Impactful Teaching

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. (John 7: 15, 16)

Why was Jesus’ teaching so powerful?

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Matthew 7: 28, 29)

I was thinking about what makes some preachers impactful and others, well, just preachers, and entertainers, and motivators.

Why does one preacher who looks and sounds boring draw more believers to desire and commit to grow while another with the gift of the garb not have much impact.

Why does a preacher who is so rough and ‘ignorant’ in his delivery make people flock to the cross in repentance while the really entertaining has crowds shouting, I receive and uncountable Amens yet still wallowing in sin?

What was the difference between Jesus and the religious leaders of His time?

What gave His teaching authority that the others did not have?

I dare say that that reason is the same between impactful preachers and the rest.

It has to do with agenda.

You see, Jesus had no agenda of His own. He did what He saw His Father doing. He said what He heard His Father saying.

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. (John 7:16)

He was submitted to the One who had sent Him.

And we will be like Him if we surrendered our everything to the One who has called us.

Our lack of impact stems from our agenda.

You see, only God’s agenda releases the power inherent in His nature.

Though we may be able to conjure His power at one time or the other for our purpose, we really will be unable to have all His powerful revelation accompanying our ministry if we are not sold out to His agenda.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)

We must give him the prominence He deserves, no, possesses, if we must have Him taking prominence in our ministrations.

What I am saying is that our agenda must be swallowed into His COMPLETELY for Him to give our agenda the power Christ possessed.

Then our wisdom will be the overflow of His. Our anointing will be flowing from His.

No wonder then that people will think of us as very educated though they will be wondering where we got that much education since they did not see us receiving letters.

I have encountered people who taught themselves to read just because they had to read the Bible.

You hear their preaching and are amazed at their grasp of the word, and many other issues since God’s knowledge’s purpose is to make a sense of all things since He is the creator of everything. His revelation is therefore contextual to all of life and nature.

In short, I am saying that the person sold out to God’s agenda will reach the heart a person most adrift with psychological, social and current affairs knowledge won’t.

God created the heart. All these other things defiled and corrupted that heart and so have no capacity to offer any solution to the same.

That is the impact I am talking about.

His agenda is not complicated since His revelation is not complicated.

He has hidden His revelation in His word; the same word that contains the revelation of who He is.

Once we elevate His word, we will then humbly allow it to guide us into a right relationship with Him.

Then we will know to clearly submit to His will (agenda).

This will of course give Him leeway to release His impact through us.

If you think this is easy because it is simple, try doing it. You will be amazed at the kind of power your life will be releasing the more you surrender your will into His.