The Gospel In 4 Simple (But Not Easy) Steps

There are very few things that I do EVERY day. I eat, sleep, tell my wife and kids I love you, and brush my teeth, twice (just in case my dentist is reading this). But I've been thinking about adding another routine to the daily checklist: preaching the gospel to myself.

THE WORD

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. -2 Corinthians 4:10

Perhaps you may be imagining me holding my toothbrush in my hand like a microphone and quoting scripture as I point to myself in the bathroom mirror, but that's not exactly what I have in mind. The reality is I "preach" lots of things to myself every day. You do too.

Our thought-lives are really just a conglomeration of sermons that we allow to shape our actions and beliefs, and they're not all good. In fact, I'd say most of the messages running through our minds lack truth. I love what Mark twain said at the end of his life, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, most of which never happened."

Insecurity, deception, temptations, fear - they all preach at us, and if we're being honest, we do a pretty good job of taking notes and applying what they say. That's why I'd like to start intentionally preaching the gospel to myself.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE GOSPEL?

If you've been around Church for any length of time, odds are you've heard the gospel being defined as "good news." Granted, it's hardly believable to think those two words can be used together, considering how torturous the news programs of our day have become.

But the word Gospel has its roots in the greek and it refers to making an announcement. In Ancient Rome and Greece they would often use heralds to send information from the battlefield. No, this was not a man named "Harold," but rather a messenger. And it was often the messenger's high duty to run to the various towns of the kingdom and declare who had, in fact, won the battle.

The gospel is not just a sweet Bible story or a philosophy to chew on. It's the announcement that the Kingdom of Heaven has declared victory over the kingdom of darkness and the kingdoms of this world! The good news is that Jesus has won the war over your soul.

RECEIVING IT VS. REPEATING IT

You can't possibly read through more than a few chapters of the New Testament before realizing that the gospel is central to our faith. Just look at how big a deal these scriptures make of the gospel:

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you…

Ephesians 1:13

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Mark 16:15

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

You didn't need proof but there it is, the gospel is vital to our faith. And I'm pretty sure there's not a Christian on the planet who would disagree with that. Yet, if I were to ask the average, western believer to share the gospel with me, there's no telling what I would be told.

That's not a criticism of any individual, if anything it's a criticism of the Church, in which I am a leader! What I'm getting at is, I'm afraid we've spent so long preaching the gospel INSIDE of our Churches that we've failed to equip people to share the gospel OUTSIDE our Churches.

It's one thing to receive the good news, but it's entirely another to carry it. See, in order for you to receive the gospel you must believe it in your heart, not just in your head. But in order for you to repeat the gospel (or share it), you must know it in your head, not just in your heart.

Believing it in your heart SAVES you, and knowing it in your head EQUIPS you. What I'm suggesting is that we begin to rehearse the gospel to ourselves daily.

WHY PREACH THE GOSPEL TO OURSELVES?

First, it will change your thinking. The gospel is the power of Jesus to overcome sin, so it will certainly overcome toxic and oppressive thoughts as well. If Paul went and preached the gospel to the other apostles, simply so they could critique his approach (Gal. 2:2), surely we should preach it to ourselves repeatedly.

Second, having the gospel on your mind will inevitably cause you to have it on your lips. I am constantly finding the gospel everywhere I go: in movies I watch, in books I read, in nature and in random facts. The truth is, the gospel is everywhere I go ONLY because I bring it with me! That's why Paul said we should always carry around the "death of Jesus so that His life may be revealed in us." The more we meditate on it, the quicker we will be to share it with others.

THE GOSPEL MADE SIMPLE, BUT NOT EASY

As I've pondered the importance of equipping the Church to carry the gospel, I've attempted to break the gospel down in simple enough terms for anyone to be able to not only grasp it, but communicate it.

But this is no doing of mine... Jesus did this. The essence of the gospel is simple all by itself. He doesn't need us to repackage it. It's actually the SIMPLICITY of the gospel that makes it so difficult for many to accept and believe. How could the salvation of our souls and the forgiveness of our sins be that simple?

1 Corinthians 1 says that the message of the cross is "foolishness to those who are perishing." It's a massive obstacle for those who are convinced they must intellectualize themselves into an understanding of the things of God. There's power in the simple gospel. So here is the good news of Jesus broken down into 4 simple (but not easy) steps:

THE CREATION

“For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

-Colossians 1:16

God is the answer to the question mankind has been searching for: Why are we here? Everything was made BY and FOR God. We were created to be in relationship with Him. He made us in His image, placed us in His creation, endued us with His purpose, and blessed us with His friendship. God didn't create love, He IS love. And love can only be expressed in relationship. So in His great love, He made man to love and be loved.

THE CAUTION

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

-Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death..."

- Romans 6:23

Before you can accept the good news, you must hear the bad news. The gospel is good news because without it we are stuck. Man disobeyed God and fell away from our intended purpose, which was to walk in relationship with Him. Sin not only brought death and sickness into the world, it became stamped on the hearts of man. It's heredity; we're ALL born with a sinful nature which means we are inclined to do wrong and to do wrong OFTEN.

But sin isn't just wrong-doing, it's a prison that separates us from God. Friend, before we can receive the good news, we all have to accept the bad news: we are ALL guilty before God and in need of saving.

THE CURE

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”

-Romans 5:8-9

This is the part we're probably all most familiar with. God sent His Son to live a sinless life and pay our sinful debt on the cross. He took our place and our sin. Not just anyone could do that. Only God Himself, who is without sin, could take the place of those whom He loves.

Jesus didn't just die FOR our sin, He died AS our sin. The Bible says He became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. The Son of God became a sinner so that sinners might become the sons and daughters of God!

THE CALL

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

-Romans 10:9-10

We must never confuse simple with easy. Belief is an act of obedience, not just a matter of agreement. Believing on Jesus means to be living for Jesus. By placing our faith in Him we are saved from our sin and its punishment. When we believe on Him it will result in action. Our lives will change, in some ways immediately and in other ways gradually, but we will be changed nonetheless. The final step of the gospel is our response to the news.

THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM

Heralds didn't just proclaim the message so people would know who won the battle. The message came so the people would know who would be their ruling authority. Depending on the outcome of the war, there could be a new king on the throne.

The gospel forces us to choose between two kingdoms: the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of this world. One is eternal, the other is temporary. In one, Jesus sits on the throne, in the other you do... at times that is. Some times our vices and addictions find themselves on the throne, other times it seems our fears sit there. No worry though, as long as we tell ourselves it's really us who's in control, we seem to be at peace with that... until we're not.

See, the gospel is the reality that there is a better kingdom with a better king in place, and you were made to be a part of that kingdom all along. Are you seeing how this is way better than brushing your teeth every day? (Avoiding eye contact with my dentist.)

CONCLUSION

The gospel isn't a sermon, it's a SEED. It's not just to be preached but planted in your heart in order to bear fruit in your life. 

Add the gospel to your daily routine. If you want to go full pulpit next to the potty in your mirror, be my guest. But in some way, this MUST become a governing thought over our minds as we go about our lives. It is the very power to not only save others, but to keep us.