Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, ACT 3:19-20.

 All true revival and all spiritual blessings are dependent upon Christ being preached. A church without doctrine is as a body without bones, but doctrines without the Spirit of Christ are as the dry bones spoken of in EZE 37:1-10.

Preaching often is but "a noise, [which causes]...a shaking, and the bones [come] together, bone to his bone...but there was no breath in them." These dry bones, i.e. dry doctrines came together, but they were spiritually dead until the Holy Spirit breathed the Spirit of Christ into them.

Experience has its place, but it is fleshly sentimentality if it fails to center in Christ. Christ is the center of all divine revelation. If our experience does not result in a true conviction of sin and a holy reverence for God's revealed will, then it cannot be traced to the Spirit of Christ and is a covering too short for salvation. Christ is the source from which all vital experience flows, and the one and only foundation upon which we can build the hope of our salvation.

Our text tells us that preaching Christ is preaching repentance, and conversion, "That your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." They are false prophets who preach, "Peace, peace; [ 'through the blood of his cross,' COL 1:20] when there is no peace," JER 6:14.

The Lord says of those prophets who preach peace, "through the blood of his cross," without true repentance and conversion, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings, JER 23:21-22.

The call to preach Christ is directed with sincere love and affection to every minister of the gospel! As our nation languishes in spiritual decay, the question must be forced upon our minds, "IS CHRIST BEING PREACHED? Are we preaching, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord"? We may take our text and expound the Scripture, but "IS CHRIST BEING PREACHED?"

We may well expound our denominational positions on dry doctrines, but the question rings out with the blood curdling cry!!! "IS CHRIST BEING PREACHED? Oh, beloved shepherds of Christ's flock, please bear with me if but just this once: the blood of souls stains so deep! "If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand," EZE 33:8.

Our text makes it so clear that if there is no humbling for sin, there will be no pardoning for sin or sharing in Christ or His salvation. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you."

It is true Christ came to save sinners, but He came to save them from their sins, not in their sins, MAT 1:21. Amen.