Should we preach only the gospel? Whatever the starting-point of the sermon, should we always make a beeline for Calvary and issue an appeal to the unconverted?
It is tempting to answer with an unqualified ‘Yes’. After all, there is little enough faithful preaching of the gospel these days, so shouldn’t we take every opportunity to do so? And did not the apostle Paul write, ‘I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 2:2).…
Writing in the Church Times, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, rector of St. Bride’s Liverpool, says that she wants to reclaim evangelism for liberal, progressive Christians such as herself.
What is the gospel of liberal Christianity? ‘The belief that God’s love is unconditional, and is enough.’
That’s about it. For the rest, it is about ‘exploring spirituality’. Liberal theology ‘does not see our salvation as relying on our getting Christianity right.’ It does not believe in ‘original sin’, but in ‘original blessing.’ …
I am not what I was, Ephesians 2:2-12
I am not what I shall be, 1 John 3:2
I am not what I should be, Ephesians 4:1
I am not what I desire to be, Philippians 3:12f
But, by the grace of God, I am what I am, 1 Corinthians 15:10
(Pickering, 1,000 Subjects, slightly adapted)…
In his book Tell the World (Evangelical Press, 1981), Eric Wright summarises the content elements used for the Christian message in the book of Acts. It raises the question of which aspects of Scriptural teaching we emphasise (or even mention) today.
| About God | About man | About Christ |
|---|---|---|
| God of covenant and Israel (10) | Ignorance. (3) | Connection with John the Baptist. (2) |
| God's decree (purpose, plan, ordination, pre-destination, etc.) (8) | Sinfulness. (5) | Related to OT promises. (9) |
| Holy and glorious character. |
In his book Tell the World (Evangelical Press, 1981), Eric Wright summarises the terminology used for the Christian message in the book of Acts. To my mind, this terminology contrasts markedly with that of our own day, where (I suggest) the Christian message is most popularly referred to as ‘sharing the love of God’.
| Term | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Jesus, or Jesus the Christ, or the whole message of his life, or the name of Jesus Christ, etc. | 16 |
| The Word of God, or the Word of the Lord | 13 |
| The gospel, the good news | 9 |
| The way, way of the Lord, way of salvation | 9 |
| The hope of Israel, the things announced beforehand, the good news of the promise, etc. |
Fitzmyer has identified six characteristic aspects of Paul’s gospel:-
2 Timothy 3
What kind of church do we want to be? A gospel church. Guard the gospel, 1:14. Suffer for the gospel, 2:3. Now: continue in the gospel: v14 – ‘but as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of’.
Why? Because ‘there will be terrible times in the last days,’ v1. The present age, between Christ’s first and second comings. If Paul was thinking of some far-off future, why would he tell Timothy in v5 to ‘have nothing to do’ with certain trouble-makers? …
Christianity is not for the self-sufficient, but for those who know they are needy. Jesus takes the poverty-stricken, and makes them rich. He takes the foolish, and gives them wisdom. He takes the weak, and gives them strength. He takes mourners, and gives them comfort. He takes nobodies, and makes them somebodies. He looks for the lost, and finds them. He takes those who have not, and gives them all they need. He doesn’t call those who think they are good, but those who know that are bad. …
Text: Isaiah 53:1
[These notes were written many years ago, and do not represent how I would now structure and present a sermon on this passage. Nevertheless, I think they have some value as an exposition.)
The 53rd chapter of Isaiah needs little introduction. Suffice it to say that it is one of the most precious passages in OT, for it speaks to us in a unique way about our Saviour, centuries before his coming. And if it seems strange that an OT prophecy can predict in such minute detail the life and achievements of the coming servant of the Lord, the challenge is this: is there one other person, living or dead, from any age or land, to whom this could apply? …
Does the Great Commission of Mt 28:18-20 supersede the cultural mandate of Gen 1:26-28? Does the command to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ replace the requirement to fill and subdue the earth and to rule over all living things?
At first sight, it might seem that this is indeed the case. After all, the cultural mandate was given to Adam in Eden, as God’s image-bearer, in a state of innocency, prior to the Fall. …
