(Part 1 of 2)
“This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”-Mark 1:1
Is the gospel still newsworthy? There are some people out there that would like for the world to believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is fake news. That it is propaganda and none of it really happened or is simply an outright lie. There are some that would like for you to believe that it is old news and that the gospel is antiquated and that we have evolved past it or enlightened beyond it.
Some would argue whether it is news at all. They claim that it is a story that has been circulating for generation. It certainly isn’t news. Isn’t that what makes news, well news? One definition of news is: newly received or noteworthy information especially about recent or important events. If that is the case, then the gospel may be good information, but in their minds is hardly news.
Yet at the very end of the book of Mark, Jesus command His disciples to:
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”-Mark 16:15
Truth of the matter is, it is going to take a while to preach the Good News to everyone. So it wasn’t the latest news for sure by the time it gets to some, but it was still going to be good news. News can also be defined as information not previously known to someone. For those who have never heard the gospel message, it would certainly be good news. Still today, there are those who have never heard the gospel fo Jesus preached. So we are still operating under the mandate to preach the Good News to everyone.
So with over 2,000 years passed and the explosion of technology, and thousands upon thousands of missionaries, churches and Christians spanning the good, why hasn’t the whole world heard yet? Has the gospel lost its goodness?
Who loves the smell of a new car? So many people like that smell, they have tried to create air fresheners that smell like a new car to give you that feeling long after the newness has worn off. However, just because the newness has worn off doesn’t make the vehicle ineffective. We don’t abandon it for another one, once the newness wears off.
For many people, the newness of the gospel has worn off and along with it so has their passion for it. Nevertheless, just because the newness has worn off, doesn’t mean that the gospel itself is still not good, effective, full of purpose, and able to transform lives. To those who are hearing it for the very first time it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). It is life transforming.
In Luke 4, Jesus quoted this passage from Isaiah 61:1-2:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.”
It may seem like yesterday’s headline to you, but it is good news to the poor; it is a comfort to the brokenhearted; it is freedom for those held captive; and it is hope for those who are mourning. They are experiencing in the moment what many of us have archived away along time ago.
Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
No comments:
Post a Comment