Introduction: The Evangelist is
“a declarer of a good tidings”. The evangel is the Gospel of God concerning His
son Jesus Christ our Lord (I Tim 1:11). The purpose and object of the evangel is
the salvation of sinners, here and now. It is the Gospel of God to be made
known among all the nations (Rom. 1:8), and though its proclamation in this age
of grace and of the spirits presence and power on earth, God is taking out of
these nation: a people for His Name” (Acts 15:14).
When this set
time of favour, this acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 11:19) reaches its
close, the saved will be removed from earth to heaven, grace will cease to reign and judgement will come upon
all who “know not God, and on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus”
(II Thes. 1:8).
Surely then, it
becomes all who know and love this Gospel and hold this ministry of
unconciliation as a secret trust (I Thes 2:40 from God, to be earnest and diligent
in making it know, after the apostolic pattern and example, “publicity and from
house to house” (Acts 20:20) , everywhere and always, “in season, out of
reason” (II Tim. 4:2), while ever
remembering the Lord’s fine word – “Go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature
(Mark 16:15).
That those who
heard word understood its meaning, and felt its power, is shown in the sequel, for we are told immediately
after, that “ they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with
them and confirming the Word” (V. 20).
THE PREACHER: He, although a “voice” (John 1:23),
“and in his own estimation as “nothing” (II Cor.12:11) “is an ambassador for
Christ” (II Cor. 5:20) , standing in His stead, armed with His authority, to proclaim the greatest
message mankind with ever hear. He ought to be a man of God, fully furnish (II
Tim. 3:17), and always” ready to preach the Gospel” (Rom. 1:15), maintaining a
right spiritual condition before God, and a clean and blameless life before man
(I Thes 2:10). If these are leaking, his preaching, however sound, will be void
of power and barren in result.
THE MESSAGE: The opening verse of First
Corinthians 15 give a plain statement of the Gospel as Paul preached it to the
people of Corinth, when he entered that city with the Holy determination
burning in his soul to know nothing among them, cultured and a custom to the
world’s wisdom as they were, save “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Cor.
2:2). Here he gives the very worlds in which he preached, as he had received
them from the Lord, for he says. “I make known, I say in what words I preached
it unto you”. And these are very “word”. “That Christ died for our sins
according to the scripture, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scripture” we should study the example of preaching
which have been preserved to us in the world notably the two great Gospel
declarations of Peter and of Paul to Gentile hearers, as recorded in Acts 10
and 13. In a day of “other Gospel” which have no Divine message in them to
received sinners, and no power with them to bring men from the service and
power of Satan unto God, it behaves all who go forth with God’s evangel, to
preach it with no uncertain sound and to make it known in words which are
according to “the word of the truth of the Gospel” (Col.1:5).
THE POWER WHICH DOES THE WORK: The Apostle Paul tells us that his
message at Thessalonica was not “in word
only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit” (I Thes 1:5). It was this
“demonstration of the Spirit and if power”
(I Cor 2:4) that
he counted on to do the work of convincing and converting sinner. The some
power is available to day, for although “sign and wonder” are no longer with
us, the presence of the Holy Spirit abides, and where He is owned and honoured,
He never fails to do His work. So that the old Gospel, in its fullness and
freshness, faithfully proclaimed, “with the Holy Spirit sent down heaven” (I
Pet. 1:12), is the message and means whereby sinners of all nations, and in all
conditions, can be reached and converted to God.
Let the preacher make it his first
and chief concern to present himself a clean and sanctified vessel, “meet for
the master’s “Use” having the word of Christ dwelling richly in his own soul.
Let all service be for God, be preached by reasons of waiting upon God, to hear
His voice, to receive His message, and to be assured of His guidance. And let
only such means be used in making known the message as are worthy of God. Let
the Lord’s servant preach seeking only to please the one whom He serves, and
without fear of man seeking flattery from him, let him preach Christ in a
Christ like spirit, for Christ’s sake, and God will see to the results here and
to his full reward hereafter.
