This is Part 1 of a sermon series titled “How Should We Preach the Gospel?” preached at Mt. Gilead UMC in Georgetown, KY.

If you want to listen to the whole worship service, click this first link below.

If you want to listen only to the sermon, click this second link below.

2 Timothy 2:8-26

Introduction to the Sermon Series

• I’ve wanted to write a book for a while. I’m a writer, a reader. I love books. I love reading. I love writing. You probably know this about me at this point. Maybe not. But I do. That’s something that I really love to do. And I want to write a book for Christians and churches called, “What Is the Gospel and How Should We Preach It?” Some people might say that the title is too long and boring, and they’re probably right, but that’s what I’d call it if I was calling the shots. I’ve had the idea to write this book for a number of years now; I’ve been thinking about it for a long time; and you wouldn’t believe if I told you that you’ve already read half of it…well, sort of.

What Is the Gospel?

• Our last sermon series on Easter according to Paul was really the first half of the book that I want to write. It answers the first question: what is the Gospel? And so for the last seven weeks leading up to Easter, we have heard how Paul defines the Gospel. It is more than the cross and forgiveness and heaven and hell. Those things are part of Paul’s Gospel, and yet they are incomplete without Jesus being raised from the dead by God the Father. And the same is true for us, our salvation is incomplete if we are only forgiven and only our souls are bound for heaven, because, you see, salvation has three tenses: past, present, and future—I have been saved (Jesus saved me when I was a sinner), I am being saved (Jesus is saving me each and every day), and I will be saved (Jesus will save all of me on the last day—body and soul). And so, what I have found many Christians today leaving off is this last part of the story, the part that is last and certainly not least. And so, Paul’s Gospel, THE Gospel, is that whole story—Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. It’s not just “Christ has died.” If that’s the only message, then it’s no Gospel at all, for Paul says that if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is worthless and you are still in your sins (1 Cor 15:17).
• And so we have spent the last several weeks marinating with Paul in the Easter story, the Gospel story, and we’ve learned a lot about what the Gospel is. And so that’s how you’ve sort of read the first part of my maybe, someday book.

And How Should We Preach It?

• This morning, I want to start a new chapter, so to speak. A Part 2, the follow up to What Is the Gospel? Because it’s not enough to just have the facts. It’s not enough to simply know the definition of something. That’s not enough at all. The Gospel is not designed simply to be known and understood, explained and announced. No, no, no. The Gospel—the good news about the death and resurrection of the Savior of the world—is to be preached, practiced, and lived out in the lives of you and me. And so for the next several Sundays, we are going to be looking at that second question: “and how should we preach it?” How should we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
• Well, you might be saying to yourselves, “Wait a minute. Did you just say we?” Yes, I did. How should we preach it? “Umm, preacher, don’t you know that you’re the preacher and we’re the audience?” That’s your job. That’s what we pay you for. Our job is to say Amen and pat you on the back when you do it real well and tell you that we don’t like it when you don’t do a good job. Wrong. False. [buzzer noise] Go straight to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. We’re sending you to the clink for that. Wrong.
• You are a preacher too. I’m going to say it again: you are a preacher. I think it will help if you all say it yourself. I need to hear y’all say together, “I am a preacher.” Again. “He is a preacher.” “She is a preacher.” “We all are preachers.” “I am a preacher.”
• Whether you like it or not, I am not the only preacher in the building here this morning, and I’m not talking about June, whom I know is also a very experienced preacher. Each and every one of us here is indeed a preacher, a preacher of something to someone somewhere.
• Now what am I talking about? Surely not everyone here wants to do my job. I’m sure that some of you are scared to death to get up in front of people and talk. I love it and enjoy it. You might think I’m crazy, but I thoroughly enjoy public speaking. But preaching is more than simply public speaking, even in the traditional understanding of what preaching is. It’s not just simply public speaking. It is theological. It is about God. It is a public declaration of God’s goodness, work, and love in and through Jesus.
• But you know what, preaching is even more than that. It’s more than hearing someone like me on any given Sunday give a sermon to a congregation. Honestly, I don’t have a high view of preaching. I don’t. That might come as a shock to you. But I don’t think that sermons and Sunday morning preaching is all that important. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t want anyone coming into the pulpit just saying anything, random, crazy, nothing to do with God, nothing to do with Scripture. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that words simply are not enough. It’s not enough to say things, to say the right words to the right people at the right time. Words are not enough. And my approach to preaching—June and I talked about this earlier in the week—is that no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. And THAT is preaching. THAT is how YOU are a preacher; showing people how much you care. That is where we have to start.
• Words are not enough. As James says you must be doers of the word. Don’t simply hear the word and forget it. Don’t simply just know it. Don’t simply just say it. You must be doers of the word. You’ve heard the famous phrase: “Do as I say, not as I do.” My friends, that is exactly what is wrong with the church today. It is no secret that the number one reason that atheists and agnostics give for not believing in Jesus is the hypocrisy of Christians. Christians say and believe one thing, but do another. “Do as I say, not as I do…oh and if you don’t, then you’re going to burn in Hell forever.”
• My favorite show is The Office, and on that show, one of the characters is a Christian lady who is an absolute hypocrite. Her name is Angela. She is harsh. Mean. Angry. A bully. Stuck up. She coordinates and puts together the office parties that they have on special occasions like Christmas. So during this Christmas party, someone finally stands up to Angela and creates a competing Christmas party that meets at the same time but is just in the break room instead of the conference room where Angela’s party is at. So there are two parties happening at the same time and people have to decide which party they are going to go to. As people are picking, Angela says to one of her coworkers, “Meredith, if you don’t come to my party, you will be very, very sorry.” Meredith asks, “Is that a threat?” And Angela with a smile on her face says, “No, that’s an invitation.”

