cyberjosh
Member
- Oct 19, 2005
- 3,472
- 11
I have an amazing praise report from last Sunday night. I was invited to preach at the Church that I usually attend on wednesdays (and I've preached there twice before) and I was preaching on Sanctification (being set apart & cleansing ourselves), the power that God's grace gives us to do it, the proper attitude in which to recieve it (the fear of the Lord & thanksgiving - and also not using it in vain), and then I started summarizing it up with (since the message had been established and the doctrine given) the basis of our hope, faith, and rejoicing and why we should always rejoice in the Lord since his grace is sufficient for us.
And as I was reading the closing verses of God's amazing promises of empowerment (by his grace) and preservation (keeping us from stumbling) and love (fulfilling his promises on account of our faith) I began to tear up with joy and then the Holy Spirit hit me hard and I preached something I had by no means prepared on preaching or was even in my outline. I started declaring the greatness of the Lord with tears, so much that I couldn't even keep my eyes open. It was completely the Holy Spirit speaking through me, and in a revelation of why Paul was so passionate about God I said, "Why do you think Paul was so passionate about God? Because he saw Christ and said I count all things as rubbish for the opportunity to know Christ!" The full realization just hit me of how amazing God's promises were and how much even Paul gave up in the same realization (with confidence no doubt -even through near death experiences and trials): that he called all things rubbish for knowing Christ.
The part that keeps recuring the most in my head is the last part, where I -really- ceased to speak and the Holy Spirit was more speaking through me by what he impressed on my heart. When I felt in substance the very thing I was preaching about: the joy of our hope in light of realizing the sufficiency of God's grace for us - because God's power is perfected in weakness and he will keep us from stumbling and help us persevere if we keep our faith in him. Right as I finished up the sermon the Pastor stood up and said that that was probably the best sermon he had ever heard on Sanctification in his life, and said that he wasn't so much commending just me but rather God's work because He chose to speak through me. I just can't shake it.
I had a very Biblical message, I was very thorough, and God had even first impressed on my heart to write it in paper form weeks ahead of time (which is why I felt that I needed to preach on it), yet what underlined and boldened it all was the unexpected conviction from the Holy Spirit that I recieved and that's what really made it all worth it. And it's funny I only just thought of this as I was typing but I had prayed to God earlier that day when I was fasting that like the Apostles I wouldn't just preach the Gospel in just word but also in power, and it seems he did exactly that. I'm still shaken by my own message, and I have nothing but praise to give to God that he gives us grace that empowers us to do his will and persevere so that we can inherit his very real promises and rejoice in them!
Praise God!
And as I was reading the closing verses of God's amazing promises of empowerment (by his grace) and preservation (keeping us from stumbling) and love (fulfilling his promises on account of our faith) I began to tear up with joy and then the Holy Spirit hit me hard and I preached something I had by no means prepared on preaching or was even in my outline. I started declaring the greatness of the Lord with tears, so much that I couldn't even keep my eyes open. It was completely the Holy Spirit speaking through me, and in a revelation of why Paul was so passionate about God I said, "Why do you think Paul was so passionate about God? Because he saw Christ and said I count all things as rubbish for the opportunity to know Christ!" The full realization just hit me of how amazing God's promises were and how much even Paul gave up in the same realization (with confidence no doubt -even through near death experiences and trials): that he called all things rubbish for knowing Christ.
The part that keeps recuring the most in my head is the last part, where I -really- ceased to speak and the Holy Spirit was more speaking through me by what he impressed on my heart. When I felt in substance the very thing I was preaching about: the joy of our hope in light of realizing the sufficiency of God's grace for us - because God's power is perfected in weakness and he will keep us from stumbling and help us persevere if we keep our faith in him. Right as I finished up the sermon the Pastor stood up and said that that was probably the best sermon he had ever heard on Sanctification in his life, and said that he wasn't so much commending just me but rather God's work because He chose to speak through me. I just can't shake it.
I had a very Biblical message, I was very thorough, and God had even first impressed on my heart to write it in paper form weeks ahead of time (which is why I felt that I needed to preach on it), yet what underlined and boldened it all was the unexpected conviction from the Holy Spirit that I recieved and that's what really made it all worth it. And it's funny I only just thought of this as I was typing but I had prayed to God earlier that day when I was fasting that like the Apostles I wouldn't just preach the Gospel in just word but also in power, and it seems he did exactly that. I'm still shaken by my own message, and I have nothing but praise to give to God that he gives us grace that empowers us to do his will and persevere so that we can inherit his very real promises and rejoice in them!
Praise God!