The Gospel: Missing Pieces Found

[Myers] Thank you for the special music, Ayla. She can do it under difficult circumstances. How about that? Really appreciate it. Actually, I think we got double special music. We got a piano solo and beautiful singing, so that was really a treat. The Word of God speaks, but only when the mic is turned on. So sometimes it seems that’s the way, but it was beautiful, beautiful words. In fact, the sermon that I prepared kind of fits beautifully with the special music today. The Word of God speaks. And as you think about the Word of God, what comes to mind when you hear the word gospel?

Maybe “The gospel must first be preached to all nations” (Mark 13:10) is one of those passages that kind of floats around in our brain. And that’s kind of a variation of what it says in Matthew 28:14, that that gospel must be preached. The old King James says it should be published, which is kind of an interesting translation there. And when you think about that, what is the message that must be preached to all nations?

Now, that particular word that’s used for gospel throughout the New Testament is a Greek word that is transliterated euangelion. Okay, everybody say that together—euangelion. You’ll sound very educated if you say that. Of course, that’s the English. It’s not really the Greek. Euangelion. It might sound vaguely familiar. It means what? What does the word gospel mean? I think most of us realize it means good news. Or it could mean glad tidings, or maybe even the good message. And if you’re listening to that euangelion—angel—what is an angel? An angel is a messenger. So it’s talking about the good message, the good news.

And it’s interesting when you look at the background to that particular word. It was usually—in fact, originated—the Greeks used it to talk about the person that actually brought the message. They were called the euangelion. But then later it became the message itself, not the person delivering that message. So by the time we get to Greco-Roman times, they used that idea of euangelion as a proclamation of news, of a message. Major events like a new emperor took power, or there was some military conquest that they would announce and proclaim. You can look in the history books, and way back in 63 BC, a euangelion of the birth of Caesar Augustus announced what was said to be good tidings to the world when Augustus was born.

Now, of course, from there, early Christians repurposed that word to point to the message of God—God’s message, the message that Jesus Christ is Messiah, and God has a plan. And so throughout the New Testament, we see that very word used. Now, that gospel shouldn’t seem puzzling in any way. In fact, when you consider that, how many of you are puzzle people? Like puzzles, putting them together. Well, a few of you. I’m not really a puzzle person. My mom was a puzzle person. I find it sometimes challenging to do that.

You know, the first thing I have to do is not get all the pieces ready. It’s like, I’ve got to look at the picture on the box. What does this thing look like? And oftentimes, it’s a beautiful scene—you know, beautiful scenery, a mountain, a stream, and, you know, wonderful, complete, whole picture of what this puzzle should be. Of course, if you’re like me, you start putting the puzzle together and—uh oh—there’s a gap. It’s like, wait, the things aren’t exactly coming together the way they should. And then you realize, oh no, there’s pieces missing. You ever had that happen? That may be one of the most frustrating things.

No matter how hard you try, you’re not going to be able to fill in what that beautiful picture on the box actually looks like. And it’s frustrating, and it’s incomplete.

And you know, that’s what many do when it comes to the gospel. They’ve got a piece here. They’ve got a piece over there, but they miss the whole picture. So some think it’s a message. The gospel is a message about Jesus. Some will say, wait, it’s about prophecy. The gospel is a prophetic message about Christ’s Second Coming. Or they’ll say, wait, the gospel is about the coming Kingdom of God. Others will say, wait a second, it’s a message of judgment. God is going to judge this world. Wait, it’s a message about forgiveness, isn’t it? Or what about a message about the end times?

The end times are here. And of course, as you think about each one of those things, they’re a real piece. They are. But alone, it’s incomplete. It’s not going to work because the gospel isn’t just one piece. It’s the whole picture. It’s the whole picture.

So today, let’s not settle for a partial gospel. Let’s not have missing pieces, no gaps. Let’s find the missing pieces, bring them together so we can get the full picture and recognize there are many aspects of the one true gospel, a complete message that offers not only a future hope, but also a present reality.

So as we begin today, fill in the blank. When I say, “the gospel of _____,” what comes to mind? The gospel of the Kingdom. Maybe the foremost thing that comes to most of our minds. And that’s an interesting place to start.

