God's power in the ministry - message by Rev Friedel Stegen
9 March 2005, 11:15

1Cor 1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

It is of the utmost importance that you preach what you live. Jesus said that whatever the scribes and Pharisees preach, we should do, but we should not do what they do.

As a preacher you cannot take it easy while your congregation still live in sin. You ought to wrestle with God that you might be the match to kindle the fire. The life you live should bring others to Christ, heal marriages. Your message must be with God's power, alive to quicken unto eternal life.

God demonstrates His power in nature - whatever He speaks come to pass. When He spoke the word the universe was created. When He speaks, His Word convicts of sin and changes lives. He spoke a Word and Lazarus rose from the dead.

A certain great preacher's wife was praised to be married to such a man of God. She answered, "but you don't know what he's like at home". The truth came out; he couldn't impress his wife by his preaching, because of his life at home.

The message of the cross to us is the power of God, and not just a historical fact. We must be identified with the cross. We should have been crucified, because of our sin, but He died in our stead.
That's why it is written, 'if anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me'.
If we want God's blessing, we must die. Live a life where others see Christ in your life - to become Christ-like. Be the least. Be transformed into the image of Christ by God's Spirit.
People outside don't read the Bible, but they read us. We are a letter written for all to read.

A certain young man felt called to an eastern country, and he went and preached the Gospel. The authorities then forbade him to preach. He prayed and it was as if God told him to stay. He went again and pleaded with the authorities, but they remained firm and so he stayed and lived amongst the people, without preaching at all. After many years he died without being able to preach. Many years later that country opened to the Gospel and a missionary came to that area and preached the Gospel and related Jesus' life to them. As he preached, an old man stopped him and told him that they know that man; he lived amongst them, so much so that they all consented to change their lifesyles, to be like him. They stopped drinking, comitting adultary, fighting, etc.

Live what you preach. The congregation cannot live a holier life than what the preacher lives.

1John 3:2 etc., 'we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself. He was manifested to take away our sin. Whoever abides in Him sinneth not; whoever sinneth hath neither seen Him nor known Him'.

When an accident happens and we sin, we must quickly flee to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He can wash us from our sin and keep us from sin.

Rev Erlo Stegen then added the following:

Andrew Murray had many enemies and a certain delegation sent two people to go with him and live with him. When they came back, they reported that he doesn't preach half he lived. Such should the life of a Christian be.

John the apostle never healed the sick, raise the dead, or performed any miracle, but he experienced God's power in such a way that he wrote that a person born of God cannot sin, and he that sins, has not known God.