“WHAT” JESUS PREACHED, AND “WHEN” HE PREACHED IT.

Without doubt, in addition to being the Incarnate God, and our personal savior, Jesus was the greatest preacher this world has ever known.   What follows describes what he preached and when he preached.

He preached on sin.  He preached on Hell. He preached on conviction, repentance and confession.  He didn’t preach the love of God when He preached to the unbelieving. He had to expose their sin before the loving grace of God meant anything.

And so our ministry is to reprove, that is to give reason for them to understand that something is wrong.  Conviction leads to repentance, then to confession of sin. Only then can the sinner understand the love of God.

Unbelievers in their fallen state of sin are unable to comprehend the Greek word Agape, which is the word used to describe God’s love. It is a love of choice, expecting nothing in return. Actually Jesus preached more about hell, than all the others in the New Testament put together. He preached conviction of sin, repentance for sin and confession of sin, obviously God’s love is included, but is not the primary focus of Jesus’s sermons.

Sin is missing the mark, or falling short of the glory of God. Jesus is the glory of God. If we fail to live a perfect life like Jesus, then we fall short of the glory of God, and our lives will manifest adultery, homosexuality and many other sins that Jesus didn’t specify or address.

God’s love is mentioned in John 3 verse 16. However looking at the context and the preceding verses, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he is a sinner, and needs to be born again – a spiritual rebirth.

Nicodemus cannot understand his need to be born again and responds’. “How can these things be”. Jesus castigated him as the being the foremost teacher in Israel who was depending on works righteousness for salvation.

Yes, as Jesus summarizes the conversation in John 3:16 he introduces God’s love. He then goes on and gives it a universal application with the use great word, “WHOSOEVER” which must have shocked Nicodemus, as he believed salvation was only for the Jews.

Nicodemus went away confused, but is it not wonderful that this hypocritical Pharisee eventually believed, and became a follower of The Lord, and was bold enough, and helped bury his Lord’s body after His death.

Moving from the what to preach,  to the … When to preach.   In 2 Tim 4: Paul’s charges us to “preach in season and out of season.” 

That means PREACH:

…when it’s convenient and when it’s not convenient

…when it’s suitable and when it’s not suitable

        …when it seems to fit and when it doesn’t fit at all

…when it’s what is expected and when it’s what is not wanted.

…when there’s a readiness for it and he’ll do it

…when there isn’t a readiness for it. At all times he’ll do it.

As followers and witnesses of our Lord Jesus, nothing should  constrains us from preaching. Nothing should silence us from preaching.