Wade’s sermon this past Sunday was entitled “I am ready.” The preaching passage came from Romans 1:14-17 where, among other things, Paul states, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto Salvation for everyone who believes….”
You know it got me to thinking about the question ‘What is the Gospel of Christ and are we guilty of acting like we are ashamed of it?’ I think that in this age of cultural relativity we sometimes are guilty of trying to package the good news of Jesus Christ into a palatable version of truth, (a ‘Cliff notes’ version of the gospel or what one of my friends refers to as ‘Gospel-Lite’).
While we should make every effort to make the gospel plain and simple for all to understand, I think there is a danger of assuming that people need us to ‘dumb-down’ the truth of God’s word in order for them to understand it! Paul was absolute in his contention that the clarity and simplicity of the gospel message of Jesus Christ was more than adequate to do the job it was designed to do. As a matter of fact, he proclaimed that it “IS THE POWER OF GOD…”. It seems to me that Paul understood that in the simple proclamation of the word of truth, something unique and wonderful happens as a person hears and believes it. The word of God will ignite in their heart and will kindle the fire of salvation to burn within! The challenge for each of us, is to be that spark. I believe our challenge is to be ready to say like the apostle that I am not ashamed to share the story of what God has done for me in saving my soul from sin!
The Gospel is still powerful today and contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a polished public speaker, a rock star or a stand-up comedian to get people’s attention. God can use each of us sharing our unique story to touch the lives of those around us who are searching for a better way!
It’s nice to sing the old song, I love to tell the story, but are you ready to actually tell it? Let’s not be ashamed to let the world know where we stand and boldly share the ‘good news’ with someone we care about this week!
John Phillips, Jr.
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