For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. [2 Corinthians 1:19]

It is Jesus we preach, not message, not sermon… It is JESUS we preach, not topics, not doctrines. It is JESUS we exalt, not celebrations, not accumulations. It is JESUS we showcase, not ourselves, not our knowledge. It is JESUS we reveal and show men, not our great church, not how powerful our Pastor is. Jesus Christ HIMSELF is THE MESSAGE, not another. Even though this has been mutilated and adjusted in many circles, yet this thought runs throughout Scriptures undiluted, that the gospel to preach is THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. We preach HIM, we do not preach anything else. Jesus Christ HIMSELF is the gospel to the world.

“…AND HE SHALL SEND JESUS CHRIST, WHICH WAS PREACHED UNTO YOU.” [Acts 3:20]

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, THEY CEASED NOT TO TEACH AND PREACH JESUS CHRIST.” [Acts 5:42]

“FOR WHAT WE PREACH IS NOT OURSELVES, BUT JESUS CHRIST AS LORD…” [2Corinthians 4:5]

“For if he that cometh PREACHET ANOTHER JESUS, whom we have not preached…” [2Corinthians 11:4]

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and PREACHED UNTO HIM JESUS.” [Acts 8:35]

The yardstick used to judge our growth is the person of JESUS CHRIST. It is NOT numbers we use, neither is it the breakthroughs, miracles, or our gigantic buildings…, it is not "things". You do not say “our church is growing” by checking the numbers of people in attendance the number of cars parked outside or the amount of money in the offering bag… No! You measure growth by how much men have individually and collectively grown up unto the exact image of Jesus Christ.

“That we henceforth be no more children… but … may grow up into HIM {JESUS} in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” [Ephesians 4:14-15 selected]

Can you see JESUS as the output of your labour? It is distressing that men of God do not lift Jesus high again. Instead, they exalt their miraculous powers. They praise how effectively they can cast devils out, and the men under their leadership have been obscured from beholding Jesus ALONE.

Many churches are beginning to celebrate, exalt and focus on the academic brilliance of the young people in church, since their focus now has shifted to how to make men great in society, and not how to make men vessels full of the Holy Ghost. Jesus has been left out. People pride in how much money the church is able to raise for church projects, and not how much Jesus has been suffused into men visibly as lights to the world. Today, competitions are beginning to arise among several church groups. Even within the same denomination, competitions are arising among the different branches and parishes on who can out-pay, out-give, out-build, or out-number another. The yardstick is no more what grace can do, but what schemes, psychology, methods and ideas of men can achieve. Jesus is no longer the focus. The pursuit is NOT on how to know more of Jesus, see Him clearer, touch Him and be more like Him, but on who will take the “first” position in the earthly rat race we have cumbered ourselves with.

Why the Gospel?
Our goal for preaching is to make Jesus known, to reveal His power, to reconcile men unto Him. Our goal is not to make men churchy. It is not to make men religious and bring men to church alone. It is NOT to make men morally sound. Our goal is not to make men acceptable in the society. I am NOT called to make men dress very well, actually, I am to make them dress well INTERNALLY because Christ has taken His seat in their hearts. We are not called to traditionalize men or churchianize them. We are not called to make men rich. The goal of preaching is NOT to make brothers free of troubles and trials, or to elevate their status in society, or to make men millionaires. NO!!! We are not called to position brethren in good places, earning fat salaries. WE ARE CALLED TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF MEN. TO RECRUIT A PEOPLE FROM THIS SINFUL WORLD AND MAKE THEM FIT FOR HEAVEN BECAUSE, THEY HAVE BECOME BORN AGAIN. WE ARE CALLED TO GAIN A COMPANY OF MEN AND WOMEN FOR GOD, OF WHOM THE WORLD IS NO LONGER WORTHY, A COMPANY OF MEN WHO HAVE NO OTHER DESIRES FOR EARTHLY GLORIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOST APPETITE. WE ARE CALLED TO MAKE JESUS KNOWN THAT MEN MAY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

For those leading young people these days, there is a recurrent tendency to make the youths very sharp, academically sound, and groomed to be great in society. Some are being tutored in the church doctrines so that they might take over as they grow up. They are being indoctrinated with what we believe, so that the "faith" of our fathers will live on still. As great as these may look, much is being carried out academically and not spiritually. We are employing the schools method to train men for God, so the heads are groomed, while the hearts are neglected. The result is men, holding faith in the power of the flesh because it was not Jesus at work within. People are deeply persuaded about landmarks, whereas, they operate NOT as the Spirit of Jesus moves them. They operate in the things they learnt with human energy instead of the power of the Spirit.

