How to preach the gospel

[Shev]

Hello Rosered,

Thank you for the response. I think to clarify, I am not saying we just tell people God loves them, and then walk away. I was more just pointing out that in the scriptures the pattern tends to be proclaiming the awesomeness of God and His Christ, and then the human response to that awesomeness - in other words, starting with the big, universal picture, before the individual place in it is expounded upon. This can include anything and everything that has been accomplished by the divine wisdom, including triumph over sin, etc.

On the other hand, the popular pattern seems to have become small picture followed by big picture. "You are a worm - but God has made a way for you." I guess part of the problem with this, in my opinion, is it starts off by making the whole issue of salvation revolve around the individual, rather than showing the grand panorama first, and then their place in it. So to me, the whole message is framed a little back to front. To start off by saying someone is a worm, does not give the context that they were sold into slavery to sin, and that this was all part of the will of God, who purposed this in Himself.

As I said before, I am not trying to make this a formula, with no exceptions, but it does seem to hold as a general pattern - not just in Peter's sermon, but in places where the general message is proclaimed, whether the book of Ephesians as mentioned, or the fourth gospel ("In the beginning was the word"), or at the start of the book of Hebrews.

[rosered]

Hello Rosered,

Thank you for the response. I think to clarify, I am not saying we just tell people God loves them, and then walk away. I was more just pointing out that in the scriptures the pattern tends to be proclaiming the awesomeness of God and His Christ, and then the human response to that awesomeness - in other words, starting with the big, universal picture, before the individual place in it is expounded upon. This can include anything and everything that has been accomplished by the divine wisdom, including triumph over sin, etc.

On the other hand, the popular pattern seems to have become small picture followed by big picture. "You are a worm - but God has made a way for you." I guess part of the problem with this, in my opinion, is it starts off by making the whole issue of salvation revolve around the individual, rather than showing the grand panorama first, and then their place in it. So to me, the whole message is framed a little back to front. To start off by saying someone is a worm, does not give the context that they were sold into slavery to sin, and that this was all part of the will of God, who purposed this in Himself.

As I said before, I am not trying to make this a formula, with no exceptions, but it does seem to hold as a general pattern - not just in Peter's sermon, but in places where the general message is proclaimed, whether the book of Ephesians as mentioned, or the fourth gospel ("In the beginning was the word"), or at the start of the book of Hebrews.

I thank you so much  for the   clarity  , I always enjoy your sharing  bro .

  Understanding  what you are saying now better ,   Sorry about that . 
  Truth  is ,we  Keep the focus  on the Lord  and His finished work  at the cross    :HeartThrob:        and the manifesting the  Power  in  of the Word of Life

As the human conditions is  already in need ,  the poor in Spirit .

   Those tax collectors and harlots were going to enter before   , the well  versed and religious    leaders  could .

    No need to brow beat  anyone into submission , force   gets you headlocked  ,but a little love goes a long  way ...

[eaglesway]

I think a key point that is often missed is "the resurrection from the dead". In Acts 17 it says when they heard Paul proclaiming the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed, but many stayed and said "We would like to hear more on this matter".

The message Paul preached in Acts 17 was to a predominantly heathen crowd of pagan philosophers, yet Paul's message was very inclusive and full of the dispensation of grace.

He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this."


Life from the dead is based on the forgiveness of sin. This cleansing is received in the form of unmerited love from God, given from the foundation of the world, but received when one sees "Christ crucified" and understands that His sacrifice is the expression of God's love for them and also a way of life.... a change of heart and mind to see the world in a new light.... and to join in the work- "pick up my cross daily"...."take my yoke upon you"...."freely you have received, freely give".

In other words, there is conviction of sin at the revelation of Christ crucified, accompanied by the awareness that God has forgiven us(the eye of the needle). Walking that narrow path, the path that leads to life, comes from the revelation of Christ raised from the dead and exalted above all heavens- and alive in me as Lord(Victorious King) and Shepherd(Loving Guide)...

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

So many of the gospels proclaimed today depend upon a person "becoming righteous" so that Christ will receive them.

I think the gospel of the apostles declared that Christ is righteous, and laid down His life willingly, so that you can be set free from the futility of self, and the chaos of rebellion and  be raised up to live in the Way. Forgiveness and deliverance comes through Christ's crucifixion, wholeness and victory through Christ's resurrection,

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

I think contemporary theologians and preacher/ teachers focus more on the objective truths of the faith than the ways of God and Christ, as if it is more important that we kno about God than that we live in the way of Christ, the image of God.

IMO this is why they have no power and are mostly spiritually impotent and only function in the realm of reason and dogma and creedal standards. Like the Pharisees and Saducees of old- who were not, by the way, all unrighteous. They were just blinded by the adversary and traditions of men- many of them received the gospel when it was manifest to them in a demonstration of the wisdom, power and love of the Spirit.

Today we have a majority theology that says all the ignorant will burn forever. Paul said God "winked"(KJV) at the times of ignorance, and set men within them so that they would(out of the chaos and pain of futility) search for the One who was imprinted deep within them as Creator(Christ, the image of God).

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham....

Because they do not understand that the children of Abraham will eventually number as the sands of all the seas and all the stars in the heavens, within a context of verses like John 12:32 and Eph 1:9-11 and Colossians 1:15-20 and Rev 21:5- they do not understand the gospel, or the wisdom of God, or His ultimate purpose.

[Shev]

 :iagree:

Another excellent post, thanks so much John!

[eaglesway]

BTW, I read an estimate that there are aprox 8 billion grains of sand in a cubic meter, that's one cubic meter, 3ft 3 in x 3 ft 3", of beach

Even cutting the estimate in half, or in quarters- any given sea would have more grains of sand upon it than humans who have ever lived or likely ever will.

Not to mention all the stars in the universe, oy vei! I am getting SUCH a headache! :o)

From NASA's Astrophysics Science Division at the Goddard Space Center

"There are different models for estimating the number of stars in the Milky Way and the answers they give differ depending on what is used as the average mass of a star. The most common answer seems to be that there are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way on the low-end and 400 billion on the high end. But I've seen even higher numbers thrown around."

From physics.org

"According to the best estimates of astronomers there are at least one hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe. They've counted the galaxies in a particular region, and multiplied this up to estimate the number for the whole universe."

Hmmm, let's see. 100 billion x 50 billion(half the estimates)

5e +21.... whatever number that is.

So who will not become a child of Abraham? There is no shadow of turning with our God.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. James 1;17,18

We are only the first fruits of a viral download(Logos=Christ crucified, Christ raised from the dead) that will consume every living being and infect and transform all creation. :o)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Gen 1

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,

"Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 1 Cor 2

32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Rom 11

All of these verses are the gospel we preach and teach, and it truly is GOOD NEWS!

[eaglesway]

5 septillion stars, or there abouts LOL