The importance of Holy Ghost empowered preaching

The importance of Holy Ghost empowered preaching

Where and what we preached must be inspired by the Holy Ghost (Acts 16:6,10; I Cor. 1:17; 2Co 2:12; Gal. 2:2; Jonah 3:2; Isa. 61:1).

The preacher must be endued with the power of the Holy Ghost

The preacher needs the infilling of the Holy Ghost to preach with power. The preacher cannot deliver the Word with power and authority without the Spirit of God helping him to preach.

The early church disciples were told by Jesus to wait in the city of Jerusalem until they were empowered by the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49). After Jesus shed His blood on the cross to purchase salvation for man, He ascended to heaven and left the task of spreading the Gospel in the hands of man. Jesus knew man could not preach the Gospel and reach the lost souls of men without the power of the Holy Ghost. He told his disciples the Holy Ghost would give them power to spread the Gospel to the entire world. The preacher needs to be empowered by the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel. There is no life or power in the words of the preacher without the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

The preacher is a flicker of what he could be without the anointing of the Holy Ghost

A preacher without the anointing is next to worthless. There are too many dead and dry preachers accomplishing little or nothing because they are not anointed by the Holy Ghost. Worse than “accomplishing little” are the many tares that have been sown in people’s lives by carnal preachers guided by their own interests. The preacher needs to be filled and led by the Holy Ghost.

There is no substitute for the power of God in the preacher’s life

II Corinthians 3:6—Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Study and preparation without the anointing of the Holy Ghost will not complete the ministry of the preacher in the pulpit. The word letter in this Scripture refers to the letter of the law without the Spirit of God. The Word alone without the Holy Spirit will not produce life. The goal of this class is to show the importance of study and preparation combined with the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

Man does not have the ability in himself to preach the Gospel

I Peter 4:11—If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

God intended for the Gospel to be preached with power

I John 2:20—But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

The word unction in this verse refers to the anointing of God. The word means that with which the anointing is performed. The rivers of life that flow from the preacher to reach out to the needs of men. The word unction literally means to smear in the original Greek language; it refers to the saturating presence of God that helps a man preach with power and authority.

God gives the ability to preach to those he calls to be preachers of the Gospel

Natural ability alone is not enough to reach the hearts of men. Speaking skills and flowering words will not produce life. The preacher must have the anointing of God to proclaim the Word of God.

Paul the Apostle was empowered by the Holy Ghost

Paul preached with the power of God (I Cor. 2:4–5). The Word tells us there was a demonstration of that power. A demonstration is something that is seen. The world needs to see a demonstration of the power of God. Paul did not rely on the wisdom of man to preach the Gospel. Paul was an educated man. He had been a Pharisee and was taught the Law of Moses by Gamaliel a doctor of the law (Acts 5:34; 22:3). Yet, even Paul with all of his training needed the power of the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel.

What is meant by the term: the Anointing of the Holy Ghost?

The oil is a symbol of the Holy Ghost

Throughout the Word of God oil is a symbol of the Holy Ghost. The anointing oil poured upon a man was a sign of the Holy Spirit being poured upon a person’s life.

This term refers to the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon and flowing through a man

Jesus said the Holy Ghost would flow from within a man like rivers of living water (John 7:38–39). In the New Testament the anointing is used in relation to the preaching of the Gospel. The anointing is the power of God to enable a man to preach with power and authority.

The Old Testament kings were anointed with oil

The kings were anointed with oil by the prophets of God. This was a sign that they were authorized by God and set apart for His service. God’s plan for the kings was for them to have the Spirit of God upon their lives. Some of the kings did not serve God and the Holy Ghost was not with them.

The Old Testament prophets were anointed with oil

In I Kings 19:16 Elijah is instructed by God to anoint Jehu to be king and to anoint Elisha to be his replacement as prophet. The anointing oil was poured upon the prophets as a sign of the Holy Ghost being poured out upon their lives. The prophets spoke as the very mouthpiece of God. God spoke through the prophets; they did not speak their own thoughts when they were prophesying but only as God spoke through them. The Bible uses the phrase: “the Word of the Lord,” to refer to God revealing His messages to His prophets (Jeremiah 44:24).

The Old Testament priests were anointed with oil

The priests were to be Holy unto the Lord. They were also anointed with oil (Num. 3:3). This shows to us that those who do the work of the Lord must be anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was anointed by God to preach the Gospel

Luke 4:18, 19—The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord .

Hebrews 1:9—Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Acts 10:38—How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

The Son of God was empowered by the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel. How much more do we need the anointing of God to preach the Gospel?

Jesus spoke with authority (Matt. 7:29). God gives authority to the preacher by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The Anointing breaks the bondages of sin

The anointing destroys the yoke of bondage (Is. 10:27; 61:1). People are bound by sin, and only the power of God can set them free. Jesus said the anointing would bring deliverance to the captives. Many people are bound by Satan's power and are in the prison of sin. The Word of God preached under the anointing of the Holy Ghost will break the chains of bondage and set the sinners free from Satan's power.

Holy Ghost power moves over a congregation

The Holy Ghost can break the power of sin while the preacher is preaching. Preaching alone can not break the power of sin. The Holy Ghost anointing will break the power of sin in the lives of the people. The anointing is more than the power of God to help the preacher it is the power of God to help the congregation.

The Holy Ghost brings conviction of sin

The Holy Ghost will convince men of their sin and draw them to the cross (John 16:8). Anointed preaching will produce conviction of sin. Man can preach The Word, but only the Holy Ghost can cause men to be aware of their sin and bring them to God.