"Sharing The Gospel" - Steve Wiggins Special Devotional Series

What IS The Gospel?

I am horrible with details. My wife, Misti is very detailed. Do you think that may pose a slight potential for conflict in our relationship? Indeed, it does. While we have been happily married for over 20 years, I must admit that Misti has been frustrated with me on many occasions, simply because I give general answers to specific questions. This really comes into play when she is asking me for driving directions to an exact location. For starters, I do not remember street names. I, sort of, drive by the “seat-of-my-pants”. I can navigate myself to specific places, and I go to those places often. But because I have not taken the time to consider how I might articulate the route to a second party, I make myself USELESS in giving directions…leading them to places they want to go.

Did you know that most people who have a saving relationship with Yeshua also have the same problem as me? They KNOW that they are going to Heaven, but they have never set-aside the time & energy to consider how they might share those directions with an unsaved person. I want to help YOU in that effort. I want to help you grasp 1) What is the gospel? 2) How does the Bible support the declarative truths of the gospel? 3) Whom are the types of people you will meet (in the World) who need to hear the gospel? 4) How can you answer objections to the gospel? (and, most importantly) 5) How can you lead people to a moment where they make a decision to cross the “line of faith”, moving from a state of unbelief to becoming a confident follower of G_d, through a saving relationship with Messiah Yeshua?

So, the question for today is simple: What IS the Gospel? Let’s start with the definition.

The word “gospel” simply means “good news” or “glad tidings”. Specifically, it is the good news of the Kingdom of Messiah. The Greek word, “euangelion” means “good message” and is the source of our modern word “evangelism”. So, when we evangelize, we are sharing the good message, the good news of Yeshua.

Now, what makes this “good news” better than any other news? It is because the BAD news is SO bad. How so? Mankind is in a terrible spiritual predicament.

“For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of G_d.” Romans 3:32

Therefore, the GOOD NEWS must solve mankind’s sin dilemma. It is found in the verse right next door to the one we just read:

They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua. Romans 3:24

In the coming weeks, we will explore (in more depth) exactly WHAT is the gospel, and WHERE, WHEN, HOW and to WHAT EXTENT we must receive and share it.

It may not be a daily email, but by G_d’s grace, it will be a consistent & relevant correspondence. And we’ll get trained-up to be Kingdom-builders, together!

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Wednesday, January 15, 2014