Presentation of the Gospel

Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.”  Sometimes we might forget the importance of what he just said.  The power in conversion is not within us; it is in the word of God.  But, we must not get in the way of the word through a faulty or unprepared presentation.
 
I am asked often for some good material to teach someone the gospel.  We have some very good teaching material in hard copy form that anyone can use.  We also have good material online through the website.  However, what I want to address in this article is the presentation not the information.
 
Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica about this topic giving us a template of a presentation of the gospel that will ensure we are out of the way allowing the power of God to do the work it is designed to do.  He wrote this, “…our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.  And you became followers of us and of the Lord…” (I Thessalonians 1:5-6).
 
Notice Paul’s reference to “our gospel” (verse 5).  Any presentation of the gospel must begin with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was Paul’s gospel because God gave to people through him, but it was also Paul’s gospel because he had adopted it as his own.  Unless I stand in the gospel having adopted it as mine, I will not present it well to others.
 
Paul had adopted the gospel as his own but it was not just the words alone that he brought to the Thessalonians (“our gospel did not come to you in word only”).  Anyone who has a copy of the Bible has the words of God.  They can read them for themselves.  However, those who proclaim the gospel have a responsibility to demonstrate the words they are proclaiming.  Paul gave three responsibilities all proclaimers have.
 
We must present the word “in power”.  The word of God is the power to save any individual.  However, seeing the power of the gospel in the lives of other people is a great motivator to let it be powerful in their lives.  If it makes a difference in others, it can make a difference in their lives as well.
 
We must present the word “in the Holy Spirit”.  This should remind us of the uniqueness of the word and, therefore, of the high view we should have of the word.  Our presentation should remind people that the word came from God through the agency of His Spirit.  We must have a reverence for the word as we study and proclaim it.
 
We must present the word “in much assurance”.  This seems to be a two-fold concept.  Others must know our assurance that this is indeed the word of God and that we are fully confident in it to stand the test levied against it.  They must also see the assurance we have in the word that gives us our confidence in our spiritual future because we believe the word of God.  If I do not have great confidence in my own salvation, how can I expect the word to supply confidence to someone else?
 
The result of Paul’s presentation of the gospel is that his hearers became followers.  It is not our responsibility to see to it that others obey.  It is our responsibility to present it and allow God to give the increase.  It is true, though, that seeing them become followers is our goal.    This is a presentation that has proven to work.

— Mike Johnson