Number one: the gospel of the Kingdom. How many times do you think that’s mentioned in the New Testament? Ten times. Ten times. But wait a second, there are eight other things that are mentioned, as well, as the gospel of. And so this is one—the gospel of the Kingdom.

If you turn with me over to Mark 1:14, we’ll see an example of the usage of the gospel of the Kingdom. Familiar passage that may come to mind because this is as Christ is starting His earthly ministry, we have a record of how it began.

And Mark 1:14 records that for us. It says, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 1:14)

So there it is—the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Verse 15, “And saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mark 1:15)

So here’s one of those eight different times the gospel of is mentioned, starting with the gospel of the Kingdom.

This is one of ten times the gospel of the Kingdom is mentioned when Christ began His ministry. And it’s also interesting that it connects this idea of being at hand. So a lot of the translations will actually give it that literal translation: the Kingdom is at hand. Some modern translations say the Kingdom has come near or is near. And so it begins to bring to mind that God’s reign is not only imminent, but there’s a sense of already that’s contained in that message. It’s already beginning.

And in fact, some of the more modern translations express that immediacy of the Kingdom. And it says in the Phillips, “The Kingdom has arrived.” Other translations say, “The Kingdom is here.” I think The Message says, “Here comes the Kingdom.” And so it’s kind of interesting when you begin to look at that. You might say, well, okay, so what? A lot of different ways that’s translated.

I think there’s something critical here. The Kingdom of God is both a present reality as well as a future fulfillment. Let me say that again. The Kingdom of God is a present reality as well as a future reality. There’s a dual nature to the Kingdom of God. Or you could put it—it already is, but not yet aspect to the Kingdom. It already is, but not yet.

Think about the already. Already the Kingdom is present now. Wait a second, how is that possible? Jesus Christ is not reigning on earth. Well, He better be. Is He reigning in you? Is Jesus Christ in you, living in you now? By the power of God’s Spirit, is the Kingdom in that sense present? Is God’s will already being accomplished on this earth in the Church? Absolutely.

But then “not yet” also applies because the Kingdom is not yet fully realized. We await the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. His reign, His rule will ultimately be fully established. The governments of this world will be obliterated, and Jesus Christ will set up the Kingdom of God. And so we’re not there yet. We’re not there yet.

So what does it mean for us? What does it mean right now? Well, think about it in this way. Have you ever held a passport in your hands? If some of you travel internationally, you’ve got a passport, right? You need that thing. Not very flashy. Not much. It’s just this little small little book. But there’s power in that little book. It opens borders. Or if you don’t have it, it closes them. In a sense, it says, you belong here. Or you don’t.

Is it just about travel? I mean, oftentimes we think of it that way, but wait a second. No, it’s not just about travel. It’s about identity. It’s about where home is. And you see, all too often when we talk about the Kingdom of God, we treat it like it’s something out there distant. Something that we’re only waiting for—the Kingdom. Yes, of course, Jesus Christ is returning. And yes, of course, the Kingdom is coming in full. We have to have that perspective. But we can’t forget something critical when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

“For our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Our citizenship is in heaven. That’s not future tense. That’s now. Through Christ, you’ve been conveyed. You’ve been transferred into His Kingdom. When? Now. Already. Already. And so there’s this beautiful perspective that we carry that identity now.

And that means we don’t just believe the gospel of the Kingdom. We live it. You just don’t wait around for the Kingdom to come. You walk like a citizen of that Kingdom now. What does that look like? Well, you’re to be different than the rest of the world. Your values have changed. You forgive when it’s hard. You speak the truth even if it costs you. And you show mercy when others would want revenge. Because we’re not living by this world’s rules any longer. We represent a different kingdom, a different country now. It’s a holy one, a perfect one that’s going to come.

And we’ve already got our passport, our spiritual passport stamped with the seal of God’s Kingdom. It’s our identity. That’s who we are. That’s where our allegiance lies. Oh, sure, we may live on this earth at the moment. This is not our home. We’re a citizen of something far greater. And so we live like it. We live like it.

Now, as I mentioned, there’s a number of ways the gospel is described throughout the New Testament. The gospel of the Kingdom is one. Fill in the blank. When I say, “the gospel of _____,” anything else come to mind?

