In the OT the nation of Israel tended to repeatedly drift
away from a firm trust in God. This took the form of blatant idolatry and at
other times unwise, fear-based political alliances. God spoke through Jeremiah
saying, “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the
fountain of living waters, and have hewn for themselves cisterns
[containers]—broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). Many American
Christians behave similarly. We have a broken society but rather than looking
to the only One who heals broken lives and broken nations we routinely look for
hope in other quarters. We promote political solutions and we moralize (tell people to change without sharing Christ) but we
rarely share the Gospel. I’ve come to believe, based on our actions, that that
many Christians do not truly trust the power of the Gospel to transform
individuals and the culture. This post will propose three actions that we
will take if we truly trust the Gospel.
1. IF WE TRULY
TRUST THE GOSPEL WE WILL HAVE GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS. The word “foolish” in this passage comes from
a Greek word we get “moron” from. The message of the cross seems moronic to a
person who is on their way to Hell, but what about to us? It is cruel to demand
that people around us in society live out a Christian view of morality without
sharing the Gospel with them. First century culture was morally toxic just like
ours. But the disciples turned the world upside down by sharing the Good News!
The transformation that occurs through regeneration is the power (dunamis, dynmaic) for changed lives (2 Corinthians 5:17). “Not simply
good advice, telling us what to do”—L. Morris. Transformation is sequential:
first Gospel proclamation, then a changed life. Romans 10:13-14, “For everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? And how are they to believe in whom they have never heard? And how
are they to hear without someone preaching [witnessing]?” Cultural
transformation and Gospel proclamation are interrelated. I’m not sure that it
can be quantified, but I get the impression that not many Christians are
sharing their faith with others. Here
are some ideas to help you break through your personal reluctance to share
Christ with others: (a) Accept that evangelism is the personal
responsibility of every confessing Christian, (b) Pray for
opportunities to have Gospel conversations. (c) Be prepared. Keep tracts on
hand. (d) Rehearse your testimony and ask permission to share it. (e) Listen to
people. (f) Allow God to use your natural interests. (g) Believe what you
believe. (h) Accept that your faith should make you uncomfortable at least as
often as it makes you comfortable.
2. IF WE TRULY
TRUST THE GOSPEL WE WON’T GET WORRIED BY THE HEADLINES (v.20). In verse 20
the Bible asks, “Where are the wise, scribes and debaters (those who ‘weigh
God’s actions according to mere human estimates’*)”? The implication is not
that they don’t exist, but that God discounts them as irrelevant. “The Lord in
Heaven laughs. He holds them in derision” (Psalm 2:4). If we truly believe the
Gospel, why would we ever be devastated by the headlines? E. Peterson, “If we
forget that the newspapers are footnotes to Scripture and not the other way
around, we will finally be afraid to get out of bed in the morning. …The
meaning of the world is most accurately given to us by God’s Word.” So many
people are dominated by fear, when our confession is that we know the outcome
of history, and the Bible says “do not be afraid” more than almost anything
else. (Illus – DVR)
3. IF WE TRULY
TRUST THE GOSPEL WE WILL COMMIT OUR LIVES TO JESUS. The Good News is that
“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes
in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” The cross is the focal point
of history and is intended to be the defining reality of every person’s life. Pastor Brian
Zhand said, “When we look at the cross, we see a God who would rather die than
kill His enemies.” Romans 5:6-8, “For
while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For
one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person
someone would even dare to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The Gospel is the only trustworthy
medicine for our spiritual ills. It tells us the truth about ourselves and God.
But it is not just information to be heard and catalogued; it has to be
internalized in our heart through repentance and faith. Truth has to make the
18 inch journey from head to heart.
Conclusion – If
we trust that God’s powerful work on the cross is the answer for broken lives
and a broken society 1 we will talk to others about it—we will
have Gospel conversations. 2 We will live hopefully. We will not be
panicky, anxious, time-bound paranoid wrecks. 3
If we truly trust the Gospel, we will commit our lives to it. We will be
all in! Jesus Christ will be the over-arching answer to everything.
*Vines Exp. Dictionary
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