One preacher challenged his audience when he said:
“It is an amazing thing. You can preach the same sermon to the same people in the same way at the same place and get two totally different responses. The first time, something electric happens. People get saved. The movement of God is apparent.
The next time, it seems as if nothing happens. No response, no energy, no movement. It is always a sobering reminder. It is not up to us. It is solely up to Him.”
This should remind a few evangelists that before God, there is no glory to flesh. I believe that people change. But I don’t believe that people change people.
And I don’t believe that people change for people. Can I talk about free will? People change when they come to the pick of it . People allow change when they get sick and tired of themselves; when the pain of staying the same is too great to bear or there’s a goal so enticing that it draws them away from what and who they used to be.
On top of that, the task of inspiring people and renewing their minds is something we are not called to do. It’s something only the Holy Spirit can do.
John 16: 8 says : And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
It is not you, but the Holy Spirit who imparts life. Only the Holy Spirit can do this, even though he can and will use us as instruments of honor.
So yes, people change. They change direction; they get healthier; they break habits, overcome addictions.
To many, it’s a hassle to sit on the sidelines and wait while someone you care about gets his or her life together, but the prudent person recognizes it’s worth the hassle.
I recently read that the church is losing a significant number of preachers each year. They die, retire, or simply quit. Can we stop trying to do what the Holy Spirit should do?
The Holy Spirit, using the biblical message of the Cross, “awakens in man that deeply hidden awareness of guilt. He convinces man of sin, even where previously no consciousness of sin was apparently present.
The Holy Spirit uses the word of the preacher and touches the heart of the hearer. Lets invite the Holy Spirit in our meetings if we need to see effectual transformation and life among believers.
Written By Balaggadde Samuel.
