The Preacher and the Gospel

1Cor. 15:1-4 - Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...

Paul understood the power of the gospel was the center and focus of all Christian life and ministry. It was the focus of his teaching. It was point of his exhortations. Everything, bar none, points to the Gospel. We are sinners, desperately in need of a saviour. Our sin has no bounds, knows no end, and God's wrath abides on every one of us apart from Christ.

And apart from him, we can do nothing about it. 

This is the message that should drive every believer to Church on Sundays. Not how cool the pastor looks, not how applicable his clever anecdotes are to my life, not how "awesome" the worship band is, or the dim lights, or friendly atmosphere, or the how culturally relevant they are- because not ansingle one of these can come close to being described as the power of God to all who believe. 

"Ministry" and "outreach" do not rely on finances, and no man is a preacher simply because he talks in front of people. The job of the preacher is to proclaim the Gospel, to both the saved and the unsaved. To proclaim the utter despair of our position in sin. To proclaim that day by day the faith which is given to us must be placed in our only source of hope- Jesus Christ our Lord. 

1Cor. 2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 

A Church that doesn't proclaim the Gospel weekly to the exhortation of the congregation isn't a Church, and a preacher that doesn't proclaim the Gospel to his sheep isn't a shepherd.

1Cor. 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness. 

Press on,

Mike Senders