Do as I Say and Do as I Do

• My friends, that is exactly what is wrong with the church today. The world has heard us for centuries hypocritically say with our lives and actions, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
• Our motto must change. We have got to turn this ship around somehow…but not like the Ever Given cargo ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal. Our lives, attitudes, and actions need to speak louder than words. They need to say: “Do as I say and do as I do.” And that’s not to say that we have to be perfect in every aspect of our lives. No one is perfect or even close to it. I’m not. News flash: I sin. This just in, we’re getting another breaking news story: all pastors sin. We are just regular Joes who love God and we need God’s grace and forgiveness and cleansing just as much as anybody else. So don’t put me or any other Christian leader on some pedestal that we will all inevitably fall off of because we’re just as sinful as everyone else, yet saved by the grace and love of God.
• And so, don’t hear “Do as I say and do as I do,” don’t hear that as “You’ve got to be perfect and you can’t ever make any mistakes ever again.” No, what it means is that we’ve got to be people of integrity, people who practice what we preach, people of our word, and most importantly people who care and are gentle and humble. We must be people who can be trusted. People need to know that they can let their hair down with us and not be scorned or judged or harshly reprimanded. God wants all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, but that will never happen if we are harsh and rude to those around us.
• Now I’m not suggesting or implying that I think that’s where all of you are or where any of you are for that matter. I don’t pretend to know such things and I wouldn’t dare be accusing any of you here as being guilty of such hypocrisy. So far, my experience at Mt. Gilead has been quite pleasant. I think that you all are the extreme exception to the rule. And so, I say all of this here this morning, not as some rebuke, but as an encouragement to keep on keeping on. Keep doing what you are doing. Be reminded of the goodness of this truth and keep steering the ship in the right direction.
• And it’s possible that there are some here this morning who might find themselves convicted. Maybe you have been harsh, instead of gentle when talking to non-Christians about your faith. And that’s okay too. There’s grace and forgiveness and opportunity to turn that around as well.
• But wherever you find yourself this morning, know that you are a preacher. You are preaching with your life all the time. The question is, “What are you preaching and how are you preaching it?” Does your life, your attitudes, your actions, and how you treat others show that you care? Does your life, your attitudes, your actions proclaim the death and resurrection of the Savior? You are a preacher. Are you preaching the Gospel? And how are you preaching it?
• St. Francis once said something along these lines: “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” I’ve said enough. Let’s pray.