The Power of Gospel Preaching

An overlooked evangelism opportunity is inviting people to church, for Christ’s power is present when his people gather (see Monday’s post).  Another reason to invite people to church is that God has designed preaching as a means of salvation.

…you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God… And this word is the good news that was preached to you (1 PE 1.23, 25).

When God’s living word, the imperishable seed of the gospel, is preached,  it causes people to be born again.

The gospel has intrinsic power to give life to dead hearts.  Like when Jesus called “Lazarus, come forth” to the dead man in the tomb and Christ’s very word injected life into him.

Paul says, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” …So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ  (RO 10.14-17).

In other words, saving faith results from spiritual hearing, which God grants to people through the preaching of the gospel.

God has ordained preaching to be a means of salvation.  “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”  (1 CO 1.21).

So any time you can, invite people to church where they can hear the gospel preached, and many will be born again by the imperishable seed of the word.

photo by patricia soransso