Arthur Meintjes is on it today! next up, Wendell Parr.
Arthur Meintjes-The Heart of the Gospel Lesson 5
God’s word or message must be a good word because God’s word will always agree with who God is!
That is why it is called the Gospel of God, because it is the good news message of God about His Son Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:14-17 “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’”
The Gospel is to EVERYONE, wise and unwise, civilized and uncivilized, it is to all for all!
He says that he is ready to come to Rome and to preach, not just the Bible, not the law of Moses, not the scripture, he says that he will preach the Gospel! The Good News! He does not say, the story and life of Jesus, no, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Really, the Gospel is so simply, you would have to have help to misunderstand it! You would have to have help to confuse it, or to be confused by it! It is the Good News, if what you are reading is not good news, then what are you reading?
Why would Paul say that he is not ashamed? Why would he have to say that? Because a religious legalistic man WOULD be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is good news! There is NO good news in legalism or religion! As far as legalism he was the best of the best! But he had a revelation of the Gospel, the good news, God is good, if it is news of God, it must be good! Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Good advice is not the power of God, this Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ IS the Power of God to those who believe!
The word Gospel is used 104 times in the new testament, 17 times by Jesus, 79 times by Paul, and the rest by Peter and the other writers of the new testament.
1 Corinthians 1:17-24 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” Christ did not send us to preach the “deep stuff” the “complicated stuff” or the “hard stuff” just the “Good news.” What does the good news do to you when you hear it? It makes you feel, good.
God can correct you with His good news, and you will feel good about it! The only way God chastises people is through His word, and when you come through that, you will feel great! You want to call this a “feel good message”? Well it is! THE GOOD NEWS, really what about that is not good? What about GOOD would not make you feel good? If what someone is saying or preaching, makes you feel less than or excluded, then they are not preaching the gospel. Remember…? Good news?
When we do not preach the good news to people, when we preach condemnation, when we use guilt, what are we doing? We are excluding the Cross! If you are preaching guilt to motivate people, you are making the cross of none effect.
When you really do preach the Good news, the gospel, of Jesus Christ, it IS the Power of God!
18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
19 “For it is written, ; I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’”
20 “ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
22 “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom.”
23 “but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,”
24 “but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and wisdom of God.”
Good news, sounds like foolishness, but it pleased God, it is the Power of God.
God gave up His only begotten Son, rather than giving up on us.
Jesus did not come to Judge, but to bring salvation for the world. Good news…
Romans 2:4 “Or do your despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Mark 1:40 “Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing, be cleansed.”
Is God good? Is God willing? Yes, Yes, He is.
How is it that Jesus, the anointed one, had MANY Tax collectors and Sinners following Him? How many preachers do you know that have sinners following them?
How many preachers pride themselves on convicting sinners of sin and in that way chasing them away or “getting them born again”
Thats about it!
Hope you enjoyed it,
Hope you were blessed and all...
have a great day! and check back in a bit for Wendell Parr!
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