With every passing day I become more convinced of the vanity of the
things of this world and of the brevity of my time here. And I become more and
more consumed by one great desire. I want to preach the gospel of Christ in the
power of the Holy Spirit. This is the one great ambition of my heart. I am
obsessed by it. It consumes me. My talents, my energy, my time, my strength, my
possessions, and my heart must be totally committed to this glorious task.
Every other aspect of life, family commitments, worldly cares, and all earthly
concerns must fade into insignificance. To preach the unsearchable riches of
Christ requires all that a man is and all that a man has.
Still the work is too great for me. "Who is
sufficient for these things?" Though I give myself wholly to the ministry
of the gospel, it will be vain, unless God the Holy Spirit makes his Word
effectual by his sovereign power. So I ask you, the children of God, to
continually pray for the power of God to be upon your pastor.
“Will you pray with all your power,
While we try
to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit
Of the Holy One comes
down."
And I call upon you to join me in this great work. Let us,
as a congregation of redeemed sinners, be consumed with this one great desire
to preach the gospel of God's grace and glory in Christ. May it be said of us,
as it was said of the Thessalonians, "From you sounded out the Word of the
Lord." Only as we give ourselves to this blessed
purpose do we fulfill our purpose for existence as a church.