TRUE GOSPEL
We must preach THE MAN JESUS. We strive to reveal HIM to men. We labour that men may know HIM. Even, when you read Bible, you are not to look for Scriptures to help you fight your battles. You are not to look for powerful Scriptures to use to pray, thereby turning Bible into a book of incantations. You are not looking for passages to cram for the day as your shield, or for an increase in knowledge to whoa men...None of these... You are only searching for JESUS. You want to taste HIM, touch HIM and see HIM.

The goal of preaching is to reveal A MAN unto men. It is to show people JESUS. Preaching is not to arouse men to give. You will become a lord over Gods heritage doing that. You will be taking the place of the Holy Ghost, convicting and compelling men with your sweet mouth rather than giving chance to the Holy Ghost to do His work from within men.

“Feed the flock of God which is among you... not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock.” [1 Peter 5:2-3]

Several preachers today use the weapon of preaching to force men to give. But the goal of preaching (every preaching) IS TO REVEAL CHRIST. When Christ has been revealed unto men, Christ Himself knows how to lead His own people to give to as needs arise. Those unto whom Christ has been deeply revealed do not need any special sermon to surrender their all. They do not need any calculator to divide their income and share between themselves and God. They are already 100% surrendered… and they listen unto Him.

THE CASE OF MARTYRDOM...
Does it occur to you that the reason why many people were martyred for the gospel was because it was the man Jesus Christ that was preached by them. The society is not averse to the preaching of good life and sound morality. If it was just about "good news" that the disciples of old preached, there would not have been the case of them being thrown to the lions and suffering huge persecutions. These men did not preach any other thing but the "Person" of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One that annoys the devil to the bones. The revelation of Jesus is what incites the devil to the point of madness. The Jews did not hate the idea of preaching, they also preached Moses, they preached the 10 commandments, they preached the law constantly, and they practiced to the letter every ounce of the law and prosecuted offenders. So, they were not mad about preaching. The emperors of those days also loved good things, they loved morality and obedience of the populace to their laws. They loved goodness too and encouraged those who would propagate it. So if it was about the preaching of "thou shalt not steal or bear false witnesses", there would not have been the terrible persecutions and martyrdom that Christians went through, in fact, Christians would have received wonderful awards... but the gospel WAS ABOUT THE MAN JESUS CHRIST.

“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elects sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” [2 Timothy 2:8-10]

It was Jesus they preached. Jesus was the purpose and reason for existence. He was the Great Shepherd. He was the way, the truth and the life. He was health. You were considered dead except you had Jesus who gave life. Unless you accepted HIM JESUS, you would perish. It was the preaching of Jesus that annoyed darkness. It was the propagation and publicity of the MAN, JESUS that provoked hell.

When you began to concentrate on any other thing, no matter what it is, and you left “Christ Jesus and Him crucified” alone, no matter how correct your message appears, you have simply deviated. What God is presenting to mankind is A PERSONALITY, “JESUS”. What God is planting, grooming and growing is JESUS CHRIST. What God is propagating is God. He is not giving us laws on how to behave. No! He is growing Jesus in every man. God is not asking you to change, instead, He is saying "give Jesus a chance".

“And so it is written, THE FIRST MAN Adam was made a living soul, THE LAST ADAM was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: THE SECOND MAN is the Lord from heaven.” [1Corinthians 15:45-47]

God is looking to propagate new species of men on earth. The first man (Adam) is wrong. God is not looking to improve him because he cannot be improved. He and all his generations after him are terrible and odious to God. This first man (Adam) must give way for the new man to reign. That new man is Christ Jesus. This Jesus therefore, is the LAST ADAM. He is the last of all the terrible Adams that have lived, and hence, with His death on the Cross, the last Adam was killed, which put an end to the specie of the first man (the Adamic race). Now by His resurrection therefore, Jesus is now THE SECOND MAN (a new species of men). All who know Him are a new breed of men not taking after Adam (Adam is dead), but now after Christ (the Second man). The gospel therefore, is about reproducing this new species of men (CHRIST the second man) on earth. Except Christ Jesus is preached, Adam will continue to reign and rule in many lives. Whatever you give them cannot set them free. Only Christ is the message, He ONLY is sufficient.