Okay, I heard it. The gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, do you know how many times the gospel of Jesus Christ in that phrase is mentioned in the New Testament? More than twice as many times as the gospel of the Kingdom. Twenty-nine times you’ll find a version of the gospel of Jesus Christ or the gospel of Christ throughout the New Testament.

And I think it speaks to something that’s so critically important. At the heart of the gospel, it’s not just information. It’s not infra… it’s really a rescue story. Have you ever thought of it in that way? The gospel of Jesus Christ as a rescue story.

I mean, just imagine it. You’re lost at sea. Your boat is gone. You’re stuck in this freezing cold ocean, and you’re just struggling to stay above water. And then on the horizon, a rescue boat appears. It spots you. It sees you. Someone comes near and they throw you a lifeline. That’s our Savior. We need saving. And Jesus Christ is the Savior.

And so when we think about this essential aspect of the gospel, the good news, it’s about Jesus Christ. It’s about His death, His life, His resurrection. It’s about all those things put together because He ultimately came and rescued us and paid the penalty for our sins. He paid the price by sacrificing His life for us.

In fact, we find an example of that over in Romans 1. If you turn with me over to Romans 1, verse 16, we’ll find an example of this oftentimes missing piece of the gospel—the gospel of Jesus Christ mentioned here in Romans 1, verse 16.

As Paul writes to God’s church in Rome, he emphasizes this variation of the gospel. Notice what he says. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16).

That salvation word—saving. The gospel is the power of God to saving, to salvation for everyone who believes. So there’s that image of Jesus, in a sense, pulling us out of the storm. Not just saving us from death, not just saving us from drowning, but He’s saving you to live. He’s saving you to live—to live as His disciple, to, in a sense, be on a mission.

It’s not just to be alive, but He’s saved us, forgiven our sins, and now we’re on a mission. Do you know the mission? Do you know the mission statement? Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ—but not alone. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in all the world.

We’re given that mission, and we’re to make disciples. There’s a sense of success in preaching the message, the good news—make disciples in all nations and care for those disciples. That’s the mission statement of the United Church of God. It’s our God-given mission statement, and we’re a part of the body that preaches that bold good news to the world, and we all have a part of it.

And yet here we are, kind of living between the already and the not quite yet, because Jesus is to reign in our life. He’s to rule in our life. He’s my Lord. He’s my Savior. He’s my King. He’s the head of the Church, and we all have to have that perspective. And we’re called to live a different life, a changed life, repentant, obedient, led by God’s Spirit.

The gospel of Jesus Christ carries that significance when we consider it in that way. And yet we’re not quite there at this time, because ultimately we’re awaiting His return when He’ll establish His rule completely. And then there’s that aspect of we’ll actually rule with Him. “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:5–6).

So every day, how are we supposed to live?

As someone who’s been rescued. We’ve been rescued, and rescued people live differently. We live differently. We follow Christ. Yes, we look forward to what’s coming. And that’s, in a sense, the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is our rescuer, our King, our Master, our reason to live, our reason to live. And so what an important aspect of the gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yet the New Testament doesn’t stop there. If we fill in the blank when I say the gospel of... anything else come to mind? How about the gospel of God? The gospel of God. That’s mentioned almost as many times as the gospel of the Kingdom. The gospel of God is mentioned eight times throughout the New Testament. So a third aspect of the gospel—the gospel of God.

Interesting when you tear that apart, that word for God is the word theos, the Greek word theos. Throughout the New Testament, more often than not, do you know who that points to? The Father. It points to the Father. Usually throughout the New Testament, the Greek word kureos points to Jesus, our Lord, our Master, the kureos. More often than not, theos points to the Father. And so I think it brings to mind the aspect that you know the gospel is originating from the Father.

And we have to proclaim the gospel by His authority. It’s by His own word that we faithfully proclaim and we defend the truth, God’s truth. That word is used in 1 Thessalonians 2:2. Let’s take a look at what Paul wrote to God’s church in Thessalonica. “Even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict” (1 Thessalonians 2:2).

So, what is he emphasizing here? Well, we see this isn’t just some nice advice, right? This isn’t some secondhand inspiration. It’s not a clever speech or anything like that. Here he’s pointing to God’s authoritative word given through His messengers, given through those messengers that have preserved the Bible for us. And so, as we look at this, we see this is God’s declaration. It’s from the heart of the Father.

