Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Gospel Truth

Romans 10:13-15 -For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 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?[c] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

One of the coolest things that has ever been done for me was by my Mom when I first started preaching (several of the coolest things that has ever been done for me was by my Mom...).    I went to put on my shoes to go preach and they were newly shined with a note in them.   Inside the shoe was a note quoting the last part of Romans 10:15- How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! A special moment that over twenty years later I have not forgotten. 
Why are the feet of those who preach beautiful?  Because they transport the Gospel into people's lives.   It is the job of the preacher to preach the Gospel.  It is not his job to preach about the lastest trends in the self-help aisle or to answer every spiritual exploratory question.  It is his job to keep Christ central to the message.  Whatever other gripping illustration is to be used is only to bring the wandering attentions of the listeners back to the Gospel. 
I had an evangelism professor tell me that when you share the Gospel show them in the Bible what you are saying.  Point to the passage and follow along with your finger.  When their attention is drawn away, left your finger back into their view and point them back to the Word.  Seems somewhat aggressive, but it often works.  The point is to keep the Gospel central. 
Every Christian must do the same.  The hope of the world is not a better economy, slicker technology, or psychological insight.  It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let's just keep pointing people back to the Gospel-  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.- Romans 10:9-10

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