THE GOSPEL MEASURES US

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12 NIV)

Every now and then someone comes up with a phrase which leaves you thinking, "I wish I'd said it that way." Prof. G.L. Carter did it to me this week when he responded to one point in last Sunday's sermon by commenting, "It seemed to me that you were saying, 'Instead of asking whether the Gospel is relevant to us, we ought to be asking if we are relevant to the Gospel'." I felt that G.L. had summarized the matter perfectly; I wish I had done as well.

You see, this is the forgotten mood in much current theological chatter: not whether Christianity is relevant to us, but whether we are relevant to Christianity. We are not the measuring stick of the Gospel; the Gospel measures us. We do not set a standard for the faith; faith has set the standard, and the only really relevant question is this, do we meet the standard?

There is a certain inherent arrogance in all the talk about relevance. I suppose, in the end, that this is why I usually find the word not only trite but distasteful. We seem to think that we can treat the Gospel the way we treat the television screen, switching to another channel when the theme doesn't please us.

Without a doubt the church sometimes misshapes the Gospel until it ceases to be relevant. But I'm sure that sometimes modern man accuses the Gospel of being irrelevant when in truth it is only discomfiting. He needs then to remember that the Gospel judges him, and it is his own relevancy which is at stake. 

-- Ellsworth Kalas (1923-2015), originally published on December 15, 1966 in the newsletter of First Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin. Source https://ellsworthkalas.com/blog.

#6410

SPREADING THE WORD – Part 2 of 2

In the days after Christmas, it’s easy to pack away the wonder with the ornaments. But the shepherds remind us that the birth of Christ is not a seasonal story -- it’s a sending story. “They spread the word” (Luke 2:17). The good news they received was too good to keep quiet.

As followers of Jesus, we stand in their lineage. We, too, have encountered the Savior. We, too, have been entrusted with a message that brings amazement, comfort, and hope to weary hearts.

So how do we “spread the word” today? We do it by living with the joy of people who have truly met Jesus.  Joy is contagious, especially when it’s rooted in grace. We do it by telling the biblical story and by speaking naturally about what God has done in our lives.  Not forced. Not scripted. Just honest gratitude. We do it by embodying Christ’s love in small, faithful acts.  Kindness often opens doors… and ears… to the words we share. We do it by remembering that the message itself carries the power.  We don’t have to impress -- just point to Jesus. 

This week, as the world settles back into “normalcy,” let’s resist the temptation to let Christmas fade. The shepherds didn’t return to their flocks unchanged. They carried the wonder with them, and they shared it freely. May we do the same. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

#6275

 

SPREADING THE WORD – Part 1 of 2

"So [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."  (Luke 2:16–18 NIV) 

Christmas Day has passed. The wrapping paper is gone, the cookies are thinning out, and the world is slowly returning to its routines. But in Luke’s Gospel, the story doesn’t end at the manger. In fact, something begins there -- something that continues long after the angels’ song fades into the night sky.

The shepherds, ordinary men in an ordinary field, became the first evangelists of the New Testament. They didn’t attend a seminar. They didn’t rehearse a testimony. They simply shared what they had seen and heard. Their encounter with Jesus overflowed into proclamation.

And notice the response: “All who heard it were amazed.”  Not because the shepherds were eloquent, but because the message was astonishing. God had come near. Hope had taken on flesh. Salvation had a name. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™  

#6274

JESUS IS THE GOOD NEWS

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ He said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’”  (Mark 1:14–15 NIV)

From the very beginning of His public ministry, Jesus didn’t merely announce the Gospel -- He embodied it. The “good news of God” wasn’t a distant promise or a future hope. It was standing in Galilee, speaking with authority, healing the broken, and calling hearts to repentance. Jesus is not just the messenger; He is the message.

When Jesus said, “The time has come,” He was declaring that the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan had arrived -- not in a scroll, not in a temple ritual, but in a person -- in Him. The kingdom of God was no longer a concept -- it was present, active, and accessible through the Lord of the Kingdom Himself.