And when God speaks, do you think there’s a sense of urgency with that? The Creator of the universe, in that sense, who created all things through Jesus Christ? Is there an urgency with this gospel of God? Yeah, I think so.

And I’m reminded of my phone at times. Do you have those alerts set on your phone, like the Amber Alerts or Tornado Alerts, emergency alerts? You ever have that thing go off? Unbelievable how loud that thing could be! It is just blaring! You know, it’s almost like covering your... does it get your attention? Wow, no kidding it gets your attention. It cuts through. It doesn’t matter if you’re busy. It doesn’t matter if you’re sleeping. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a meeting. Boy, when that thing goes off, wow, you got to stop it. You got to look and you got to pay attention. You got to do something about that alert. Why? Well, it’s not just a suggestion, is it? It’s a warning!

And there’s some authority behind that warning because if it’s a tornado alert, it’s meant to save your life. You better do something. You better move to safety now. So it’s not just a philosophy. It’s not just advice. It’s, in a sense, really what the gospel of God is about. It’s a divine alert. It should get our attention because it’s from the Creator of heaven and earth.

And so no wonder Paul preached the gospel of God in much conflict, because the conflict was a whole different thing that was trying to detract Paul from getting that alert out, from getting that good message out. Because when it’s a message from God, it’s a message of power. It’s a message of authority—God’s authority. And it doesn’t need public approval. It demands a response. The gospel of God demands a response.

So when we preach the gospel of God, we don’t soften it. We don’t soft sell it. We speak it boldly. We speak it truthfully. We speak it faithfully because it’s not our gospel. It’s His. It’s His gospel. And so no wonder eight times throughout the New Testament refers to the gospel of God.

Now it doesn’t stop there. You could fill in the blank. When I say the gospel of... anything else come to mind? Two times throughout the New Testament, it’s called the gospel of peace. The gospel of peace. One example of that is Ephesians 6:15. Sometimes it’s a missing piece. For some, they have a disconnect when it comes to the gospel of peace.

But Ephesians 6:15 tells us how critically important this really is. It tells us it should be part of our clothing. It should be—as Christians—here’s part of the way that we dress as a disciple of Christ. “Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

Now that’s interesting because it points us in the direction that we better be walking toward right relationships. Because this gospel of peace is one that restores the relationship between God and us. We can have a right relationship with God. And so it’s promoting peace between us and God because the gospel message reminds us through Jesus Christ we can have our sins forgiven. We don’t have to live under the penalty of death. We can have peace with God. We can be in a right relationship with Him.

And of course beyond that, we can be in a right relationship with others, with each other. Because the gospel of peace is not just about avoiding conflict. Sometimes we get into that frame of mind and that’s just not it. It’s not just about avoiding conflict. The gospel of peace is not just saying, oh, let’s have a truce and not discuss it. No, not at all. We’re actually called to be peacemakers. We’re to promote unity. We’re especially to be an example of that unity within the Church.

And here in Ephesians, this is that whole section of Scripture that talks about the armor of God, the spiritual armor of God. And what does that remind us of? Oh, we said the gospel has an aspect of being already and yet not quite yet. Well, here’s a good example of the already. We have to live in the already, because if we have our feet shod, we’ve got the shoes of the gospel of peace, we are grounded because it’s equipping us as we’re putting on this armor for spiritual battle. And so through Christ, we can win that battle. We can have victory. We can overcome sin and overcome death by the means of Jesus Christ living in us and through us.

So this is enabling us to win those spiritual battles. A little bit earlier here in Ephesians, it even points to the fact of where that comes from. You might just write down Ephesians 2:14. It points to the fact that He Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). He Himself is our peace. Christ is our peace. He’s living in us.

How much is He reflected in what we think and what we say and what we do? He is our peace if we’re going to accomplish what the gospel of peace calls for. Wow, it’s more than just a teaching. It’s more than just a doctrine. The gospel of peace is a state of mind. It’s the already—choosing it as our lifestyle. And in a sense, it makes it possible.

I was reminded of the song in Psalm 34:14. You know Psalm 34. You probably know it by heart. You don’t even need to turn there. In fact, it even starts like that. You know it. It starts out, “Turn thou from evil, do what is good” (Psalm 34:14).

