PREACH THE GOSPEL

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15.

LIGHT FOR NOW: The effectiveness of the gospel is in preaching it.

The gospel is news and it is not any kind of news; it is good news. The question is, good news about what? It is the good news about the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is good news that must be preached. Notice Jesus’ words in our opening text Mark 16:15 “… Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”; this is very instructive. Therefore, the gospel must be preached. The word “preach” used in this text was translated from the Greek word “kerusso” which implies to herald, to proclaim. In essence, Jesus’ words to his disciples were for them to herald or proclaim the gospel in all the world. The effectiveness of the gospel will be in preaching the gospel. Paul’s words 1Corinthians 15 further elucidates this, it reads “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:3-4).

The gospel ought to be communicated by preaching. The effectiveness of the facts of the gospel (that is, the death, the burial and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ) is in the preaching of it; meaning, not preaching the gospel is withholding the effectiveness of the gospel. Thus, every believer has a responsibility to preach the gospel. Jesus’ words in the Mathew’s account about this are also very instructive, it reads “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations…” (Matthew 28:18-19). “Go ye therefore and teach all nations”, this is very instructive. We are to take initiatives and educate, inform, explain his gospel to men. We are not saved to close our mouth; we are saved to preach the same message that saved us to the unsaved to be saved. We are saved for the purpose of saving men through the gospel that saved us; we are to herald the good news. It’s not only the duty of the pastor to preach the gospel; every believer has the duty of preaching the gospel. That word “preach” which we have seen in Mark 16:15, from its original word (“kerusso”) imply the duty of a town crier. The town crier heralds, announces, shouts it, makes it available for hearing. Hence, in preaching the gospel, the duty of the believer is similar to the duty of a town crier; the believer thus must preach the gospel. The believer not preaching the gospel is the believer rendering the gospel inoperative. Why then must the gospel be preached? It is because a man cannot be saved until he hears and believes the gospel of Christ; meaning that men are not saved until they believe in the message and for them to believe in the message, then it had to be preached and for it to be preached, it means someone was on the go (that is, someone heralded the message). No wonder Paul said in romans 10:17 that “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Therefore, preaching the gospel cannot be overemphasized. In fact, ignoring the preaching of the gospel is ignoring the salvation of men. This is because God’s commitment to save men is in the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Paul in Romans 1:16 lays more credence to this, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jews first, and also to the Greek”; meaning the saving power of God is within the gospel of Christ preached. Withholding the gospel of Christ is withholding God’s saving power. So, a man must be on the go, if the saving power must be in effect; until you are on the go, you are making the gospel of non-effect. Therefore, the message that saves us automatically makes us messengers of that same message to get the unsaved saved by the same message. Preach the gospel! Hallelujah!!! 

INSTRUCTION: The salvation of men are in men; what are you doing with the gospel, preach it!

PRAYER: Father, I respond to your on-going work which is preaching the gospel. I preach the gospel in season and out of season, in Jesus Name, Amen.

FOR MORE LIGHT, get the message ‘The Love of God’.

QUOTE: The unsaved is only saved when the gospel that saved the saved is communicated to the unsaved by the saved.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ROMANS CHAPTER 10; EVENING: ROMANS CHAPTER 1.