Teaching the Gospel
Yesterday I blogged about the possibility of the gospel. Can the gospel be a good news to each of us everyday, rather than just a promise for our death? I believe it can. I also believe it won’t be unless we change how we think of it and how we view ourselves.
Most people, when I ask them, tell me the gospel is a book in the Bible or the good news of salvation from hell. I have never gotten an answer that the good news is a present blessing that comes right now and continues through sanctification. I am starting to draw the conclusion that the church has killed the gospel with it’s altar calls, one time prayers asking Jesus into our hearts and campaigns descrying a one time choice to follow Jesus where there is only that one moment to look for – death. It’s no wonder we don’t feel like we can bless anyone with good news right now.
Jesus seems to have been able share good news with people that went beyond a promise for eternal life after death. He often pointed to a good news that was more present in people’s lives. He blessed people even as they stood in front of him. I wonder why we don’t do this, or at least why we don’t seem able to call that the gospel. I know of people (usually pastors) that would say they bless people or help them, but would not offer that it is the gospel they share in doing so.
So I am wondering first of all, can we bless like Jesus blessed? Can we offer good news to people right now in their lives that points to what Jesus has done for them? If so, is that part of the call of life as a Christian? Then, if all of that is true (I already assume that it is), then how do we teach that to our teens and their families?
