Where is the Gospel?

God has really been hitting me with some big things lately.  Between hearing a few excellent presentations of the Gospel and reading Matthew, Acts, and the beginning of Romans, I've began to understand that if the gospel message isn't entrenched into everything we do, we're missing the mark.

We hear the word "gospel" a lot, but in talking with students, I am beginning to understand that we don't define this word (along with many others) very well for the unchurched.  The word gospel comes from the Greek word "euangelion" (gk. εὐαγγέλιον) which means "Good News."  What, then, is the Good News?

Think of the words "Good News" as a title to a story...the most amazing story ever told!  The story of the failings of man, and God's work in restoring man.  That God sent his son, Jesus, to the Earth and that his son lived a SINLESS life.  While here, he worked countless miracles proving over and over that he didn't only have power to heal sickness, but that he had the power to heal sin.  His radical message led to his undeserved death, but because he was absolutely sinless, his death acted as the ultimate sacrifice. This sacrifice broke the power of sin and death if you would just put your life in his hands and give yourself to him...if you would declare to live by HIS standards and not yours, you can be saved from death and raised to walk in newness of a restored life.

That is GOOD NEWS.  This story is told in four different accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Rather than calling this "The Jesus Story" or "How the West was Won," Jesus followers called this the Good News...The Gospel.

Head, Heart, Hands...

• If you are reading this, you have probably understood the facts about this gospel message.  
• You have embraced the knowledge of this Gospel message in your heart and have begun living your life according this Gospel.  
• Are you actively seeking to serve others while proclaiming this Gospel?

We can do a lot of good things for people as Christians.  If we just do good things, and never make it known that we are doing it in Christ's name, it is absolutely useless for the Kingdom.  There are thousands of organizations out there that do good things for the sake of "goodness" (for goodness sake?).  Are you serving to make the name of Christ known?

This spills out into my life and even my ministry.  Am I concerned with having the biggest group or having the most fun atmosphere for students, or am I most interested in having them understand and make a choice about this Gospel message?  Is the fun atmosphere coming at a cost to the Gospel, or are we using the fun to draw them into Christ's incredible story?