Serving the Lord… by Boldly Proclaiming the Gospel
(This is part four of a seven-part devotional series from Acts 20:13–38.)
BIBLE READING: Acts 20:18,20–21,24–27
KEY VERSES:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you…to testify to the gospel of the grace of God…for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” (vv. 18a, 24c, 27)
Paul was a corageous preacher of the Gospel. The word “Gospel” (the Greek word euangelion) is one that we use often, but perhaps without understanding the full weight of its meaning. Paul understood. He knew that it means “good news”, or “joyful news”. He knew that the ground of this good news is God’s grace (v. 24, 32). He understood and proclaimed this good news in its fullness, “the whole will of God” (v. 27). The good news that: there is a living God; there is a Savior and He is the Lord Jesus Christ; this Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; this Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven; the promised Holy Spirit has come; salvation is for all who believe; salvation is for people from all nations; salvation means reconciliation with God; salvation means eternal life. But what makes the Gospel finally and supremely good news, in John Piper’s words, “is the enjoyment of the glory of God in Christ…this supreme good is God Himself, seen and savored in all His glory.” (God is the Gospel, p. 37*) God is the Gospel!
With such good news as this, it is no wonder that Paul employed a fully integrated, all-encompassing approach to evangelism and church-planting. He did not merely live a good life for all to see, nor did he merely preach or teach verbally. He both lived purely (v. 18) and declared verbally (v. 20,21,24,25,27) the truth of the Gospel. In fact, Paul used three different Greek words to help us understand what he did. He used the word anaggello in v. 20 (declare, report, show, speak, tell), the word diamarturomai in vv. 21,24, and 27 (charge, testify [unto], witness), and the word kerusso in v. 25 (to herald [especially divine truth]; preach, proclaim, publish). Paul did everything within his power to communicate the Gospel to the Ephesians and to the ends of the earth!
(*You can read or download this outstanding book for free HERE.)
PRAYER:
Father, YOU are the “good news”, the Gospel. Thank you for revealing Yourself to me. Thank you that I have experienced You. May I know You more intimately and proclaim you more boldly and more completely every day of my life, for your honor and glory.
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About the Author
João (but you can call him John) is a “Great Commission Entrepreneur”, passionate about starting and leading anything — mission agencies, churches, businesses — that helps fulfill the Great Commission. He loves to speak, teach, preach and write about God’s glory in all areas of life and among all peoples of the world. His work has appeared in numerous books and in Christianity Todayand The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, among others. He holds degrees in sociology and practical theology, specializations in systematic theology and entrepreneurship, and doctorates in intercultural studies (D.Int.St.) and religious studies (Ph.D.). You can connect with him at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Podcasts, as well as joao.mordomo@gmail.com.
