Audio Book: Agent and Instrument
D.L. Moody teaches that the Holy Spirit is the essential divine power that quickens dead souls through the gospel, emphasizing reliance on God's Spirit rather than human effort.
In this sermon, D.L. Moody emphasizes the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in bringing spiritual life through the gospel. He explains that human effort and eloquence are insufficient without the Spirit's power, which alone can quicken dead souls just as it raised Christ from the dead. Moody calls believers to depend fully on the Spirit for effective evangelism and transformation. This message challenges listeners to honor and expect the Spirit's work in salvation.
Full Transcript
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 men 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.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The Holy Spirit is inseparable from the words of Jesus
- The Spirit gives life and power to the gospel message
- Human eloquence alone cannot quicken the soul
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II
- Christ's resurrection by the Spirit is the model for spiritual quickening
- The same Spirit that raised Jesus can raise dead souls
- No earthly power can quicken the spiritually dead
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III
- Dependence must be on the Spirit, not on ministers or disciples
- Expect the Spirit alone to bring life and transformation
- Honoring the Spirit leads to His effective work in souls
Key Quotes
“The gospel proclamation can not be divorced from the Holy Spirit.” — D.L. Moody
“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.” — D.L. Moody
“If we want that power to quicken our friends who are dead in sin, we must look to God, and not be looking to men to do it.” — D.L. Moody
Application Points
- Depend on the Holy Spirit rather than human ability when sharing the gospel.
- Trust that the same power that raised Christ can revive spiritually dead souls.
- Honor and expect the Spirit's work in your personal evangelism efforts.