Galatians 1:11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.
At my old office, whenever I was trying to healthy, I would always hit up our Coke machine for a bottle of water. My senior pastor at that time (I was a youth director) would tell me that I was better off drinking the well water from the fountain. I thought that he was just being a curmudgeon, telling me that I was wasting money. After all, this was bottled water - the safest of the safe - healthiest of the healthy. What could be better for a parched palate, right? I blew him off, and went to the machine, plunked down my dollar, and self-righteously drank my pure Dasani water - knowing that I was right. Sad to say, I was dead-wrong, and Pastor Smith, you were right. Dasani is bottled from Philadelphia tap water. I think well water from Palmyra, PA was probably a bit more on the pure side, or at least closer to the spring water image that I had in my mind.
Recently in my church, I've been convicted of the gospel that I preach. In the past six months I've been getting to know my neighbors in town (I live in a parsonage right next door to my church). I was sure that I was a good neighbor, and that these neighbors of mine, most of whom attend no church, would feel welcome at my church.What I've come to realize is that very few of my neighbors come to my church, fewer still are interested in coming. I wondered why that was. Most people find the personage of Jesus compelling in every way. Most people think that we in the church do some good things. I figured that there should be a mild interest in visiting a church literally a few blocks from their door. As it turns out, from my informal polling, it has nothing to do with my doctrine, service style, or programming. Most of my neighbors don't feel that they dress well enough for my Sunday service, some of them don't feel welcome (don't think that they're good enough for church), others still don't care for all of the rules that they assumed will be placed on them. I was deeply saddened. That's not the gospel that I want to preach. I want to preach that Jesus loves them all, regardless of clothes, or lifestyle. I want them to know that they are all welcome, as Jesus died for all of us. I pray that they will feel this. Any other gospel I preach does not come from Jesus, it comes from a different source. I pray that as Jesus taught us to love our neighbor, we will be good neighbors.
Questions to Consider?
1.Have you ever added anything to the gospel?
2.Where did you get your version of the gospel?
3.Who have you recently shared the gospel with?
Not sure I can answer question one.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Bible and praying to God to answer my questions of the gospel, not from any man. Therefore, I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as separate entities. Otherwise, how do you descend upon yourself in the form of the Holy Spirt, how do you leave the Holy Spirit to stay with me as I go sit at the right hand of God the father, and why do I pray to my father in the garden before crucifiction? Though God has not answered these questions as He has others, He doesn't make me feel that I am wrong.
Question 3, I share the gospel when I can with the people who are open to hear it or if God gives me the feeling that they need to hear it, and this is at work from time to time, as those who are sick or dying, are more ready to listen.