Bishop Kenneth L. Carder wrote, “The Gospel is a person, not an abstract argument. That person, Jesus Christ, confronts our sin and suffering by entering our guilt and pain and death. He extends an outstretched, pierced hand of forgiveness and love.”

To “repent and believe the good news” is to turn from self and sin, and to turn toward Jesus. It’s not just believing a set of doctrines -- it’s trusting a Savior and Lord. The Gospel is not merely about what Jesus did; it’s about who Jesus is. His life, death, and resurrection are the heartbeat of the Gospel; His presence is its pulse. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6229

THE GOSPEL OF FORGIVENESS – Part 2 of 3

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far He removes our transgressions from us.”  (Psalm 103:8-12)

This is the extravagant grace that is God’s heart and character. It is something we know in our heads, and yet we often struggle to accept in our hearts. We sometimes fail to understand and experience God’s grace, which is offered freely to us, continuing to carry burdens of separation or guilt that God has already removed…

Some time ago, I saw a man outside of church and said, “I haven’t’ seen you for a while. Where have you been?” “I am having a hard time coming back to church,” he said. “I did something I’m really ashamed of, and I just… I just feel like I can’t come back.” “Don’t you understand?” I said. “That’s where you need to be. The church is for sinners!” 

-- Adapted from “Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go” by Adam Hamilton

#6218

COMMON MEN, UNCOMMON CALLING

Although the apostles were common men, theirs was an uncommon calling. In other words, the task they were called to, and not anything about the men per se, is what makes them so important. Consider how unique their role was to be.

Not only would they found the church and play a pivotal leadership role as the early church grew and branched out, but they also became the channels through which most of the New Testament would be given. They received truth from God by divine revelation. Ephesians 3:5 is very explicit. Paul says that the mystery of Christ, which in the earlier ages was not made known, “has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” They did not preach a human message. The truth was given to them by direct revelation.

They were therefore the source of all true church doctrine. Acts 2:42 describes the activities of the early church in these terms: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Before the New Testament was complete, the apostles’ teaching was the only source of truth about Christ and church doctrine. And their teaching was received with the same authority as the written Word. In fact, the written New Testament is nothing other than the Spirit-inspired, inscripturated record of the apostle’s teaching.

In short, the apostles were given to edify the church. Ephesians 4:11-12 says Christ gave the apostles “for quipping the saints for the work of ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ.” They were the original Christian teachers and preachers. 

-- John MacArthur (1939-2025) in “Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You”

#6170

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

"For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NIV)

I believe in justice, but I am not a preacher of the gospel of justice; I am a preacher of the Gospel of Christ who calls us to justice.

I believe in love, but I am not a preacher of the gospel of love; I am a preacher of the Gospel of Christ who calls us to love.

I am committed to peace, but I am not a preacher of the gospel of peace; I am a preacher of the Gospel of Christ who calls us to peace.

I believe in the value of the simple life, but I am not a preacher of the simple life; I am a preacher of the Gospel of Christ that calls us to the simple life…

Let us beware of the ultimate plagiarism of borrowing great concepts from Jesus; then running off proclaiming these concepts and not sharing the Christ that empowers these concepts. 

-- Dr. Myron Augsburger

#5935

RISK AND REWARD

Amid the many facets of the American dream that contradict the core of the gospel, one ideal Americans have embraced coincides subtly with the words of Christ. As James Adams was coining the phrase “American dream,” Franklin Roosevelt was emphasizing how Americans will postpone immediate gratification and even endure hard sacrifices if they are convinced their future will be better than their past. Americans are willing to take great risks, he said, if they believe it will accomplish great reward.

In similar words Jesus said to His followers, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). Jesus clearly acknowledged that following Him involves risking the safety, security, and satisfaction we have found in this world. But in the end, Jesus said, following Him leads to a radical reward that this world can never offer. This begs a question from each of us: do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following Him?

