The Messenger of the Cross
by Watchman Nee, 1980
- The Messenger of the Cross (January 15, 1926)
A message for preachers, teachers, and evangelists who wonder at times
why their efforts seem to produce little in the way of results.
- One: The Message Which Paul Preaches
- Two: Paul Himself
- Three: How Paul Proclaims His Message
- Reason for Failure in Messages of the Cross
- Life -- Becoming a living message; letting the Spirit live out
the word through us.
- The Channels of Life
- The Success of the Apostle
- The Cross and Its Messenger: Personal Experience
- The Cross and Its Messenger: The Way of Proclaiming
- Natural Talent -- We may be good, but still not good enough
for God.
- Emotion -- Feeling good doesn't preform God's work.
- Mind -- Knowledge is no substitute for experience.
- The Way of a Crucified Person Proclaiming the Cross
- The Oppression and Attack of Satan
- The Victory of the Cross
- In Christ
A discussion of how the accomplished work of Christ gives victory and
power to those who believe. In the areas of salvation, sin, and sickness,
victory has already been accomplished -- no further work is necessary.
- What We Have in Christ
- How To Be in Christ
- The Power of Choosing
(Isaiah 7:14-15)
A study of how Christ was able to refuse evil and choose good because he
had experienced the grace and love (butter and honey) of God. Examples
from throughout Christ's life are examined to show us how he chose the
good will of His Father.
- One: His Early Years (Luke 2:41-51)
- Two: Baptized with John's Baptism (Matthew 3:13-17)
- Three: At that Time of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-10)
- Four: The Lord Reprimands Peter (Matthew 16:21-23)
- Five: At His Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-31)
- Six: Entering Jerusalem (John 12:12-28)
- Seven: In Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)
- Spiritual or Mental?
(II Corinthians 3:6)
Do we live by the power of God's Spirit, or do we live by the rules and
regulations given in the law?
- Without God's Spirit, All Is Dead and Powerless
- The Word of God and the Spirit of God -- The two are
inseparable.
- A Real Difference -- The truth must be received through the
power of the Spirit just as it was delivered originally.
- Real Spiritual Work
- The Place of Brain Power
- The Vanity of Natural Talent
- Must Have the Holy Spirit
- God's Discipline
- The Process for Receiving Truth
- With Or without Power Is the Unmistakable Sign
- The Dividing of Soul and Spirit
(Hebrews 4:12-13)
A recognition that there is a difference between the soul and spirit, as
discussed in The Spiritual Man. Anything
that we accomplish under our own power, through the flesh, descends from
the soul, while that which God promises and then delivers is through the
Spirit working in our spirit. This chapter shows how difficult we find it
to differentiate between the two and what we need to see the difference.
- Knowing the Self
(Deuteronomy 8:2)
How God illuminates our lives and shows us our true nature by allowing us
to fail in our attempts to please Him through the flesh. By keeping our
attention on ourselves and our failures, we can never achieve victory.
But as we put our eyes on Him and rely on Him, we are transformed.
- How Is Your Heart?
(Psalm 19:14, Acts 13:22-23)
A discussion of the importance of having one's heart be pleasing to God.
King David is used as an example of a man after God's own heart. The
condition of our own heart is revealed by the circumstances in which we
find ourselves. How is your heart?
- Man's First Sin
(Genesis 2:9, Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3:4-8)
All sin results from one thing: choosing self over God. Adam's first sin
is examined to show how all actions undertaken for the purpose and
pleasure of self are sin and therefore displeasing to God. Self desires
independence from God, while God desires that we simply trust Him.
- Take the Helmet of Salvation
(Genesis 2:9,17, Genesis 3:6-7, II Corinthians 1:12, Ephesians 6:17, Ephesians 4:23, Romans 12:2, Romans 8:5-6)
Describes the problem that many Christians ignore: our life is the life
of Christ, but our head is the head of Adam. The solution is also discussed:
having our minds renewed by the grace of God. We will never truly know the
will of God as long as we rely on our fleshly mind to govern our actions
and attitudes.
