THE GREATEST SERMON

The secret to the success of the Early Church was that they made disciples. A disciple is not simply someone who changes his viewpoint. It is someone who is galvanized into action to further those viewpoints.

The dictionary defines a disciple as “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another, a convinced adherent of a school or individual.” A convinced adherent to Jesus Christ is going to do something more than warm a pew in a church. A disciple is someone who, once he has an experience with Jesus Christ, does not rest night or day. He tells everyone on the street, everyone in his work, about Jesus. He witnesses until he spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the whole area of his personal “Jerusalem,” “Samaria,” and his “uttermost parts of the earth.” A disciple does not sit down.

It is going to take an army of such disciples, dedicated men, and women, to perform the task Christ has given to the Church. You are part of that army. God is raising you up.

You may think you are very insignificant, but do not underestimate your strength. It takes a lot of privates to make up an army. What kind of an army would we have if we did not have privates? There is no such thing in the army of God as an unimportant private. The very least person can have a part in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world and making disciples for Him.

The disciples became Proof Producers, as we must too. God is raising up a special breed of disciples in this day…

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Take this verse in the context of what we have been talking about, not in the context in which we use it in our denominational meetings, when we speak of giving witness to Jesus Christ. Jesus was not talking about walking up to someone and saying, “Are you saved?” He was talking about the ability of His followers to show to the world that He is God.

In Acts 3, when Peter was brought before the religious leaders in the synagogue to be questioned about the crippled man who was healed, he said:

…ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate… (Acts 3:12-13)

What a sermon! Not just silver-tongued oratory, not just verbosity, big words, and a lot of spiritual cliches — but a miracle! The greatest sermon that can be preached in the world is that which the power of the Holy Spirit can demonstrate.