Monday September 30, 2024
Let’s Demonstrate!
By Jenny Pfister & Betsy Leigh
Do you have any idea the first place in the New Testament when the word Gospel is used? I’ll give you a hint; it’s not in the Gospels.
Actually, the word Gospel is first used in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. This was the first of Paul’s epistles. He was writing to a young church he started with only a brief stay in the city of Thessalonica. Here’s what he wrote them in the opening verses of his letter.
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (entire confidence). You know how we lived among you for your sake. (1 Thess.1:4-5 NIV)
That’s a very interesting comment to make. The first time the word Gospel is used in the Scripture, it means more than just words. It’s a complete presentation of the power of Christ. Paul is very clear in saying that it’s not just words, but also includes power, the Holy Spirit, and conviction.
It’s unfortunate that in our day there are those who think the Gospel is simply a cleverly crafted message designed to convince a sinner to get saved. When we believe that, we’re only working with a small part of the Gospel.
For it to be the true Gospel of Jesus Christ there must also be a demonstration of power. In natural terms, power is the ability of something to produce change. If nothing changes, then there’s no power. (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of demonstration.)
Paul tells us here that when the true Gospel came forth – things changed. It’s not like many of our meetings today where we say, “That was a powerful message.” By that, we simply meant that we were stirred emotionally or felt goose bumps.
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Cor.2:4-5 NIV)
The word demonstrate comes from a root word that means, “to show off.” It literally means “to be manifested.”
This teaching runs throughout the New Testament. The Good News must be demonstrated. That demonstration can only be energized by the power of God. I fear that too many Christians allow their faith to rest on human wisdom, because they’ve never seen a demonstration of the power of God.
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1 Cor.4:20 NJKV)
There are so many believers that have never seen a healing or a miracle. As a result, the Good News, in many cases, has merely become an intellectual debate. Sometimes, what we call the Gospel today, is void of any power to change the direction of a life impacted by it.
So often we preach the right words to people, but they are constantly hearing words…words from other people, from all forms of media…television, Internet, advertisements…and from all kinds of other sources. This constant stream of words that is trying to get people’s attention or to lure them to spend money or to make some kind of decision. People are inundated with words and messages in our world today.
But when they are confronted with a bona fide manifestation of God’s power so outstanding that they cannot debate its reality, they are forever impacted and changed by it. Certainly, we must be wise in the way we preach and present the Gospel, but we must never forget the importance of preaching the Gospel with a “demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Nothing impacts an unbelieving crowd more than the power of God! The need for divine power is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago when Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians believers.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Rom.1:16 NKJV)
Without power we can end up as phony as the door-to-door salesman whose products do not work when he is asked for a demonstration. Power is God coming into the lives of men.
For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (Rom.15:18-19 NKJV)
Demonstration: the action of showing the existence or truth of something by giving proof or evidence.
It’s time to get out there and demonstrate!