Monthly Archives: June 2014

Discipleship is a matter of relating oneself to the living, exalted Christ as both learner and follower, and to the rest of Christ’s disciples as one who longs both to learn from them and to give to them, knowing that being in their company is the Masters will. These things must be clearly taught, or the nature of the Christian life will surely be misunderstood.

From “The Gospel: Its Content and Communication” (in Down to Earth Stott and Cook, ed)

In an essay titled “The Gospel: It’s Content and Communication,” J. I. Packer states…

The content of the Gospel includes a diagnosis of the hearers’ state and needs before God, value – judgments on the life they live now as compared with that which might be theirs, and a call to judge themselves, to acknowledge the gracious approach and invitation of God in Christ, and to respond by a commitment more radical and far reaching than any other they will ever make. The Gospel is not fully communicated unless all this occurs.
Therefore, the Gospel must be verbalized and in its verbal form it must be preached, that is, set forth by a messenger…

Packer goes on to say that “preaching is teaching plus application.”

As we prepare to step into pulpits before people who God loves enough to die for let us keep these things in mind and clearly present the Gospel.