Paul had a burden for the church. His burden involved sound instruction in the gospel and it should be the focus of leaders today for the church.
Why do I say Paul’s burden involved the gospel for the churches?
Because not only did Romans say Paul was a bondservant, it said he was called to be an apostle and separated unto the gospel!
In another place Paul said woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.
If you are Bible student at all and understand the New Testament then you have come to discover that Paul in his letters is constantly calling the churches back to the gospel!
I am convinced that the greatest hindrance to the church making disciples and fulfilling the great commission today is not laziness in the saints, but rather it is ignorance of the gospel.
Today if we were to ask the average person to tell us what the gospel is they would give the most obvious common answer, “believe on Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Some might go a step further and add, “repent and believe.”
There is so much more to what the gospel is and where it points.
For instance there are gospels that seem to place all the focus on man. Christ is largely ignored except for what He can do for me personally. The story of God’s glory being realized through His Son’s obedience is largely lost in all the information about me.
The idea that salvation would be about God and His satisfaction is largely foreign to many but in reality the work of salvation is really about God’s desires being fulfilled by His Sons obedience and we get to be included in that process.
A gospel that fails to place Christ as the center piece and focal point not just to get started but to continue on is not the gospel of the New Covenant and it is not what the Apostles preached.
Gospel centered preaching, believing and living has as it’s central theme Jesus Christ. His obedience to the Father, His validity as Messiah to pay for sin, His death on the cross taking on Himself the wrath of God so it might be justly satisfied, His rising from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave so He might rule and reign forever as King, His ascension to the throne and His releasing the Holy Spirit to fill those who believe and His soon return to claim His bride.
A New Covenant gospel not laced with Old Covenant ideas as though all Christ could do is add what was missing. We need the gospel that preaches the better things, better atonement, better priest, better blood, better way, and better promises.
Paul was an establishing apostle after this manner.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