When you are correcting men, preaching is not to showcase how powerful you are or how you can punish people. Preaching is to show the discontent and disappointment of Jesus over any matter. Preaching should never set you as a replacement to Jesus in the hearts of men, it does not make you the lord. Preaching is not to make men obey you. It is not a means to usurp authority. The anointing of the Holy Ghost upon your life is ONLY FOR ONE PURPOSE: To make Christ known. The anointing is not for status, it is for service. It is not for you to elevate yourself as "the man of God", boasting everywhere "touch not my anointed". Several people use the anointing as a means of lording over men. They oppress men with it and make others to serve their interests. Several sisters and brothers have been selected to specially wait on the man of God... I wonder where this generation got that from because neither Jesus nor the apostles practiced it. Many will gather all kinds of security men to await them, it is no longer angels that are on guard. They will use tithes paid by poor widows to serve the interest and the ego of the proud man of God who must be honoured. Gods power and calling has become the tool for status and not for service... This is the height of worldliness. The worlds ways of doing things and practicing leadership has been imported into the church, while the Biblical way has been pushed aside, since it looks humiliating, and not lucrative and exalting. As far as the gospel is concerned, In all things, Christ is the goal, the purpose, the pursuit.

Whatever you achieve through preaching, no matter how beautiful it is, if men did not MEET THE PERSON OF JESUS, it is all a waste. Whatever you show men, if they have not seen Christ, they cannot be free. You may show men your big testimonies, you may show them deliverance tips, you may enforce some rules and regulations on being holy, you may show them money, your big cathedral, you may showcase your choristers and exalt their performance so high, all that is zero except CHRIST JESUS is revealed unto men.

There are those who showcase their children as part of the gospel. Some even present those church members who have won one scholarship or won the best results in schools as a challenge to others. They prefer to challenge sinners with academic scholarships and accolades rather than convict them with the old rugged cross. They will organize award ceremonies for those "who are making the church proud" by their academic brilliance. They will organize prize-giving ceremonies, and do several things for hours, and of course, they attribute all that to God, but THE PERSON of Jesus has been sidelined, the works of Jesus ON THE CROSS has been relegated, men cannot see Jesus, but your pomp. Men are not provoked to grab Jesus with all their lives, they are only looking for goods...by this the true gospel is bastardized.

IS “MORALITY” THE GOSPEL?

A very subtle issue today which is very prominent is that, what is being preached by many in the name of the gospel, is "morality" (being good, being nice) a very close alternative to the gospel. We preach about how men should stop doing bad and start doing good. We give people instructions and moral lessons. We ask the smokers to stop smoking and force the young ones to behave well. We do all these without telling them the person of Jesus. We condemn the evils and exalt the goods...as if men are justified by their doing good.

“For no one is put right in Gods sight by doing what the Law requires…” [Romans 3:20 GNT]

“We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.” [Galatians 2:16 MSG]

Let it be very clear that all religious houses, schools, homes and organizations preach the message of morality. The Mormons will not tell you to kill people. Moslems would not tell you to indulge your children. The schools will not permit immorality either. What the church is sent to do is not to proclaim moral instructions, it is not to make things work, it is not to make people do the right thing or to make the society better. The gospel is not primarily to reduce the number of thieves on the road. No! [So many have stopped stealing, yet, have NOT met Jesus]. Even though the true gospel preached will eventually lead to these morals, but the church is sent to herald JESUS, and recruit a people FOR HIM, FOR HEAVEN. It is the "product" of relationship with Jesus that produces beautiful lives and good morals, BUT, It is not the rules and instructions of morality that is the message, JESUS IS...

How sad it is that Jesus is gradually becoming INSUFFICIENT even among those who proclaim and profess Him. We are adding so many things now to Jesus. Jesus is becoming very boring and it is like we need to make the church alive. Focusing on “Jesus”, “Jesus”, “Jesus” all the time is looking cumbersome, repetitive and uninteresting, so we are beginning to make church lively now by polluting it, forgetting that the life of the church is a spiritual life...

We now have comedies imported into church, we have sports, and we have entertainment to spice church up because Jesus is becoming too boring and insufficient to fill everything. What a terrible departure from the gospel!!! Many churches are fast becoming more of an NGO than the “Pillar and Ground of Truth”. The man of God too, who stands on the pulpit is beginning to lose confidence and complete rest on the word of God. Other things are competing with the potency of Gods word in his heart. The word of God, which is the ONLY INSTRUMENT he has, given to him by God, is becoming insufficient since his soul too is dry. So, other things are replacing his real tool. The time of Gods word to declare Jesus is now being cut short in favour of other lesser things. Singing, audio equipment, organ, band set,… are being exalted. Discussions, committees, deliberation, human ideas are replacing Gods word. Science and technology is gaining the upper hand, prayer is being substituted with technology, connections and long leg... Something says that "Jesus" is not enough, so other things are coming in to complement…

Jesus ONLY is THE MESSAGE. To remove or reduce HIM is to destroy the essence of our faith and to enthrone iniquity forever. Jesus must be ALL in ALL, or else, darkness will reign...