A Love for the Gospel! I believe if you take a moment and read this article on the Gospel a new baptism of love and contagious fire will fill your heart to preach like Paul did. I pray the wine of gospel is intoxicating. That as u are under his influence you may penetrate many with his love and redemption. For Christs love compels (controls, constrains) us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. (2 Cor 5:14) What was the motivation for Paul and his willingness to continually sacrifice himself for the gospel? It was the love of Jesus. The word compels in the greek implies to compress forcibly the energies (love) into one channel. Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” To preach the gospel. Paul was convinced and convicted that because one died for all that this grace must be preached to all men. LOVE AND BEAUTY A fresh revelation of the beauty of Jesus and the price he paid will also compel to share the gospel. A man truly gripped with a revelation of the beauty of the cross, will always present the gospel with passion and penetrating power. The message is too glorious to preach with half hearted commitment. We must Preach the Gospel in such love and power as to show the immeasurable riches of (Gods) Grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:7) needs to be our main intention. This love of Christ to us and sinners is the motive for our preaching the cross. It is unsearchable and unfathomable like a ocean without either bottom or shore! May we experience the love of Christ—though it is so great you will never fully understand it! (Ephesians 3:19) CHRIST CENTERED We need in our preaching to come back to Christ. To fully preach the Gospel, There must be a clear description of the person and work of Jesus. We must preach Christ as God and always be sure that our message leaves the hearer with a true sense of the presence and power of Jesus. It might be truth, theory, philosophy and bible, But if its not Christ and him crucified its not full Gospel. The soul, heart and substance of the Gospel is redemption. The sum of the gospel is Christ. The Gospel is more than just a message, it is the Power of God to salvation It is a true transforming, regenerating work of the spirit! Phillip had a great revival in Samaria and the message was Christ. “And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did” (Acts 8:5-6). The power of God is inherent in the Gospel, His power manifests and empowers us to share the gospel of Christ in fullness. So many sermons and messages today without Christ. We want to see the New Testament power of the book of Acts in demonstration. It is found in preaching Jesus. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:42) in every sermon, everyday Jesus was the center. In the book of Acts he is the theme of every gospel message. Peter said so boldly and so specifically in (Acts 4:12,) Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. There was 33 references to the name of Jesus in preaching in Acts alone. PAULS GOSPEL To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, (Eph 3:8) And For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus sake. (2 Cor 4:5) Paul had a love for the gospel we need restored in the church today. We need the love of Jesus and the revelation of the cross to constrain us again. This is a much needed truth in preaching today. “Good preaching comes from a spirit of brokenness and tenderness.” A heart that has been tenderized by the Lord will be able to lead others toward His tender embrace- John Piper. The preacher who is gripped by God’s grace will be filled with “a tender affection that sweetens every promise and softens with tears every warning and rebuke.” The Spirit makes such tender-hearted preachers when He shows them the incredible realities of heaven and hell. - Jonathan Edwards CHRIST CRUCIFIED But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24.) The message of Christ crucified. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the power of God. It is the wisdom of God. There is power in the gospel to make the weak strong, happy, confident and bold. The very message of Christ crucified can transform and heal the sickest of men. It is the power of God. This message so glorious, we give our lives in devotion, sacrifice and commitment. Paul understood that Christ crucified was a demonstration of power as much as a promise! And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. (2) For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (3) And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, (4) and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. This was the message Paul preached! (1Co 1:17) Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1Co 1:23 We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 1Co 2:2 I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Paul knew the gospel without people being radically saved, healed and delivered is not the gospel at all. The gospel without power was never the way Jesus intended it to be proclaimed. Christ Crucified is the power of God. What does it mean to preach Christ crucified? THE MESSAGE The Bible uses big theological words to describe what happened at the Cross. Words like reconciliation, propitiation, justification, and redemption. These are just some of the main points of Atonement by the blood of Jesus. It is his grace! Propitiation” is the appeasement of wrath (Rom. 3:25; 1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10). “Justification” is the acquittal of judgment (Rom. 3:20, 5:1 Gal. 2:16) “Redemption” is the payment of debt ( Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12). In each case God put forward his Son on our behalf to satisfy the wrath, judgment, and retribution of God, that we might find “reconciliation” I love this quote that sums up so much of the glory of the cross in Christ. We receive absolution [forgiveness] and grace at no cost or labor on our part, but not without cost and labor on the part of Christ.” - Martin Luther TODD BENTLEY The Gospel is power quotes and tweets. To Be Justified by faith Alone is to understand I am approved by God. I am free from all guilt or deserved punishment, And I now posses a Righteousness belonging to him that now entitles me to every spiritual blessing in Christ (Union) by Grace! We have the privilege of representing Jesus in the world, As people of the Kingdom we manifest Jesus In character and power. The power of God is inherent in the Gospel, His power manifests and empowers us to share the gospel in fullness. Preaching the Gospel in love and power as to show the immeasurable riches of (Gods) Grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:7) needs to be our main intention. A man truly gripped with a revelation of the beauty of the cross, will always present the gospel with passion and penetrating power. The message is too glorious to preach with half hearted commitment. The Holy Spirit works through the words of the Gospel to make it alive. The heart of the Gospel is redemption! The soul, heart and substance of the Gospel is redemption. The sum of the gospel is Christ. Jesus always connected preaching the Gospel and the Kingdom together. True Kingdom preaching is always a demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power. The gospel without people being radically saved, healed and delivered is not the gospel at all. The gospel without power was never the way Jesus intended it to be proclaimed. The ministry of Jesus was a true demonstration of the Kingdom of God. His ministry was a manifestation of the fathers heart to save, heal and deliver. The Gospel is more than just a message, it is the Power of God to salvation It is a true transforming, regenerating work of the spirit! The Gospel and kingdom are inseparable. The message and demonstration are one and the same. The gospel is the vehicle in which the kingdom comes. At the heart of the cross is divine Justice. Mercy and Grace meet together. The Cross of Jesus is where Gods Justice and mercy kiss! To fully preach the Gospel, There must be a clear description of the person and work of Jesus. We preach Christ as God. It might be truth, theory, philosophy and bible, But if its not Christ and him crucified its not Full Gospel. TODD BENTLEY
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:57:17 +0000