We make no apologies about it, we are a RADICAL CHURCH IN KCK! We are RADICAL in our love for God and in our love for people.
I believe we are in the last days and I believe in an end time revival. For 2000 years the church has seen outpourings of what God wants to do in this earth however I also believe we have yet to see the fullness of what god has planned.
When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.i
“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches…” Rev 1:10-20
As we cry out for revival in the earth we should be aware that there are three ingredients for an on fire church. In the above scripture we see Jesus giving revelation of Himself, the preachers (the seven stars), and the church (the lampstands).
The pastor (or the preacher) is important, however, without a believing church to walk out his sermons the preacher can’t do much. And certainly without Jesus the preacher and the church can do nothing.
But let’s start with the importance of a preacher.
The word preacher means,
Orator or spokesman of God.
The preacher is to proclaim the gospel of God.
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Cor 1:21
The church can have the best programs for singles, the elderly, teens, and children. The sermons can be funny, inspiring, encouraging, and entertaining. But if the gospel is not preached the people will walk out the same way they came in…lost. It was the “foolishness” of the preaching, not a program, that proclaimed the gospel to men.
There is tremendous responsibility on the man of God. He is to stay within the boundaries of the gospel. He is to hear wants to say to the people in that hour and preach that.
The preaching is not limited to the church building. Jesus preached in the in the synagogues and in the marketplace. Peter preached his first sermon in the streets.
We can’t water down the gospel. In other words messages like prosperity is not the only thing the church should hear about. We preach Jesus and Him crucified. There are not many ways to God there is only one way and that way is Jesus Christ.
The preacher is to proclaim repentance, salvation, deliverance. If a preacher has crowds of people but lives are not changing then there is no power in the preaching.
The preaching of the gospel demands a response. Jesus knocked Saul off his high horse and blinded him. When Saul heard the gospel he gave his life to Jesus and became Paul the preacher of the same gospel that saved and transformed him.
It was the “foolishness” of the gospel caused Steven to become the first martyr. In the book of Acts we read that Steven was stoned to death for preaching Jesus Christ. As He was dying he beheld Jesus standing to receive him, a preacher of the gospel.
You don’t have to go to school for ten years to be a preacher. Share with anyone what Jesus did in your life. You can meet Jesus, give your life to Him, and run out to preach the good news all in the same day.
“…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction..” 2 Tim 4:2