“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Consider
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days….Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:28-29, 31-32).
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and begun to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance….Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’....Then those who gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:4, 37, 41).
“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
“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).
“After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were so filled with love for Him and for those for whom He died, that hearts were melted by the words they spoke and the prayers they offered. They spoke in the power of the Spirit; and under the influence of that power, thousands were converted” (Acts of the Apostles, 22).
“Thus the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these” (The Great Controversy, 607).
“Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour will stand the test and trial of these last days. Strengthened by unquestioning faith in Christ, even the illiterate disciple will be able to withstand the doubts and questions that infidelity can produce, and put to blush the sophistries of scorners.
The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not, by reasoning, overcome satanic delusions will bear an affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly learned men. Words will come from the lips of the unlearned with such convincing power and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth. Thousands will be converted under their testimony.
Why should the illiterate man have this power, which the learned man has not? The illiterate one, through faith in Christ, has come into the atmosphere of pure, clear truth, while the learned man has turned away from the truth. The poor man is Christ’s witness. He cannot appeal to histories or to so-called high science, but he gathers from the Word of God powerful evidence. The truth that he speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit is so pure and remarkable and carries with it a power so indisputable that his testimony cannot be gainsaid” (Last Day Events, 205-206).
“The Spirit of the Lord will so graciously bless consecrated human instrumentalities that men, women, and children will open their lips in praise and thanksgiving, filling the earth with the knowledge of God, and with His unsurpassed glory, as the waters cover the sea” (The Review and Herald, October 13, 1904).
“As the third angel’s message swells into a loud cry, great power and glory will attend its proclamation. The faces of God’s people will shine with the light of heaven” (Testimonies, Volume 7, 17).
Reflect
• What opportunities are around you for preaching and sharing the good news?
• How much time do you spend praying for the delivery of a message compared to the time you spend preparing the content of that message?
• What will you do to further train and prepare your heart and life so that you can share Spirit-filled messages?
Because Jesus wants to come soon, let’s plead for the Holy Spirit until we speak boldly with love!
Pray
You are the Word of Life who in the beginning was with God and was God. You are the Word who became flesh and dwelt among usand I have seen God’s glory through You, full of grace and truth (John 1: 1, 14). Thank You for speaking to my heart and changing my life. Please fill me with Your mighty Spirit so I can share Your words of eternal life powerfully (John 6:68). Come and touch mytongue so I won’t speak out of pride or with self-confidence. Let Your love be so present in me that it melts the hearts of sinners and leads them to You.
Learn More Grow more in this area by exploring resources on preaching from the Adventist Book Center.
