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We Have an Accountability to the Gospel

While Paul was encouraging the dear Thessalonian believers he reminds them of something that they had truly taken to heart. Thes. 2:4 "but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts". It is an important thing to be given a responsibility. It is an unbelievably awesome thing to be given a responsibility that relates to the most important message ever spoken. How do we take this amazing responsibility we have seriously? What are some of the key burdens we should carry as laid out in the scriptures? I'd love to take a few minuets of your time and discuss what I am learning.

Passion for Prayer

In Colossians 4:2-6 our beloved brother Paul reminds us that our lives are to be becoming of the gospel and that our prayer lives should reflect a deep desire for the expanding and exploding of the gospel among the lost. This heart for the lost is not necessarily an automatic part of all believers lives. So this kind of heart should be cultivated by strategic and passionate seasons of protracted prayer for those who are groping around in the deeps of depravity and utter darkness of heart, mind and soul. In our consideration of this paradigm of prayer to be added to our lives, it is crucial that we ask the question, "is there more to praying for the lost than just asking God to save them"? Let us explore some biblical pattens to pray for.

For the givers of the Gospel.

Luke 10:2 "And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.".

Colossians 2:2-4 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison- 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

For the understanding of the Gospel.

II Corinthians 4:1-6 "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

For the conviction of the Gospel.
John 16:8-11. "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

For a response to the Gospel.
Acts 17:32-34. 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this.". 33 So Paul went out from their midst 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Understanding the Gospel

There is no greater message that the human tongue can speak or the ear can hear or the mind understand than the message of the gospel. As important as the message of the gospel is, it is very often subject to massive distortions and over simplifications. People often attempt to center the gospel on a utilitarian benefit to men. "you can have purpose or meaning to your life".....or " you can have a personal relationship with God". While both those things are certainly true they are by no means the centerpiece of the gospel. The gospel is not first and foremost about man but God.

God in the gospel

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God"

The gospel is called "good news" because it deals with the most serious problem in time and space. The fact that God is holy, and just and we are not. God demands perfection, and we are completely depraved, sold under sin. In theology we refer to the total depravity of man, that does not mean that we are as evil as we can be, but that every motive of our inner man is corrupt to our core. God by his very nature has no other option but to respond to sin with wrath, the infinite expression of judgment because God can accept nothing less than perfection.

Christ in the Gospel.

"him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God"

The only way God could could remain just and yet rescue men was to have a substitute to transfer and expiate our filthy wicked guilt that made us all deserving of the unrestrained infinite wrath of God. So the greatest Christmas present ever given, was given by God. His only begotten son was wrapped up in flesh, with no sin or guilt perfectly fulfilling God's demand of total obedience and complete righteousness. In the gospel it is imperative to understand that the court of God was in session. The sin of condemned ones (us) was imputed to one who had no guilt or sin (Christ). God has but one response to sin where ever it is found and that is wrath, thus all of the wrath that was deserved by us was experienced by Christ. We know that the death of Christ was sufficient for our redemption because of the fact that the third day Christ rose from the grave. God's wrath was satisfied by the substitution of Christ in our condemned place. So now we filthy, broken sinners can be reconciled to God and justified when we come as guilty sinners to the feast of His mercy.

The Spirit in the Gospel.

Ephesians 1:13&14 "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

The Spirits part in the gospel is that of drawing, convicting, sealing, equipping and empowering.

Proclaiming the Gospel

There are a number of very excellent programs of sharing the glorious gospel of Christ with people. That said, there can be danger and stagnation in locking yourself into a scripted plan. Relationships are not scripted, and when you look into the New testament documents, you will not find programs of scripted conversations, but an organic process that was dynamic and interactive with the people being addressed. To examine this all we have do is follow Jesus though the gospel of John. No two gospel conversations that Jesus had were alike. So the most important undergirding in gospel conversation, is to be incredibly familiar with the gospel itself. Because every gospel conversation will be an organic, dynamic process, of questions answers and more questions.

Considerations in gospel conversations

Be like Christ - in the sharing of the gospel our Lord had a distinct pattern that is traceable though out the gospels. "Law to the proud, grace to the humble". Jesus would use the law to stop people from their sick attempt to justify themselves with their filthy self-righteousness. If someone was already broken, He announced grace. Remember it is an organic, dynamic process.

Stay on message- people will want to argue and debate on everything under the sun. The woman at the well is a great example. When Jesus confronted her sin, she wanted to argue about the real center of worship on planet earth. Christ did not side track but went right back to the central message.

See the big picture- see every gospel conversation as a planting and watering opportunity. Most people will hear the gospel more than seven times before coming to a relationship with Christ. Get used to rejection....your in good company, but do not let rejection discourage you. Farming is hard work, and we can't produce any fruit, all we can do is sow the gospel and let the Spirit do His drawing work.

Never forget the Great Commission- never forget the end game is not just birthing babies into the Kingdom, but building disciples who will in turn go reproduce more disciples. That means we have a lifelong commitment to not just sharing the gospel but also engaging them in the life of local New Testament church. Where they will be equipped to do the work of the ministry.

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