Gospel in a Minute

As Paul and Silas continued on their second missionary journey, he arrived in Thessalonica in Greece.

Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2  As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3  He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Acts 17:1-3 (NLT)

Principle: Be Reasonable

Paul used the Scriptures to try to convince people of the reasonableness of the gospel message concerning Jesus’ identity as the Jewish Messiah, whose death and resurrection provides salvation for the entire world.

There is a divine logic to the gospel, but only those whose eyes and hearts have been opened by the Holy Spirit can perceive it.

If a person or group already accepts the authority of the Bible, using its logic is possible.

Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7  No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8  But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 (NLT)

If there is no common ground regarding the validity of the Bible, one can still declare the truth about Jesus in the hope that the Holy Spirit will open hearts and enable our hearers to understand and believe. Such a breakthrough is always a miracle.

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Gospel in a Minute

On Paul’s second missionary journey, he was thrown in jail in Philippi. After being beaten and put in stocks, Paul and Silas sang praises to God, who caused an earthquake that set the prisoners free. The jailer was going to commit suicide, thinking he had lost his prisoners – a capital offense. Paul stopped him, saying that everyone was accounted for.

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30  Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31  They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32  And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33  Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34  He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. Acts 16:29-34 (NLT)

Principle: Be Prepared to “Close the Deal”

Even though many, if not most, of our hearers seem to be closed to the gospel, we may one day have the privilege of sharing with someone who is immediately ready to repent and confess Christ as Savior and Lord. We must be ready to “close the deal.”

We do not want to rush things and make it “too easy” for someone to be saved by indicating that all one has to do is repeat a prayer, even when there is no heartfelt repentance. However, if a person gives a clear indication of true faith, we should move immediately, just as Paul did. I suggest encouraging (or, if necessary, leading) the person to pray out loud something like the following. The exact words are not as important as the heartfelt communication to God.

Typical Prayer for Salvation

Jesus, I realize now that you are indeed the risen Lord of Lords. Thank you for dying for my sins and giving me eternal life. I now give you my life. Help me to serve you and be a faithful witness to you and the gospel. Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Transform me from the inside out so that I think and act like Jesus. Father God, thank you for making me your child and part of your forever family. Help me to know, experience, and communicate to others your amazing love. I give you my worship and thanks. Amen.

It is a great idea to immediately baptize new believers in water, too, just as Paul did. Water baptism is our public proclamation of allegiance to Jesus the Messiah.

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Gospel in a Minute

When God healed the crippled man in Lystra, the onlookers misinterpreted what it meant.

And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12  Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13  And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. Acts 14:11-13 (ESV)

Principle: Carefully Present the Gospel Truth about God as Revealed through Christ

The attesting healing miracle in Lystra was intended to convince people of the truth of the gospel, but the people of Lystra tried to fit it into their existing pagan paradigm.  Before knowing the truth about God, we tend to create for ourselves “gods” that fit into our presuppositions about life and reality and that allow us to do whatever we want. God’s name, as revealed to Moses, is “I am Who I am.” God is not who we might want him to be. He is who he is. He revealed himself fully through his Son, Jesus the Messiah King of Israel. If we want to know what God is really like, we can find out by believing in and knowing Christ. The gospel is a presentation of the truth about God as revealed through Christ.

Gospel preachers must carefully present the Good News so that people will not easily misinterpret it. Only faith in the true God as revealed in the actual gospel saves. Our job is to make sure that is what people hear.

As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT)

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Gospel in a Minute

Paul and Barnabas arrived in Lystra, where they preached the gospel to the citizens.

Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9  He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10  said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. Acts 14:8-10 (ESV)

Principle: Take the Risk of Following the Holy Spirit

Building upon the principle that God’s Spirit is partnering with us when we share the gospel, we should be alert to signs of what he is doing while we are sharing the good news. At Lystra, Paul discerned that one of his listeners had faith to be healed. How did he know? Only those who have trained themselves (Hebrews 5:14) through practice to see, hear, or intuit what the Spirit is doing and saying (John 5:19) and who are willing to take the risk of being wrong and looking bad will be able to do this.

Being Christ’s representative is not about our looking good and never making a mistake. Christ expects his messengers to be faithful to him, regardless of the personal cost.

Being led by the Spirit involves an internal “knowing” that cannot be logically explained.

The Spirit is an able communicator, but he speaks most often in what the Bible calls a “still, small voice,” (1Kings 19:12) that only those who believe and are open and alert will detect. Once we “hear” that voice, then we face the choice of what to do.

Paul risked the entire gospel opportunity by publicly commanding the man to stand up, something impossible for him without a miracle. The risk was rewarded when the man obeyed and God healed him. This public attesting miracle validated the message and the messengers to the people of the area and opened their hearts to the gospel message.

If we want apostolic results, we must take apostolic risks.

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It takes faith to properly interpret what God is doing in the world.

Those who share the gospel should expect to encounter hostility from those who reject their message.