That’s right. We seek peace, pursue it earnestly. Right. That’s the “turn thou from evil” song (Psalm 34:14). We know that. The gospel of peace makes it possible to turn from evil, to not just call it truce, not just ignore problems or conflicts, but to solve them. And so we have the example of Jesus Christ, the ultimate peacemaker. The ultimate peacemaker. And when we consider that, it demonstrates the power of the gospel when it comes to relationships, our relationship with God and our relationship with each other.

And so as we consider the already, we’re living that way now. But there’s also a future aspect, isn’t there? When we think of the gospel of peace, what will Christ bring to this world when He returns? He will finally bring peace. Peace is connected to prophecy. When we think of what Micah chapter 4 talks about, we know that section as well. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:3). It talks about turning those swords into plowshares, changing the whole atmosphere of the world, learning true peace. We’re not going to learn war anymore.

And so that’s the not yet. That’s the part that’s coming. That’s our hope for more, for the entire world. And so that’s where we trust God for the ultimate peace, the future Kingdom of God under Christ.

Now there’s one other aspect I think that we should talk about for a moment. And fill in the blank when I say the gospel of... another important piece should come into mind. And that is the gospel of the grace of God. The gospel of the grace of God. Another way the gospel is referred to in the New Testament.

Now when I say that, the gospel of grace, anything come to mind? Well, I had Acts 20:24 come to mind because it just might say it best. Let’s take a look at Acts 20:24. The gospel of the grace of God. Here’s the example of where this is used. “None of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to me, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

So here’s Paul describing an aspect of glad tidings, good news, this amazing message of God. And he’s anchoring his entire ministry on grace. It’s anchored there. He received this and he’s testifying to this gospel of grace. So he centers on it. And he says, it’s a message worth suffering for because it came straight from God Himself. And as he talks about grace, he’s not just talking about a free pardon that our sins are forgiven. Certainly that’s a part of it, but he’s also talking about the fact that God favors us and He freely gives to us.

And it shows up in amazing, powerful ways through repentance, through forgiveness, through an open, changed way of thinking by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and looking forward to the hope of the resurrection. All of those things are embodied by grace.

And yet, even though we know those things, maybe you felt the way that I felt sometimes. It’s like, why does it sometimes feel like I’m always striving to be good enough? I can’t seem to quite get there. Like maybe one wrong move and now I’ve fallen out of the grace of God. Ever felt like that?

I think too often we may feel like we’re trying to walk this tight rope. And boy, watch these tight rope walkers. They’re high up there. And wow, I get nervous. My legs get kind of rubbery when I watch somebody else up on a high spot. Every step, it’s like, whoa, that’s pretty rough. And so we hang on tight. We try not to fall and it can be just exhausting. And we’re scared. We hang onto the rope because we don’t want to stand there.

But you know, if we imagine it in that way, God’s grace should change our perspective because with Him, it’s like we’ve got a safety harness. We don’t have to worry about that. That we can be free. We can be strong. We can be confident because we’re safe. He’s going to catch us if we slip. And so that concept of unmerited favor, undeserved—yeah, we don’t deserve it, but God favors us anyway—that can hold us steady. Even when that tight rope of life is kind of wiggling and shaking all over the place, you know, God’s got us. And it can empower us to live humbly, can empower us to obey faithfully. It empowers us to endure, even when times are really tough.

And so right now, yeah, life is kind of like walking that tight rope at times, but we’re already there. We’re already held by grace. Now, it’s not perfect yet. Not yet. Not yet. But God calls us to lean into that grace every single day, fully putting our trust in Him.

And so if you feel unsteady, if we’re trying to balance our life on our own, remember God’s grace is like that safety harness. So trust Him. Trust, live in it, and walk boldly because of it. And if you’re on a tight rope, don’t look down. You know, when I look down, that’s not a good place to look.

That same grace that holds you, that’s that grace that’s waiting at the finish line. So look ahead. That’s the not yet. Not quite there yet, but in the future, God’s going to extend us the gift of eternal life. And the not yet also encompasses the fact that it’s going to be for everybody. Everyone is going to be offered that opportunity to understand the grace of God, the plan of God, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That grace will ultimately be extended to all.

