomorrow morning are you like these people are you seeing this so clearly and feeling its power and its authority to this extent that you say let the world deride or pity I will glory in thy name and in thy shame has it come with power to you if it hasn't

its no value if this isn't the biggest power in your life you haven't heard it the power is not only in the preacher it is in the listener and when it is present in birth you have Revival power from God and the whole face of society changed there is no problem of communication it is the holy spirit of God Alone who can enlighten and if you don't know this word and haven't felt its power I exalt you fly to God get down before him ask him to send it to you with power until it raises

you up a new men and you know something of this joy in the Holy Ghost and you'll be able to say I care for nothing except that I am right here with God and in Christ by the Holy Spirit don't give yourself any rest until you can say the word has come to me with power and with great joy and I'm ready to forsake anything and everything for the sake of this that I may serve the only living and true God and wait for his son from Heaven even Jesus who will come again in his

glory and set up his kingdom and I shall be in it and spend my eternity with him amen