Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ

 
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
-Mark 16:15

This month’s blog post is going to be a bit shorter, as it will be a bit more to the point. The mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Jesus Himself declared this just prior to ascending back into heaven to be seated at the right-hand of the Father.

      And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a
      testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. - Matthew 24:14

     Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
     of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:19

The apostle Paul declares in Romans 10:13-14 :

     For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on
     him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have
     never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

So the primary mandate and mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel, and yet, this hardly seems to be what the church in America is concerned with. Instead, it has preoccupied itself with matters of political bantering, so-called social injustices, catering to the felt-needs of sinners, not to mention compromising biblical truths while adopting worldly practices. The gospel message has become a taboo topic because it declares that people are in need of repentance and being born again into Christ Jesus, thus implying that people are inherently sinful and set against God. While the world touts the message that “all are inherently good” and that it is an awful thing to declare otherwise, the gospel then becomes incredibly offensive to those who are in desperate need of a savior.
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     So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the
     builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of
​     offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. -1 Peter
     2:7-8

     For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it
     is the power of God. -1 Corinthians 1:18

Because it is offensive and the world is only growing in its hostility towards the gospel message, many professing Christians, being driven by fear, have refrained from participating in sharing it with the lost. In other words, the church is not actively doing what Christ has commissioned it to do. That is a problem! As those bought by the precious blood of Christ, we are His and are to yield our whole being to Him. Christ is Lord, and we are to obey the commands of our Lord. Furthermore, by His grace and love we are capable of loving others, and what greater way is there to demonstrate that love for others than to share with them the gospel that saves and restores? There is no greater way! So let us be reminded of God’s great grace in redeeming us through Christ’s atoning blood, and may it spurn us on in our love and affection for Him and others. May we be filled with a new zeal to share the gospel with those around us!

For those who may be struggling with how to present the gospel, first it is always important to pray for guidance, that God would lead you in saying what you ought to say. Here is a simple acrostic (G.O.S.P.E.L.) with some relevant passages of Scripture to help you as prepare to share the gospel with those around you. 

God created us to be with Him

     Know that the Lord, He is God! It is he who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and
​     the sheep of His pasture. - Psalm 100:3

Our sins separate us from God

     …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds

     We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted
​     garment. - Isaiah 64:6

Paying the price for our sins, Jesus died on the cross and rose again

     …but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
      - Romans 5:8

Everyone who trusts in Him alone by faith alone has eternal life.

     For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should
     not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Life with Jesus begins at the moment you are born again and it lasts forever.

     I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my
     hand. - John 10:28
 
If you have any questions about the gospel, how to know that you are redeemed, or anything else really, please feel free to contact me by email or phone. Soli Deo Gloria!