FIVE REASONS WHY WE PREACH THE GOSPEL
My wife, Marge and I have spent close to 50 years going into over 125 countries telling the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel. Many have told us of the wonderful exiting life of travel we have had. However, it has gone against the natural desires of my life. I am a poor tourist, I naturally do not like to travel and being of Jewish heritage I am a finicky eater of food. I also like to sleep in one bed and yet we have slept in more than 4,000 beds. We have slept in ‘water beds’ before they invented them. The roof leaked or the children playing on the bed. I do not want to get into the food etc, that we have eaten doing missionary work. You may ask us if we are sorry. The answer is a resounding NO! Next to receiving Christ and being saved, winning souls is the greatest JOY you can experience.Next the question may be asked, “Why do you preach the Gospel?” There are 5 main reasons I preach the Gospel.
I. God’s Word tells me to preach the Word.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. If I had no other reason, this would be enough. Jesus told his Church in the great commission for all believers to go into the entire world and to preach the Gospel to everyone." (Mark 16:15 KJV)
The word 'preach' has a three-fold meaning:
- First it means to tell the Word by mouth.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8 KJV)
- Second it means to live the Gospel. (We all can do that even if we cannot speak). "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. This is living the Gospel!" (John 13:35 KJV)
- Third it means to demonstrate or to manifest the Gospel. This is what creation is crying out for. "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." (Rom 8:19 KJV) We need to be doing the works Jesus told us to do. The Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5 chapter clearly tells us how to demonstrate the Gospel.
II. I am called to preach the Gospel.
- I am an Evangelist. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; I am a gift to the Church." (Eph 4:11 KJV)
- I know my calling. I have a divine call to the ministry and to preach the Gospel. Every God called minister is a gift ministry to the church. "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!" (1 Cor 9:16 KJV)
- It is a calling and not a profession.
III. The Gospel is the Power of God!
"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 Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom 1:16 KJV)
"And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power." (Luke 4:32 KJV)
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor 1:18 KJV)
IV. I would like to overcome the grave and death.
There is only one way not to go by way of the grave. Jesus told us how in Matthew 24:14 - "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." If we can reach the whole world with the message of the Kingdom we will not be taken by the ‘undertaker’ but by the ‘upper taker’.
V. It changes lives.
I do not know anything that can change lives move than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It can unite broken homes, draw the alcoholic from the cup, the gambler from the cards, the addict from the needle, the harlot from the streets and draw all people into the Kingdom of God. It changes lives. It changed my life and that is why we have given out lives to preach the Gospel. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor 5:17 KJV)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24 KJV)
These are a few of the reasons we go, however, most of all, because we love our Father in heaven.
God bless and help you to preach the gospel with your words and with your life. God bless you and yours - remember to smile, why? Because God loves you, He really does!
God bless you and yours!
For more help and info go to: www.tonyabram.com.
