"Preach The Gospel"
Mark
If a man is called of God to the work of the gospel ministry, it is his great privilege and awesome responsibility to preach the gospel of Christ to eternity bound sinners, for the glory of God and the everlasting salvation of those who hear him.
Let me repeat
what I have told you hundreds of times. I wish I could get the attention of
every preacher in this world, and could persuade him of this fact. – The only true, biblical preaching there is
is gospel preaching.
No man has preached, in Bible terms, until he has preached the gospel. No man has truly and accurately expounded any text of Scripture, until he has preached the gospel from the text. No Bible subject has been faithfully and properly handled, if it has not been set forth in the context of gospel light. No sermon should ever be preached which does not show eternity bound sinners the way of life and salvation in Christ.
The singular, universal subject of Holy Scripture is the gospel of God’s free and sovereign, saving grace in Jesus Christ, our crucified, risen, exalted Lord and Savior (Lk. 24:24, 44-47; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).
Knowing these
things, I say with the apostle Paul… -- As
much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you… For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just
shall live by faith…Christ sent me…to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved it is the power of God…I determined not to know any thing among you,
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified…God forbid that I should glory, save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and
I unto the world. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of:
for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe
is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (Rom.
To preach the gospel is not merely declaring the historic facts of Christ’s person, incarnation, virgin birth, life of perfect obedience as our federal Head Representative before God the Father, sin-atoning death, resurrection, and glory as our Substitute, that God might be just and the Justifier of all who believe, though these facts must be faithfully proclaimed. There is more to preaching the gospel than merely repeating to sinners the necessity of the new birth, Holy Spirit conviction, and faith in Christ, though we must never fail to show sinners the way of life in Christ.
To preach the gospel is to set forth the beauty and glory of Christ in all his glorious person and work as the God-man, our Mediator, in all the Scriptures. It is to proclaim Christ crucified as the basis, motive, and inspiration for all faith, obedience, devotion, worship, and praise. To preach the gospel is to show in all the Scriptures the things concerning Christ.
Don Fortner