Gospel in a Minute

When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49  So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region. Acts 13:48-49 (NLT)

Principle: God’s Chosen Ones Will Believe the Gospel

The Bible teaches that God chose his children from before the foundation of the world.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

This theological truth should have enormous impact on those us who share the gospel.

It means that when we share the good news with people, we can be confident that some will respond. Otherwise, how could we know that anyone would?

We do not know in advance who these chosen ones are. Neither to do they. Only God knows. That being the case, we share the gospel with everyone, knowing that God has been working behind the scenes in ways we cannot necessarily comprehend or perceive, preparing hearts to receive the gospel.

Our responsibility is to share the gospel with everyone we can. The Spirit’s work is to prepare people to receive it and be part of their actively accepting the message of truth.

We find out who the elect are when they respond to the gospel, but God knew all along.

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Gospel in a Minute

As Paul Barnabas continued to preach the gospel in Antioch of Pisidia, the Jewish leaders rejected and slandered them, prompting these words from the apostles.

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46 (NLT)

Principle: Rejecting the Gospel Is an Act of Self-Condemnation

A frequent objection to the gospel being God’s only means of salvation is the question: “What about those who never have the opportunity to hear it?” It is not my purpose in this brief meditation to try to answer that question. A more important one for anyone reading this is: “What about those who do hear the gospel and reject it?” Paul clearly said that, if we do that, we condemn ourselves.

An interesting thought is that no one goes to hell against his or her will. By opting to know good and evil for themselves in direct defiance of God’s command, Adam and Eve chose to experience the rest of their human existence cut off from God’s presence, sustaining power, and guidance.

The essence of sin is to try to do life independently from God. The gospel is an invitation to reverse course and come back to a proper relationship with the Creator – Sustainer of the universe.

Jesus made this possible by taking upon himself the consequences of our rebellion. If we put our trust and allegiance in him, we are released from the guilt and condemnation of our past. If not, we seal our own doom – an eternity without God. The choice is ours.

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18  “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. John 3:17-18 (NLT)

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John the apostle wrote these amazing words:

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.1 John 1:1-2 (NLT)

The apostle Peter, who was an eyewitness to everything that happened, wrote the following in one of his letters:

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17  when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 18  We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19  Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:16-19 (NLT)

The gospel is not a myth containing truths about life. It is not a set of principles that can be divorced from history. It is not a cleverly devised fable concocted to deceive the masses.

If it is anything at all, the gospel is the true story of a real person that continues to impact the world and all human beings in what might be termed mythic proportions. As J.R.R. Tolkien told C.S. Lewis in so many words as they discussed Christianity and truth, “Christianity is the myth that is true.”

Jesus’ incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension are all historical facts witnessed by many. His future second coming will one day be seen by everyone. At that point, it will be obvious that Jesus is a real person, the most important person who ever lived, but it will be too late to do anything about it.

Right now the gospel gives people the opportunity to acknowledge the historic Jesus’ identity as the great Son of God and bow the knee to him as Lord – before it is too late.

As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2  For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT)

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The gospel is not what anyone would have expected. It cannot be logically derived or wisely concluded ahead of being introduced to it. To the human mind it seems strange and very unexpected. It is a mystery that God has unfolded to us through Christ.

Paul writes:

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;

27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 16:25-27 (NASB)

In the Bible a mystery is something hidden that cannot be known unless it is revealed by God.

Sin put a veil over the mind and heart of mankind, greatly reducing our ability to see, hear, and comprehend truth.

It made us spiritually blind, according to Jesus. It hardened our hearts against seeing and believing the truth. Left to ourselves, that is how we will remain.

When Jesus, who is the focus and revelation of God’s mystery of salvation and redemption, appeared, he was rejected by those whose eyes had not been opened by God’s Spirit. The same is true today.

When the gospel is preached and heard, only those who see and hear with the Spirit’s help can understand the mystery of Christ and salvation and really see who Jesus is, the Messiah King of Israel who died to save us from our sins.

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)

Jesus understood this reality and rejoiced in it. He was always on the lookout for those to whom God had granted access to know who he really is and to fully believe in him.

At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26  Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! Matthew 11:25-26 (NLT)

This begs the question: has the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of your heart to know Christ, God’s mystery Savior-Lord, whose identity has been hidden from most of mankind due to the hardening effects of sin? If not and you desire to know him, the Bible promises that all who seek God will find him. Jesus will never turn away anyone who comes to him with an open and honest heart.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)

Prayer

Father God, thank you that you said that all who seek you will find you. I admit that I desperately need your help. I cannot do life on my own any longer. I come to you as a seeker of truth. I want to know who Jesus really is through the revelation of your Spirit. Open my eyes and help me to see him as he really is, the glorious Lord of lords, risen from the dead and coming again in glory one day to judge all mankind. Come into my life, open my eyes, soften my heart, help me to see and understand. I give myself to you. Amen.

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