My commission is to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).  No mandate was ever given to the servants of God to entertain, please or pacify sinners in their unbelief and rebellion against Christ.  My goal is not to convince you to feel good about yourself.  I am not a motivational speaker; I am a gospel preacher.  My job is to declare in no uncertain terms the free and sovereign grace of God to undeserving sinners through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I will endeavor to preach earnestly and sincerely with the prayer that you come to a knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, but, God helping me, I will not compromise the message of grace.  My desire is to exalt Jehovah.  Seek the Lord and worship Him alone.  I cannot save your soul nor convince you of the truthfulness of this gospel.  I will not ask you to walk the aisle and make a decision for Jesus.  It is not to me that you must come, it is to God through Jesus Christ the Lord.  At the end of the message we will not sing an “invitation song” so you can come forward and meet with me.  After I preach the gospel, there is no more I need to say; go home and get alone with God.  I cannot give you hope, peace, forgiveness or assurance, but He can, by His Spirit through His Word.  I do not call upon you to accept Jesus as your personal Savior.  I do not ask you to make Him the Lord of your life.  Jesus Christ is Lord by God’s decree (Acts 2:36) having earned that right as the perfect God-Man who finished the work of redemption the Father gave Him to do.  He was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).  He is already your Lord whether you recognize that fact or not (Romans 14:9).  I find in the Scriptures that you will either bow to and believe on Christ in this life, by the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit and be eternally saved, or you will be forced to bow and acknowledge His Lordship at the judgment and then be cast into hell forever (Philippians 2:10-11).  Contrary to what anyone might tell you, Jesus Christ is not in your hands to do with as you choose.  He is the Potter and you are the clay; He will do with you as He pleases (Romans 9:21-24).  I declare to you the divine edict: “Believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23).  My warrant for preaching the gospel and yours for believing this gospel are the same:  this is the command of God.