This video came from the YouTube site, The Gospel of Christ, the vlogger, John Henry. I highly recommend subscribing to this site; his videos are excellent and very edifying for Christians.
The video is a compilation of preachers talking about the ‘gospel’ of God. If you have been a little fuzzy on what the term ‘gospel’ means, then you should have a clearer definition of it by the time you finish reading the sermon highlights and listening to the 23 minute video.
The video opens with Steven Furtick preaching his gospel; following him, R. C. Sproul concisely defines the gospel; then Voddie Baucham gives a lengthier and fuller definition; Dr. MacArthur follows Baucham with a brief definition and the video closes with Dr. S. Lawson saying a few things about the gospel
SERMON HIGHLIGHTS [bracketed statements, emboldening and underscoring are mine]:
- Steven Furtick’s exhortations which contain his concept of the gospel, are as follows: “If you’ve been in a season of failure, depression, uncertainty, rejection, disappointment…let the dirt do its work; don’t fight it, run from it, or pluck up the seed because you don’t like the season;” “This is the gospel of Jesus Christ”
- [I’m not quite sure what he means by dirt, except that he might be talking about the dirt that the roots of faith are planted in? I found myself wondering if his audience knew to what he referred; also, the sole focus of his gospel was that it healed the ills of mankind; there was nothing about God’s glory…]
- Vlogger John Henry remarked: some think their personal testimony is the gospel; some consider their personal Christian life as the gospel…
- It is essential to know the biblical gospel so that you can discern between it and someone’s false gospel
- The following preachers define it well, R. C. Sproul’s definition is brief but full:
- R. C. Sproul: In New Testament terms, the gospel is the proclamation of the person and work of Jesus Christ, in addition to how the benefits of that work can be appropriated to us by faith and by faith alone…
- So, the gospel has a narrow definition, it is the message about Jesus [see 1 Cor. 15: 1-10 for one such definition]
- Sproul commented that evangelical statements such as the following are not the gospel, even though there is some truth to them: Come to Jesus and give your life meaning, peace…; Or, God loves you and has a plan for your life
- He closed by saying, the gospel is about Jesus
- Voddie Baucham: the excerpt of his preaching opened with comments about how Satan hates Christ and His followers; and that is why we experiencing persecution and suffering when proclaiming the gospel
- He commented on the Revelation text wherein the martyrs asked when they’d be vindicated – when your number is full, which means that gospel suffering has not yet ended, but that vindication will thereafter come
- 2Tim 1:8 [NASB77] Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
- What enables God’s people to faithfully endure suffering? The body of Christ, the Lord’s supper, the church, fellowship, and the gospel
- 2 Tim 1: 9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him 7 until that day. 13 8 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the 9 treasure which has been entrusted to
- The gospel is Christ’s gospel, not mine or yours. It is the gospel of God’s work on behalf of His elect via the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ
- Knowing the aforementioned and believing it will enable you to perform the work you have been given [you don’t have to pump yourself up, fear…]
- Knowing Christ’s sacrifices for us and that His gospel is the power of God to transform will fuel our passion for Him and our work of witnessing His truth
- That is, the gospel is not just the means God used to save us, but to save a people for Himself for His own glory
- Such thoughts move Dr. Baucham to reflect on the blessings of the covenant of redemption; such reflections sustain him, he explained
- John MacArthur: he mentioned epistles that his flock might think of when the word gospel was mentioned – Romans, Colossians, Galatians… noting that 2 Corinthians 4 was the epistle in consideration today
- The theme of 2 Cor. 4 is suffering, for example: 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you.
- As Paul chronicled the pain and suffering he experienced in his ministry, via 2 Cor. 4, the question is, why do you expose yourself to all that suffering?
- For the glory of the gospel, there is nothing like it, nothing as important. It is a transcendent message, an all glorious message that has no equal [reading the entire 2 Cor. 4 will indicate such]
- Such a reality is missing in the evangelical church today, the gospel has been cheapened
- When we look at Paul’s life, we see a life of suffering
- Evangelicals of this time seek something different [prosperity, health, personal power of gifts that might exalt themselves…]
- That is, they have devised a gospel of their own that excludes suffering
- Paul’s entire gospel ministry made people furious…but he never tampered with the message
- 2 Timothy 4: 1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with 1 great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
- Paul endured the suffering because he understood the glory of the gospel
- Steve Lawson opened by citing Romans 1: 1, 9, 15, and 16: [quoted from the new Legacy Standard Bible that is not yet available except online https://read.lsbible.org/?q=Romans]
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- Romans 1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, having been set apart for the gospel of God, 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how without ceasing I make mention of you, 15 In this way, for my part, I am eager to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
- Paul stated that God is the author of THE gospel, not men
- The infinite genius of God alone could have made the gospel
- The term gospel derives from the Greek term euangelion: EU = Good; angelion = messenger or message: Good Message
- It is the greatest news ever declared on the earth, the good news of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ
- The gospel is the proclamation from the throne of God to all people groups that the holy God can be in relationship with sinners via His gospel (the epistle of Romans precisely explains how this is so) [it is worthy of study]
- Do you know what the gospel is? Have you believed it? Are you living it? Are you faithful to it?
- Your eternal destiny is determined by whether you have believed and received THE gospel message. May the Lord give you a heart that believes the gospel by faith and shares it
For other posts in this blog that define the gospel, see, CATEGORIES: Gospel Message; Gospel Message Defined.