So what a blessing. And when we recognize how encompassing the true gospel is, it is absolutely amazing. And yes, some miss some of the pieces. And whether we think of it as the gospel of salvation—well, that’s another term used in the New Testament. The gospel of His Son—another term. The gospel of the glory of Christ. Those are all different aspects. But there’s one important thing when you consider those eight different ways the gospel is described. There’s only one single unified gospel. There’s one. It’s not like those are all different gospels. No, that’s not it.

And whether we use the term the gospel of God or the gospel of Christ or the gospel of the Kingdom or the gospel of grace or the gospel of peace, they all refer to the same message. Every single one of them. And so what we find is there’s one gospel that is multifaceted. There’s different aspects to that one true gospel. And it’s highlighted in these various ways. These, you want to use the term, different pieces, right? And yet together, it makes one seamless message.

Galatians 1:6. Galatians describes that one gospel. It’s definitive. There’s only one. That’s all there possibly can be.

So if we were to define that, yes, we would say the gospel is the good news. Yet, it’s a multifaceted message about God’s plan of salvation for all humanity. It’s a message about our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose life, whose death, whose burial and resurrection makes it possible for us to have forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and ultimately have the gift of eternal life possible.

And the Kingdom of God is present now in our lives every day, and yet fully coming in the future. And so this good news is news about what God has done, about what God is doing, and about what God will do in bringing many sons and daughters to glory as Spirit-born members of His divine family.

Yes, it’s a message about repentance and it’s a message about transformation, and it’s a message about bringing God’s way of life to the world, and yet living it now—living as a citizen of His Kingdom now that’s already here and yet not quite fully realized.

And that should motivate us. That should move us. That should bring to mind not just believing these things, but it should move us to action, because we’ve been given a mission. We’ve been given a commission, and that means each one of us has a role to play.

How do you respond? How do you respond to that? Well, here’s a couple of important key ways that we are called to proclaim, called to embody, and called to advance the gospel.

Now, it’s interesting as you think about that. The ministry of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to proclaim the gospel. The Home Office plays a part in that as well. And so oftentimes when we think about preaching the gospel, we may think of it in those terms—what the ministry does. And of course, we have our digital media. We have our online presence, ucg.org, where we’ve got all the digital things there with our study aids and our articles, and we do targeting ads. We have social media resources that are out there that goes to the world with the gospel.

You know, there’s other aspects of it as well. We’ve got physical things that you could actually hold on to that certainly is a part of that ministry. Free resources! We talk about them all the time. If you go in the room next door, we have all kinds of booklets and study aids. We have the Beyond Today magazine. We publish that. So all kinds of different aspects of the booklets that are there. We have a Bible study course as well. And all of these things offer clear doctrinal teachings so that those that God’s calling can begin to understand. And we do it all at no cost to those that are seeking God’s way.

And so in the ministry as pastors, pastors have the responsibility to equip the brethren, to teach God’s way to the membership. And so they have that responsibility. And as brethren, as the Church of Jesus Christ, we need to be trained. We need to be educated. And we need to be supported and taken care of and fed spiritually. And so there’s certainly that aspect to how the gospel and the message of God is proclaimed. And that’s an important part. But that’s not all there is to it, is there?

There’s also the aspect of how can I proclaim the gospel? How can I proclaim the gospel? Now, it’s interesting when you consider the Church as a whole. We have a statement on the public proclamation of the gospel. We have what they call media guiding principles that not only talk about what the gospel is, but also talk about how you do it.

It’s interesting if you were to look at those aspects of the public proclamation of the gospel, it contains the concept that we must shout it out loud like a baby screaming, right? But it also tells us we do it out of love. The public proclamation statement that we have says we must reflect the love of God in the way we deliver the gospel to the world. That’s so critical.

It also says we tailor the message to fit different cultural, national, religious, and linguistic groups. It’s not a one-size-fits-all, is it? And so we recognize that in our documents. And so it also says we teach the Word of God using a balanced mix of sound doctrine, prophecy, and Christian living principles. It embodies all those things.

So as we think about, well, what does that mean to me? Don’t they take care of everything? Doesn’t the ministry take care of that? The Home Office takes care of everything, so I don’t have to worry about that. Oh, but wait a second. We not only have a mission statement, we have a vision statement. And that vision statement is taken from Ephesians 4, where it says every one of us has a part to play. Every one of us must do our share (Ephesians 4:16).

