Woe Is Unto Me if I Preach Not the Gospel

Text:
KJV 1 Corinthians 9:16
 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

Introduction:
Many men, even those who are of the true Church, fail in their duties of preaching as a profession.  Yet, many think that the only preachers in the Church are those men who stand before the audience and preach a lesson.  The wonder is, how many in the Church fail to realize that they too are preaches and must fulfill the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:19)?

I. If we preach “not the Gospel”?

We cannot be moved to other Gospels
KJV Galatians 1:6-12
 6.  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
 7.  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
 8.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
 9.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
 10.  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
 11.  But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
 12.  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

We must preach Jesus and the Church
KJV Acts 8:12
12.  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

II. Some fail to preach the Gospel because of their shame in it

We should not be ashamed of what saves!
KJV Romans 1:16
 16.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
 

If we truly believed we would not be ashamed
KJV Romans 10:11
11.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

If we are ashamed, we are not studying enough, that should bring shame to us!
KJV 2 Timothy 2:15
 15.  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If we fail in confessing him, he will NOT confess us!
KJV Matthew 10:32-33
 32.  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
 33.  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

III. We need to turn the World Upside Down!
Paul Did
KJV Acts 17:6
6. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

How did he turn the world upside down?  He preached Christ even when it was not wanted!
KJV Acts 17:2-5
 2.  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
 3.  Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
 4.  And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

We cannot fear that the truth will offend 
KJV Galatians 4:16
 16.  Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

The world hated Christ and it will hate all preacher’s of the Gospel
KJV John 15:18-20
 18.  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
 19.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
 20.  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
KJV 2 Corinthians 6:7
 7.  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

WE must preach forcefully (with authority)
KJV Titus 2:11-15
 11.  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
 12.  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
 13.  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
 14.  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
 15.  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Most importantly we cannot allow the Church to be turned upside down, we must not give the opportunity for false teachers to teach, not even for an hour
KJV Galatians 2:4-5
4.  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
 5.  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

IV. Teaching the truth in a simple format

WE cannot allow Satan to cloud how simple the truth is!
KJV 2 Corinthians 11:3
 3.  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

God is not the author if confusion
KJV 1 Corinthians 14:33
 33.  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

We must exhort (Call a person to, to urge) in simplicity
KJV Romans 12:8
7. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Paul, charged at times for not being intellicutal, surely knew the truth, and that is what we must preach.  It is not the mastery of the English language, but the usery of the word of God!
KJV 2 Corinthians 11:4-7
 4.  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
 5.  For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
 6.  But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
 7.  Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

Conclusion:

The Church will only prosper if the workers work!  We must follow the employee manual (the Bible), preach the word, and realize if we do not ---  We WILL be Judged for it!
 
 

Copyright 2001 by Brian Yeager may be reproducted for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others. www.christianlibrary.org


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