The Basic Gospel Message
At our church, we are currently building a new wing for preschool and kids’ ministry. Because the new facility will connect to our existing two-story church building, a large second-floor window now overlooks the construction site. From that window, many of us have been able to watch the work begin from above.
We can see with surprising clarity how deep the footers have been dug and the miles of steel rebar running throughout the foundation to reinforce the concrete. Anything built to last begins with a strong foundation.
I love that United Methodist theology begins with foundational Basic Christian Affirmations. The first of these states: “We hold in common with all Christians a faith in the mystery of salvation in and through Jesus Christ” (¶102, The Book of Discipline).
I spend a good deal of time listening to other preachers in the hope of becoming a better preacher myself. Over the years, I realized that I was subconsciously placing the preachers I heard into three categories:
- Preachers whose sermons were almost always edifying.
- Preachers whose sermons were occasionally edifying.
- Preachers whose sermons were rarely edifying.
Once I recognized those categories, I began looking for common threads. Were there traits in the sermons of preachers in the first category that I could incorporate into my own preaching? Were there traits among those in the third category that I should avoid?
At first, I considered style. Did I respond differently to a preacher who used more academic language than to one who relied on a down-home vernacular? Did I value quiet, straightforward presentations more than louder, more emotional sermons?
As best I could tell, style had little to do with it. The same was true of denominational affiliation. Some of the sermons I considered most powerful came from pastors whose theology differed from mine on baptism, communion, women’s ordination, and a host of other important issues.
So what made the difference?
For quite some time, I had no clear answer. Then one day, while listening to a powerful sermon preached by a pastor whose style could not have been more different from my own, it finally became clear.
Consistently good preaching came down to one simple question: Did the sermon contain the basic gospel message?
It is the gospel message shared with Joseph when the angel told him, “You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NRSV).
It is the gospel message summarized in 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (NRSV).
It is the gospel message described in The Book of Discipline as “the mystery of salvation in and through Jesus Christ.”
The power of every sermon, every lecture about Christian belief, and every hymn or song of praise depends on whether it contains that basic gospel message. The good news that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners is the rebar that holds the foundation of our faith together.
This basic gospel message grounds our theological beliefs, ethical teachings, and spiritual practices in the reality of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Without it, our beliefs can become theoretical theology disconnected from everyday life. Our ethics can devolve into personal preferences. Our spiritual disciplines can become little more than self-help techniques. Our worship songs may speak to the heart while leaving the soul unchanged. And our sermons, at their best, may resemble interesting TED Talks—or, at their worst, become a speed bump on the way to lunch.
But when the basic gospel message is present—when we remember that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners—everything changes. Our theology connects with our deepest experiences of reality. Our ethics bring hope to a suffering world. Our spiritual disciplines transform our souls rather than merely calming our minds. Our worship connects our hearts with the heart of God. And our sermons carry life-changing power, even for parishioners who arrived at worship simply hoping to get to lunch on time.
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Wil Cantrell serves as senior pastor of Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He is author of:
ATONE: The Difference the Cross Makes
From Heaven to Earth: Christmas for New Believers, Old Believers, and Nonbelievers