News...
The uniqueness of the Gospel...
Pastor Terry Dashner (www.ffcba.com)
There is one message that is relevant for all times. It was
yesterday's news. It is today's news. And it will be tomorrow's
news also. It is the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are
three things that make this message unique. For one, its power
makes it unique. Secondly, its content makes it unique. And
thirdly, its method of delivery makes it unique.
Let's look at these three traits.
For one its power makes it unique. Romans 1:16-17 says, "For I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written, The just shall live by faith."
The word power comes from the Greek word, dunamis. Dunamis is
where we get our English word for dynamite. The power of the
dynamite is intrinsic and must be released. According to
scholars the phrase, power of God, is a unique construction of
the original language. It essentially means two things in one.
The Gospel is powerful and it is from God. It is the only "news"
past, present, or future that can deliver a person from sin and
its punishment to eternal life and reward. And its power is
released when it is presented and received.
The story is told about a family who took their two young
children to see Carlsbad Caverns. As is typical of the tour and
when the family reached the bottom of the canyon, the tour guide
turned out the lights to dramatize the darkness and silence
below the earth's surface. After being enveloped in darkness for
a couple of minutes, one of the children began to cry. The
parents took the child in their arms to comfort her. As they
reassured her, her older brother blurted out, "Don't cry sis.
Somebody down here knows how to turn the lights on." This is a
good illustration of the Gospel's power. It, and it alone, is
able to "turn on the light" in the midst of overwhelming
darkness and despair.
The second unique quality about the Gospel is its content. I
Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul writes, "For I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures:" The Gospel's content is short and sweet. It's not
an elaborate theology explained, or a lofty hypothesis exerted.
It is simply a declaration of truth presented that breaks
Satan's hold on men.
There are three key elements in the Gospel's content. First,
Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross for our sin. This He
did because it was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The
Bible speaks clearly of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53) who
would come in to the world to suffer and die as a sacrificial
lamb of slaughter. Another key element is the fact that Jesus
was buried. In other words, He died and was put away forever.
When He died, my old nature of sin died with Him (Galatians
2:20). He died a vicarious death. He died in my place. I was the
one who was guilty and needed to die. But Christ died for me. By
placing my faith in the Gospel, I died with Him. My sin was
destroyed. My sickness and pains were forever judged defeated
foes. Then thirdly, Jesus arose from the dead. In other words,
death could not hold Him. And although death will one day claim
me, it will not hold me in the grave. The Spirit of God who
raised Jesus from the dead will raise me up from the grave also.
I now live by resurrection power!
The Gospel content is concise and powerful with its three
points. Jesus died for our sins. He was buried. And He arose on
the third day just as the Bible had predicted for centuries.
The third unique quality about the Gospel is its method of
delivery. It is to be proclaimed by word and action. In Romans
10:14-15 says, "How then shall they call on him in whom they
have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom
they have not heard? And How shall they hear without a preacher?
(15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is
written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Whether we package the message in drama, picture, or words its
power is released when we go forth and present it. We need not
add anything to the message. We simply preach the
message--testify to its power by living it--and the message does
all the rest. It is the message that saves the sinner, not the
medium in which it is given. Again, I can preach it from the
pulpit. I can dramatize it in a skit in the park. I can paint
its message as a mural on a wall. No matter which medium I may
choose to present the Gospel, it is the message itself that
breaks the holds of sin.
This is certainly illustrated well with the Passion of the
Christ. The message was presented in media format for a visual
effect. The language spoken by the actors was not English and
yet thousands were powerfully moved by the movie's message--the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. The three point Gospel carries all the
power needed to change the heart of man.
In conclusion remember this. The Gospel is unique within itself.
It does not need novelty to make it appropriate for the modern
man. We need to preach it. We need to live it. We need to
embrace it always. The Gospel or Good News is that Jesus died
for our sins on the Cross as the Bible had predicted long before
it became a fact of history. He was buried in a tomb. On the
third day, He arose from the grave by the power of the Holy
Spirit to live forevermore. You may tell the story. You may
demonstrate the story. You may paint a canvass with the story,
but it is the message that breaks the back of the devil and
frees men from their sins.
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming again.
Pastor T.