The Apostle Paul answered that question: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21 NKJV) 

-- Adapted from David Platt in “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream”

#5696

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS…

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.”  (1 Timothy 1:15b-17 NIV)

Perhaps the answer to church decline is not to become more like the world, but to challenge its assumptions and offer a different narrative of what life should be like. At least one part of the answer should be to preach what Jesus preached: “Repent and believe in the Good News!” (Mark 1:15b NIV) I suspect that most people know there is something wrong with their lives, something that needs to change. Jesus knew it too. He gets us. He did not say, “Follow your heart,” but, “Come, follow Me.” Until we do, the fullness of life will evade us. It is not mercy to preach Jesus without repentance and new life. It is cruelty.

To reach people for Christ is a noble task, but who is this Christ? Most will agree that He was a wise teacher, a friend to sinners, a misunderstood prophet, a refugee. But He is also God-made-flesh, the embodiment of perfect humanity, the bearer of new life, and, yes, a judge. He gets us. After all, He became one of us, though not for free hugs and vague sentimentality, but to save us. Sin and death abound. The devil is loose in the land. What Western culture needs is not another bearer of its common values with a bit of religious window dressing, but a savior.   

-- David F. Watson, Lead Editor of Firebrand, and Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio

#5654

ACCOUNTS OF THE RESURRECTION – Part 1

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint the body of Jesus. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb. They were asking one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?’ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, even though it was extremely large. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they put Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.”’”  (Mark 16:1-7)

The accounts of the resurrection in the Bible were too problematic to be fabrications. Each gospel states that the first eyewitnesses to the resurrection were women. Women’s low social status [at that time] meant that their testimony was not admissible evidence in court. There was no possible advantage to the church to recount that all the first witnesses were women. It could only have undermined the credibility of the testimony. The only possible explanation for why women were depicted as meeting Jesus first is if they really had. N.T. Wright argues that there must have been enormous pressure on the early proclaimers of the Christian message to remove the women from the accounts. They felt they could not do so – the records were too well known. The accounts of the first eyewitnesses would have been electrifying and life-changing, passed along and retold more than any other stories about the life of Jesus. 

-- Timothy Keller in “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism”

#5579

WALKING WITH CHRIST

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”  (Matthew 25:34-36 NKJV)

Many assert that John Wesley was the world’s most influential social reformer of his day. While some will question the depth of his influence, none question his remarkable ability to link piety with justice and to translate doctrine into daily living. From the early days at Oxford until a few days before his death, Wesley was about the ministry of caring for the poor, the oppressed, and the imprisoned. And all of this while living a rigorous life of prayer, study, and reflection.

This commitment to neighbor and passion to proclaim the gospel story was so great that John and Charles [his brother] rode in a cart with a condemned prisoner so that they could sing and pray on the way to the hangman’s scaffold…

Holy living is a direct result of and inseparable from a holy heart. To experience Christian perfection is to live as Jesus lived. It is to be obedient to the One proclaimed as Savior and Lord. Matthew 25 is a text to be taken seriously. To know Christ and to be known by Christ means to walk with Christ in the everyday business of life. 

– Rueben P. Job in “A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader”

#5440

THOSE TO WHOM THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE CAME

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…”  (Isaiah 61:1-2a NKJV)

Consider for a moment those to whom the Christmas message came. A poor, bewildered carpenter and his young bride far from home; a group of cold and hungry shepherds; a worn-out innkeeper; and a trio of travel-weary wise old men. And throughout this holy infant's life it was with the hurting and the broken ones He chose to spend His time; and He was crucified among them at the end. So if you feel a little weary, a little rushed, a little breathless at the manger, then take heart because this message is for you.

Christmas speaks above all else to the poor and homeless, the hungry, oppressed, and friendless of our world. We must never let ourselves forget that, or our celebrations will be false as Santa's whiskers. But it also speaks to those who are burdened in any way, whether with regrets for the past, heartache in the present, or foreboding for the future. God says to us this night, "Be strong, fear not, for I am with you. I am for you and I will never let you go. Here is my Son to prove it." 

