May 29, 2020
By John J. Pethtel
Something that I often say while preaching—and why the gospel must be shared in ways that all can understand it—is, “The gospel is for believers and unbelievers.” The gospel for unbelievers is meant to offer conviction of sin and/or hope for the future. The gospel for believers is for confession of sin and a reminder of purpose.
This is why our lives, as believers, and our spheres of influence need to be saturated with the gospel. What are our spheres of influence? Your spheres of influence are the locations and the people that God has given you to minister to through your words, your living, and your presence.
What happens if we don’t saturate our spheres of influence with the true gospel? To put it simply, lives will be eternally lost. To put it more bluntly, the enemy gains the ground that is not saturated with the true gospel.
If we do not saturate our spheres of influence with the true gospel, the gospel will be assumed.
What does it mean to assume the gospel? It means that we take it for granted that the people that are around us believe and know the gospel. Why is that bad? Because even if we believe and know and even live the gospel, we need to hear it again and again and again for it to truly take root. We need to be reminded of its power in salvation and in sanctification.
Assuming the gospel is the quickest route to kill a church in a couple of generations. An assumed gospel leads to a twisted gospel, which leads to a lost gospel. And when the gospel is lost, the lifeblood of the church is drained out. Was the gospel clearly preached in the sermon and teaching that was delivered? Was the gospel clearly present in the lyrics and theology of the songs that we sing? Is the gospel clearly evident in the words that we pray?
Have you ever asked someone in your church to explain the gospel to you? Many people who hold membership in the church of God struggle with not just living the gospel but merely explaining it.
Churches with an incomplete, different, or false gospel are gaining space and influence in communities around the world where the true gospel is not clearly communicated. Do NOT assume the gospel or that someone knows the gospel.
Know how to say the message of the gospel in clear and unassuming language, and make sure members of your congregation know how to say the gospel in a minute or two in their own words.
Share the gospel with others in your words. The gospel must be boldly spoken and winsomely lived. If you do not share the gospel regularly, it will start to become fuzzy and unfamiliar to you. To employ a cliche: use it or lose it.
Apply the gospel in your life by using it to kill sin and to bring repentance, forgiveness, and holiness. The gospel is not just what gets us saved. It is a deep well to be drawn from and learned from daily.
If the true gospel becomes assumed, it will quickly become confused, replaced, and possibly lost. Don’t let this happen on our watch in our churches and in our communities. Saturate your life, your family, your church, and your community (your spheres of influence) with the true gospel and watch what God will do.
