More Than Preaching and Teaching
The gospel should be accompanied by the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost, working mighty wonders to prove its truth.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that the gospel must be accompanied by the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by signs and wonders that validate its truth. He references Paul's assertion that his preaching was backed by divine proof, and highlights the early church's fervent prayer for miraculous signs to accompany their message. Wilkerson asserts that a fully preached gospel includes these manifestations, which will emerge from ordinary believers who are deeply connected to God through prayer. He envisions a last-day church that boldly proclaims the gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform undeniable miracles. This church will consist of faithful saints who seek to glorify God and fulfill His will.
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I believe the gospel should be accompanied by the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost--working mighty wonders, proving the gospel is true!
Paul boldly stated, "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4). The Greek here means "with proof." Paul was saying, "I preach the gospel with proof. God and the Holy Spirit are backing me up with signs and wonders!" Hebrews 2:4 says that God did confirm Paul's message with signs and wonders: "God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will."
The New Testament believers had one prayer: "That signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus" (Acts 4:30). These apostles went everywhere fully preaching the gospel.
"Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles" (Acts 2:43). "And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. . . . And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women" (Acts 5: 12, 14).
Here is one of the most conclusive of all verses--proving that a fully preached gospel must include signs and wonders: "They stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands" (Acts 14:3). This verse says that the apostles ministered boldly for a long time, preaching grace and repentance, and then God granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
God's last-day church will go "out and [preach] everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs" (Mark 16:20). That is what God envisions for us.
The miracles of this last-day church will be genuine, indisputable, undeniable, and yet they will not be well known. Instead, they will issue forth from the hands of ordinary, holy, separated saints who know God and are intimate with Jesus.
These believers will emerge from the secret closet of prayer--a small, prepared army full of faith, with no other desire than to do the will of God and glorify Him. They will be fearless and powerful in prayer. They will open entire nations for the gospel and God will confirm His Word by their mighty deeds!
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Signs and Wonders in Preaching
- A. The gospel should be accompanied by the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost
- B. Paul's preaching was accompanied by signs and wonders
- C. The New Testament believers prayed for signs and wonders to be done through Jesus' name
- II. The Role of Signs and Wonders in Confirming the Gospel
- A. Signs and wonders prove the gospel is true
- B. God confirms the message with signs and wonders
- III. The Character of the Last-Day Church
- A. The church will preach everywhere, with God working with them and confirming the word through signs
- B. The miracles will be genuine, indisputable, and undeniable
- C. The believers will be ordinary saints who know God and are intimate with Jesus
Key Quotes
“I preach the gospel with proof. God and the Holy Spirit are backing me up with signs and wonders!” — David Wilkerson
“God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.” — David Wilkerson
“They stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We should pray for signs and wonders to be done through Jesus' name, confirming the gospel and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit.
- As ordinary saints, we can be part of the last-day church, preaching everywhere with God working with us and confirming the word through signs.
- We should be fearless and powerful in prayer, opening entire nations for the gospel and confirming God's Word through our mighty deeds.