-- J. Barrie Shepherd in “Jubilee: Readings Through the Year from Alive Now”, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.

#5237

THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS

“At the top of the cross these words were written: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Luke 23:38) Four quick verses later we read the petition of the thief: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

The thief knows he is in a royal mess. He turns his head and reads a royal proclamation and asks for royal help. It might have been this simple. If so, the sign was the first tool used to proclaim the message of the cross. Countless others have followed, from the printing press to the radio to the stadium crusade [to books to the internet.] But a crude wooden sign preceded them all. And because of the sign, a soul was saved. All because someone posted a sign on a cross. 

-- Max Lucado in “He Chose the Nails”

#5075

THE BAD NEWS AND THE GOOD NEWS

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 NLT)

In the gospel, we discover we are far worse off than we thought, and far more loved than we ever dreamed. 

-- Steven Curtis Chapman and Scotty Smith in “Speechless: Living in Awe of God’s Disruptive Grace”

#5055

JESUS CHRIST – SAVIOR AND LORD

Believing is not merely giving mental assent to what Christ did and then living any way we want.  Saving faith has four important steps.  First, we must decide to leave behind our past life.  Second, we must admit that we cannot help ourselves.  Third, we must accept what Christ has done on our behalf.  Fourth, we must entrust ourselves to Him in this way; we accept His way of life as our way of life.  So when He becomes our Savior, He also becomes our Lord.

Why is faith so important for salvation?  Faith is the opposite of the basic sin that separates man from God.  Man's fall took place when he chose to decide for himself what is good and what is evil.  He chose to build his own system of values.  So man's basic sin is independence from God.  Faith is the opposite of independence from God.  When one exercises faith, he rejects his own ways of saving himself and controlling his life and submits to the way God provided for him in Christ Jesus.

Here then is the gospel in a nutshell: God has, in Christ, done all that is necessary for our salvation and we must accept that by faith. 

-- Ajith Fernando in “The Christian's Attitude Toward World Religions”

#5054

EVANGELISM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

We could call the entire New Testament an “evangelistic” document. The word gospel means “good news.” John says his Gospel was written so that people would believe that Jesus is the Son of God and find life in Him (John 20:30-31). The book of Acts is the energetic account of the way the good news spread through the witness of the early church. Most of the epistles are the explanation of the gospel or the application of the good news to daily life. The New Testament reaches its climax in the Revelation, which declares the good news that, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, Jesus  Christ is “ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). The book concludes with the invitation for everyone who is thirsty to come and receive the “water of life as a gift” (Revelation 22:17).

“Witness” to Jesus Christ and “evangelism” in the sense of inviting others to experience new life in Him are woven into the fabric of the New Testament. 

-- James A. Harnish in “A Disciple’s Path: Deepening Your Relationship with Christ and the Church” 

#4935

WHEN DARKNESS SEEMS OVERWHELMING

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”  (John 8:12 NLT)

Some time ago I read the story (Bob Woods in Pulpit Digest) of a couple who took their son, 11, and daughter, 7, to Carlsbad Caverns. As always, when the tour reached the deepest point in the cavern, the guide turned off all the lights to dramatize how completely dark and silent it is below the earth’s surface.

The little girl, suddenly enveloped in utter darkness, was frightened and began to cry. Immediately was heard the voice of the brother, “Don’t cry. Somebody here knows how to turn on the lights.”

In a real sense, that is the Gospel message: Light is available, even when darkness seems overwhelming.

There are many people these days who are feeling overwhelmed, who are struggling in the “dark”. They want to know how to turn on the light. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ we know the light source. And He says of us, “You are the light of the world... Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14a, 16)

Give someone a call today who might be struggling with the darkness of the Covid-19 isolation. When you shine your light into their darkness they will not just see you, they will see that Christ is with them. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4a NIV)

-- David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#4837