We Must Preserve the Heart of the Gospel

The heart of the gospel is Christ crucified, buried, and resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Man is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Whenever we fail to keep this truth at the center of our lives and the center of our ministry, we lose our integrity. We start to become something we are not; a social agency, an entertainment industry, or a self-help group. The church cannot justify her existence unless she remains true to the gospel. It profits a man nothing if he gains the whole world and loses his soul (Mark 8:36). Certainly the church is free to offer help for the material and psychological needs of man. But at the same time she must keep the gospel central to everything.

Praise the Lord for the truth of the gospel that has been given to you and me: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always” (Psalm 105:1-4).

Pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him: “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:1-3)

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God’s will, voice your affirmation of His Word: “For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Faithfulness with your talents,
• Your state and local leaders,
• Community affairs.

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord who gives us His grace: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)