So how can I proclaim the gospel? I think an important principle is that we live in the already. We live in, first and foremost, live as a light now. Live as a light now. As a godly example, that has to be who we are. So it can’t be just a church thing, a Sabbath thing. It has to be an everyday thing. And whether we’re at home or whether we’re at work or whether we’re online, we have to be godly Christians. We have to be shining our light.

And what will that do? I think it’ll cause people to wonder, what are they up to? What are they up to? How can they have a different perspective on this life? How can they live that way? Will that spark curiosity from others? Well, if it doesn’t, are we really being the light that we’re supposed to be?

Well, it’s kind of interesting. There’s this passage over in Ephesians 5. Have you ever noticed this before? Ephesians 5, I think, raises such a powerful principle here. Just a powerful—not just a thought, but an identity. We talked about the passport earlier. This fits in with that concept.

Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Okay, that kind of reminds us of what Christ said in Matthew 5. And maybe that’s the passage we normally think of, you know, where Christ said, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Okay, yeah, that’s what He said. We often think of that. Paul takes it to another level here.

Do you notice what it said? It doesn’t say, you were once in darkness, does it? It says, you were once darkness. Now it doesn’t say, now you’re in the light. Is that what it says? What does it say? But now you are light. So we’re not just moved into the light. We’re to be light. We’re to be light. And that’s a whole different thing. That means we’re shining. You can’t hide that light. People will see. They’ll recognize that. Christ said that very thing. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

And so that calls for us to be light. That means we have to model God’s way of life every day, in every situation. Yeah, and even on our online presence, we have to do that. And so we have to model what it’s like to be light. In fact, that talks about relationships. Our relationship with each other. And most importantly, our relationship with God. In fact, we’re modeling the relationship that God the Father and Jesus Christ have with each other.

That should be not just a different way of living. No, that should be our identity—who we are, who we are. And so it’s such a reminder that it changes our state of mind and our heart. Because we really do put into practice what Matthew 6:33 says. That’s another one of those passages that we sing so often: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

So we’re committing to God our values, our life, our love. We exemplify all of those things, because we’re seeking His righteousness to be light, to be like Christ, to emulate Him. And so no wonder Paul said it a little bit differently. “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). There’s that gospel—the gospel of Christ.

So first and foremost, live as light. Be that light.

How can I proclaim the gospel? Well, secondly, we have to make the most of everyday opportunities. Everyday opportunities. That means I’ve got to be willing to talk about what I believe. Oh, that’s kind of weird. That’s kind of uncomfortable. You mean I have to go door to door? No, you don’t have to go door to door. That’s weird. Don’t have to do that.

But you can do the simple things. Don’t hide your faith. Don’t hide your faith. It’s like whenever I go to Great Clips, they always ask me, so what do you do? I always tell them, well, I’m in the personnel business.

Now, if I say that, then what is that supposed to mean? Well, that doesn’t make any sense. If I tell them, well, I’m a minister. Oh, really? What church? That always could... You know, you can hide it. Well, where are you going in October anyway? Oh, I’m going to a church convention. Oh, yeah. Okay. I know what a convention is like. Yeah. That sounded like a lot of...

Live your faith. I’m going to the Feast of Tabernacles. What’s that going to bring? Oh, they’re going to ask me what that is. Oh, no. Well, can I explain it? You know, in those simple things, a simple post of sharing a happy Sabbath could have a powerful impact.

Now, I don’t want to be annoying. You don’t want to be that guy or that girl that just always has to talk about religion in some weird kind of a way. No, we don’t want to do that. But when the Sabbath comes up, we can talk about the meaning of the Sabbath. When the Feast comes up, it could just be a natural thing in our natural, everyday conversation. Because ultimately, we’ve been given this ministry.

I mean, just write down 2 Corinthians 5:18. Paul says, “God has given us...” He didn’t say me, or only the ministry. No, he says He’s given us the service, the responsibility of the ministry of reconciliation. We’ve been given this service of reconciling people.

