“To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”
through those who have preached the gospel to you
The prophets wrote for those who live later. They wrote for our generation.
The last statement that Jesus said while on this earth was, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Mt. 28:19,20). The last thing on Jesus’ mind was getting the gospel out to the world.
The gospel should be the burden of every Christian,
1 Corinthians 9:16-18, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.”
God deposited into our lives a trust to dispense the gospel to the world,
1 Thes. 2:4 “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.”
by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven
The Holy Spirit is the ultimate author of Scripture. Jesus said that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. In John 15:26, he said that he would send the Holy Spirit as well. The Holy Spirit now represents both the Father and Son to us.
PRINCIPLE:
God deposits stewardship in us to preach the gospel.
APPLICATION:
The gospel does not commend humanity. Therefore, the gospel does not sit well with those without Christ. The gospel never was popular.
The gospel asserts that we have a stark spiritual need. We have violated a holy God. That idea does not please people. The better people deem themselves, the less the gospel appeals to them. The more respectable they are, the more they hate the gospel. They think that they are good enough, honest enough, or religious enough. They believe that they can have an eternal relationship with God based on their good works.
Romans 4:5,6 declare that we need to ditch our good works to become a Christian,
“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.”
Have you come to the place where you trust the death of Jesus Christ and nothing else to give you eternal life?
God wants those who know him to dispense the gospel to the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.
