The Furtherance of the Gospel

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Introduction: Four ministries of the church: Reconciliation, Word, Lord, Saints. The one work of the church in the world: the furtherance of the gospel!  

I.         WHAT THE GOSPEL IS  

A.      The Definition of the Gospel (1Corinthians 15:1-4) 

B.      The Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24) 

II.      WHAT THE GOSPEL DOES 

A.      The Power of Salvation (Romans 1:14-16; 1Corinthians 1:17-18) 

B.      The Power of Sanctification (Romans 1:9; Philippians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:1-8) 

C.      The Scope of the Gospel (Philippians 1:5, 7, 12, 17, 27) 

D.      The Centrality of the Gospel (Romans 1:1) 

Saved! Saved! – In July of 1910, the Baptist Evangelist Mordecai Ham held an evangelistic campaign in Gonzales, Texas. “One of the most popular evangelistic hymns was born during this campaign. The evangelist was preaching on the subject, ‘Christ Our Refuge.’ In the audience was a man who had killed four men and had despaired of ever being saved. He listened to Mr. Ham explain that Christ is a refuge for sinners of any and every stripe and that the ‘Cities of Refuge,’ described in the Old Testament, are a type of Christ, who is a haven of hope and eternal forgiveness for all who will flee to Him. Midway during the sermon this man jumped up from his seat and shouted: ‘Saved! Saved! Saved!’ Mr. Scofield [Jack P. Scholfield] was so inspired that the next afternoon he sat outside the hotel, where the Ham party was residing, and composed both the words and the music for the hymn entitled, ‘Saved, Saved.’ That night the tabernacle audience heard the song for the first time.” –from A Biography of M. F. Ham by E. E. Ham (p.99-100).

III.   WHO THE GOSPEL REACHES 

A.      To Those Who Have Not the Knowledge of God (1Corinthians 15:34) 

1.  The source of eternal life (John 17:3)

2.  Through the knowledge of Jesus Christ (John 14:6-9; 2Corinthians 4:6) 

Preach the Gospel – “The Gospel is a revelation of divine truth—and while it can, while it certainly will save all that believe it—it cannot save those who are ignorant of it—who neglect it, who misapprehend it, who reject it—who do not understand and believe it. The Gospel is ‘the power of God unto salvation to every one what believeth:’ in other words—‘The Gospel believed is God’s effectual method of saving mankind.’ In this we find a very good reason both why Paul should not be ashamed of the Gospel, and why he should wish to preach it.” –comments on Romans 1:16 from Analytical Exposition of Romans by John Brown (p.8).

B.      To Those Whose Eyes are Blinded (2Corinthians 4:3-4) 

1.  To those who are lost (v.3; Mark 8:36)

2.  To those who have been blinded (v.4; 2Timothy 2:25-26) 

C.      In the Regions Beyond (2Corinthians 10:14-16) 

1.  We are to reach our area (Acts 5:42; 20:20)

2.  We are to reach to the regions beyond (Acts 1:8) 

D.      Among All Nations (Romans 1:5) 

1.  Go ye therefore (Matthew 28:19-20)

2.  Thou must prophesy again (Revelation 10:11)

a.  Peoples – about 12,000 ethnic groups around the world

b.  Nations – 235 by one count

c.  Tongues – about 7,000 separate languages 

E.       Where Christ is Not Named (Romans 15:20) 

1.  About 60% of the languages in the world have no portion of scripture in them; only about 5% of the languages have the entire Bible

2.  According to one count, 66 nations severely restrict religious belief

3.  Probably 15-25% of the world’s population have never heard the gospel of Christ in any form; most have not had a clear presentation of the gospel message.

4.  Most missionaries go where other missionaries are already working. More missionaries need to go where no one is taking the gospel witness. 

F.       To the Uttermost Part of the Earth (Acts 1:8) 

1.  We are to go to all parts of the earth

2.  Each church is responsible for reaching the world for Christ; that is, every local church is to be headquarters for world missions

3.  One of the surest signs of spiritual death in the church is the cry to take care of our own before going to the world 

G.     To Every Creature Under Heaven (Colossians 1:23; Mark 16:15) 

Spread the Gospel to Distant Lands! – John Mason Peck (1789-1858), who would later serve many years as a Baptist home missionary to the lands west of the Mississippi River, made this diary entry on June 25, 1813: “How can Christians in this land of high privileges sit easy and unconcerned, without contributing out of their abundance to spread the gospel in distant pagan lands! My soul is grieved for them in their ignorance. Oh, how I wish I was so circumstanced in life as that I might be able to bear the gospel into some distant pagan lands where it never yet has shined! A large part of the American continent is also involved in darkness. Yes, under the immediate Government of the United States, there is an abundant field for missionary labor. How I should rejoice if Providence would open a door for my usefulness and labors in this way. But alas, how idle and vain are my thoughts! In this place I am too faithless, too prone to wander. Oh, that I might first learn to perform the duties which come within my reach, and not presume to think I should be more faithful in another part of the vineyard!” –from Vanguard of the Caravans by Coe Hayne (p.24-25).

IV.   WHAT THE GOSPEL REQUIRES 

A.      Those Who Preach the Gospel (Romans 10:14) 

B.      Those Who Send the Preachers (Romans 10:15) 

C.      Those Who Labor in the Gospel (Philippians 2:22; 4:3)

Call to Action – “Let not your exertions end in tears; mere weeping will do nothing without action. Get on your feet: ye that have voices and might, go forth and preach the gospel; preach it in every street and lane of this huge city; ye that have wealth, go forth and spend it for the poor and sick and needy and dying, the uneducated, the unenlightened; ye that have time, go forth and spend it in deeds of goodness; ye that have power in prayer, go forth and pray; ye that can handle the pen, go forth and write down iniquity, --every one to his post; every one of you to your gun in this day of battle; now for God and for his truth; for God and for the right; let every one of us who knows the Lord seek to fight under his banner.” By Charles Spurgeon from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations (p.10). 

Conclusion: You Can Only Kill Me – “Jesse Boardman Hartwell worked for many years as a Baptist missionary in China from 1860 until his death in 1912. “One of the first fruits of Mr. Hartwell’s early ministry was a young man of the Tsung Family Village. So persistent was he in presenting the claims of Christianity to his unbelieving relatives and friends, that his clansmen felt disgraced at harboring so outspoken a follower of the foreign devils. He was untrue to the ancestors whom he no longer worshipped, and to his nation, for he was paying tribute to a foreign God. They took him to a cliff overhanging the sea and told him that unless he gave up the Jesus religion he would be thrown over and drowned. With a smile he said, ‘You can kill me but you can’t harm me. You will only be sending me home to my Father’s house.’ They decided to let him live a while longer since he was so happy despite their direst threats. He lived to a blessed old age and saw a handsome church building in his own village and many members of his family active in the service of the Lord.” –from Up From Zero in North China by Anna Seward Pruitt (p. 27-28).