And a little bit later, do you know what he says? Another song that we sing: “For we are ambassadors of Christ.” We are therefore God’s ambassadors, Christ’s ambassadors. And God, it says, is pleading through the ministry. God is pleading through the Home Office. God is... Doesn’t say that. You know what it says? “He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). All of us. Every one of us. We all have a share.

And so when we recognize that, we powerfully need to take those everyday opportunities when they come up to talk about our faith. Probably most importantly, we need to talk to God about it. Number three, prayer. Prayer is so critical. It’s one of the most powerful ways that everyone can play a vital part in advancing the gospel.

And prayer isn’t just about some passive kind of activity. Prayer is actively participating in the mission. It’s active participation. Because everyone’s share includes praying for spiritual strength and support that helps God’s Church. We could pray that God would inspire bold preaching, that the message would go out with His authority. We could pray for strength for those who preach that message—for the ministry. We could pray for each other. We could pray for clarity and that the message would be heard. That those that God is calling would come to the truth. We could pray for open doors for the gospel message.

And so we don’t want to kid ourselves. You know, God hears those prayers and they can create real opportunities—spiritual opportunities, practical opportunities—so that the Word can go out and be shared and can be heard. And so as we consider those things, they are so important in that way. That that message can go out in that power and in that authority. And we can shine as lights.

And as we shine as lights, we recognize that by the power of prayer, it is such a critical aspect in our relationship with God and in our relationship with each other. And so as we consider that very thing, we certainly realize we all have a part to play. And as we pray about healing for others, we help the body and we encourage each other. And so even though we may never individually get up and preach or give a sermon, every time we bow our head in faith, we’re advancing the gospel. Because prayer is not just something that’s on the sidelines. Prayer is spiritual warfare. Prayer is on the front lines. So it’s not just some quiet afterthought. And so we can do that.

How should I proclaim the gospel? Be ready. Be ready to give an answer. 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us of that very thing. Wow, if I talk about my faith, they might ask me something. Well, yeah, that’s the idea. Can you talk about why you have a funny diet? Why didn’t you order croutons this week on your salad? Well, you know, I’m trying to... I’m on a keto diet. Yeah. Okay, I don’t have to say that. Well, no, you know, God’s Word says, you know, this week I’m not supposed to eat that.

What? Why not? Yeah, you’re going to stimulate discussion on... Are you prepared to say why? Why don’t you dig into that, you know, big bowl of shrimp on the table? We should be able to verbalize those. If we’re not, we’re not ready. We’re not ready. So we need to prepare those short, precise... “Well, did you know Christ didn’t eat those things?”

Really? No. I never knew that.

So you don’t have to give them the whole story to start out with, but to have a scriptural response to those common questions. Peter reminds us, be ready to speak. Be ready to talk. Don’t avoid those conversations.

In fact, as you look through the New Testament, it’s amazing to see how Christ positioned Himself in situations that those conversations had to take place. He didn’t have to go to the well with that woman, but boy, He did. And it caused a whole conversation that led to all kinds of interesting things. So when someone asks us about what we believe, we could speak plainly. We could speak respectfully, and we could speak in wonderful ways that may... You know, who knows? Who knows who God is calling? And He may be using you to call that very individual.

One other way I think that’s a powerful way we preach the gospel ourselves. How can I proclaim the gospel? We can encourage each other. I mean, in the Church, we need encouragement. We need to build each other up. We live in a tough world, and we can promote a godly culture within the Church. Because as we do these things, it takes all these various pieces of the gospel. And when all the pieces are found, we can recognize this isn’t just a nice idea. It’s not just good advice. It’s good news. It’s good news.

And we’re recognizing we’re not just waiting around for the Kingdom to begin. We’re already a part of it. We’re not just looking for Christ to return. We are representatives of Him right now. And so what a powerful thing that each one of us have a part to play in the Great Commission. Some preach, some will write, but all of us, every one of us must live it.

So walk. Walk as citizens of the Kingdom. Speak. Speak as instruments of peace. Pray as laborers in the harvest. And whether it’s seen or unseen, your life, your prayers, your words—all can be tools in God’s hands to advance the gospel.

So let’s be faithful. Let’s bring that message, that gospel, forward. And let’s do it with clarity. Let’s do it with conviction. And let’s do it with humility. Because we’re not done telling the good news. Let’s live it. And let’s proclaim it. And let’s finish the work.