He is the Real Reason for this Season
Jerry Branch
Isaiah 61:1-2
12-13-98
As most of you know, a lot of people don't like to read nor really study the Old Testament Prophets.
Primarily, this is because when we think of Prophecy and Prophets, we think of BAD stuff getting ready to happen. Not so. When we look at Isaiah, Isaiah not only gives warnings and points out the problems, but also tells of a HOPE. In other words, He also POINTS to the Solution to the problems. Unfortunately, though, in church today, we may only hear about the problems.
You may be like me, when I say, I've heard sermons preached on TV and in churches, where the preacher spent almost the whole message time screaming about the evils of this sin and that sin, but he never got around to preaching Jesus. He never gave the message of the gospel: that message being, that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came into the world to save us from our sin, to heal our souls, to set us free, and to give us HOPE.
You see, the message so many preachers are preaching these days, is one that is so heavily focused on all the wrongs of the individual, all the wrongs of our nation, of our society, and our world, but at the same time - don't get me wrong - we need to be issued a wake-up call, but preaching ONLY the ills, preaching with NO solution, in other words, preaching without proclaiming Jesus except during the invitation, causes us to walk out the doors with our heads hung low, and feeling hopeless and discouraged! Again, in other words, too much of today's preaching defines the problem, but never gives the answer - never points people to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I read a short story about the contemporary Christian entertainer who does a little routine about a Christian who is trying to witness to someone. He says the Christian finds a lost guy, and says, "Hey, buddy - Have you heard the good news?" The man says, "No what's the good news?" The Christian says, "You' ...
Jerry Branch
Isaiah 61:1-2
12-13-98
As most of you know, a lot of people don't like to read nor really study the Old Testament Prophets.
Primarily, this is because when we think of Prophecy and Prophets, we think of BAD stuff getting ready to happen. Not so. When we look at Isaiah, Isaiah not only gives warnings and points out the problems, but also tells of a HOPE. In other words, He also POINTS to the Solution to the problems. Unfortunately, though, in church today, we may only hear about the problems.
You may be like me, when I say, I've heard sermons preached on TV and in churches, where the preacher spent almost the whole message time screaming about the evils of this sin and that sin, but he never got around to preaching Jesus. He never gave the message of the gospel: that message being, that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came into the world to save us from our sin, to heal our souls, to set us free, and to give us HOPE.
You see, the message so many preachers are preaching these days, is one that is so heavily focused on all the wrongs of the individual, all the wrongs of our nation, of our society, and our world, but at the same time - don't get me wrong - we need to be issued a wake-up call, but preaching ONLY the ills, preaching with NO solution, in other words, preaching without proclaiming Jesus except during the invitation, causes us to walk out the doors with our heads hung low, and feeling hopeless and discouraged! Again, in other words, too much of today's preaching defines the problem, but never gives the answer - never points people to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I read a short story about the contemporary Christian entertainer who does a little routine about a Christian who is trying to witness to someone. He says the Christian finds a lost guy, and says, "Hey, buddy - Have you heard the good news?" The man says, "No what's the good news?" The Christian says, "You' ...
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