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  AGENT AND INSTRUMENT
  by D.L. Moody
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Summary: D.L. Moody's sermon highlights the critical role of the Holy
Spirit in preaching and the necessity of divine power for spiritual
revival.

Topics: "The Holy Spirit", "Power of the Gospel"
Scripture References: Ezekiel 37:5-6, John 6:63, John 14:26, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 2:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 1 Peter 3:18

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DESCRIPTION
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D.L. Moody emphasizes the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the
proclamation of the Gospel, asserting that without the Spirit's power,
preaching is ineffective. He illustrates that human eloquence is
meaningless without the Spirit, comparing it to preaching to dry bones
without the breath of life. Moody points out that just as Christ was
raised by the Spirit, so too can our dead souls be quickened by the same
divine power. He urges believers to rely solely on the Holy Spirit for
the transformation of lives, rather than depending on human efforts or
ministers. Ultimately, honoring the Spirit is essential for witnessing
true spiritual revival.

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CONTENT
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The Holy Spirit is closely identified with the words of the Lord Jesus.
"It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing, the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." The
Gospel proclamation can not be divorced from the Holy Spirit. Unless He
attend the word in power, vain will be the attempt in preaching it.
Human eloquence or persuasiveness of speech are the mere trappings of
the dead, if the living Spirit be absent; the prophet may preach to the
bones in the valley, but it must be the breath from Heaven which will
cause the slain to live.

In the third chapter of the First Epistle of Peter, it reads, "For
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that
He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened
by the Spirit"

Here we see that Christ was raised up from the grave by this same
Spirit, and the power exercised to raise Christ's dead body must raise
our dead souls and quicken them. No other power on earth can quicken a
dead soul, but the same power that raised the body of Jesus Christ out
of Joseph's sepulcher. And if we want that power to quicken our friends
who are dead in sin, we must look to God, and not be looking to man to
do it.

If we look alone to ministers, if we look alone to Christ's disciples to
do this work, we shall be disappointed; but if we look to the Spirit of
God and expect it to come from Him and Him alone, then we shall honor
the Spirit, and the Spirit will do His work.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/dl-moody/agent-and-instrument/
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