Declaring the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Praying for the World
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Pray
1. Declare it Boldly
1. Declare it Boldly
Paul had no problem with being bold and he had no problem sharing the gospel.
However, consider his situation. He is in chains for preaching the gospel and is going to appear before the emperor, quite possibly.
He had been appointed to be an apostle to the Gentiles and their kings. He was going to the biggest king and kingdom in the world at that time.
That is a daunting task. The emperor had the power of life and death.
Paul was a great man of faith, but he was still a man with weaknesses like ours.
He needed courage to declare the gospel.
Application
Don’t we also need courage to preach the gospel?
How often have we not shared the gospel because we were too afraid of what people might think of us or too embarrassed to say anything?
2. Declare it Clearly (v.19)
2. Declare it Clearly (v.19)
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul might have one chance to share the gospel and he wanted to make sure that he spoke clearly about the gospel.
We talked about this on Sunday night, but how many of you can clearly articulate the gospel?
We need to be able to clearly communicate the gospel because eternity is on the line.
To declare the gospel clearly, we have to know it first.
Paul told Timothy of a deacon in 1 Tim. 3:9
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
But here is something we must also keep in mind. No matter how clear you might be in presenting the gospel, it is spiritually discerned and cannot be understood unless the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind.
We need to pray expectantly that God would open the minds of those whom we share the gospel with and that they would believe and be saved.
3. Declare it Often
3. Declare it Often
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul calls himself and ambassador in chains.
Ironically, ambassadors to countries are usually given diplomatic immunity, yet Paul is an ambassador in chains.
What are the duties of an ambassador?
Paul is tasked with speaking on behalf of the Kingdom of God to the kings and people of this world.
Did you know that you talk about what you are most passionate about and you probably tend to talk about those things more often than you realize?
We ought to be speaking often about the kingdom of God and the gospel messsage.
It is the best news in the world! Why wouldn’t we want to share?
Conclusion
What are some ways that you can pray for those sharing the gospel more often?
How can you have more boldness to share the gospel with others?
Would you consider setting goals for yourself to share the gospel, or at a minimum, to invite others to church on a weekly basis?
