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Stephen Olford shared a story with me one

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time, which has always stuck with me.

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He said he was at a conference for

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Campus Crusade, where its founder Bill Bright was

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addressing a young audience of Christian workers, and

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Dr. Bright rallied his troops with the following

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statement.

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He said, okay, now let's get out there

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and canvas the streets with the gospel.

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And later that night, Dr. Olford knocked on

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the hotel door of Bill Bright, and he

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asked if he could have a word with

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him.

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And Stephen Olford said, my dear brother, I

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feel you erred greatly this evening.

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You told those young men to go out

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there and canvas the streets with the gospel,

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but you failed to instruct them to tarry

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until they were endued with power from on

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high.

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And I believe that's a valid point, friends,

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because what gave Stephen Olford his power was

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an anointing of the Holy Spirit, and what

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gives the gospel its power is the attendance

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of the Holy Spirit.

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In Luke's gospel in chapter 24, Jesus instructs

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his men on how to prepare to preach

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the gospel and what message to preach.

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In verse 49 he states, And behold, I

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send the promise of my Father upon you,

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but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem

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until ye be endued with power from on

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high.

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I believe the missing ingredient in modern preachers

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is a lack of an anointing of the

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Holy Spirit, for if we preach without power

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from on high, we will rely on our

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personalities and intellects and schemes to hold our

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congregation's attention, and our preaching won't be transformational.

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What gives the gospel life and power is

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the attendance of the Holy Spirit.

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He is the one who brings conviction of

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sin.

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If we preachers fail to wait until we

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are endued with power from on high, our

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sermons will fail to bring conviction of sin.

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But if a man preaches the great doctrines

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of grace under the anointing of the Holy

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Ghost, all hell will break loose as men

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and women and boys and girls come under

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conviction and feel their need of a savior

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from sin.

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I believe the preparation of the preacher is

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far more important than the preparation of his

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sermon.

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If we fail to have a consistent walk

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with God under the discipline of the Holy

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Ghost, then we are mere lecturers.

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Secondly, the message of the gospel is laid

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out here plainly in Luke chapter 24.

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The risen Christ informs his disciples what doctrine

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they should preach as seen in verse 47,

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and that repentance and remission of sins should

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be preached in his name among all nations,

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beginning at Jerusalem.

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If Christ said to preach repentance at the

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heart of the gospel, then why do so

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many preachers omit repentance from their preaching?

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The message of the gospel is seen clearly

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in Acts 17.30 as the apostle Paul

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states.

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And the times of this ignorance God winked

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at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to

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repent.

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I don't believe you can preach the true

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gospel without preaching man's duty of repentance, and

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that's why the gospel's not preached much in

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this country anymore and few are being saved.

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Instead, we hear a lengthy discourse to consider.

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The man and his message go hand in

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hand like biscuits and gravy.

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We must preach the right message that drives

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men out of themselves to Christ, and we

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must preach it under the anointing of the

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Holy Spirit.

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If we do that, we can always count

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on a combustion to occur, and maybe somebody

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who hears us will crowd in agony of

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soul saying, what must that do to be

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saved?