We will have a church dinner following the service on Sunday, April 27^th to celebrate the 10^th birthdays of Destiny and November Sparks and Sam Simpson as well as Tara Kinnel’s 40^th birthday.

As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. (Psalm 18:44)

People sometimes wonder why I only preach Christ. The answer is simple. The only way a sinner will ever be saved is by hearing Christ preached, and the only way God’s sheep will be fed is by hearing Christ preached. The psalmist says that strangers to Christ (those who do not know Christ) will submit themselves to Christ as soon as they hear of Christ with the ear of faith. Rebels will stack their arms in surrender as soon as they hear of Christ. Rebels will only submit themselves to the righteousness of Christ when they hear of Christ.

People may wonder why I don’t preach more rules to live by. Again the answer is simple. An unbeliever will only render obedience to the gospel when they hear of Christ. To obey the gospel is simply to repent and believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Godly obedience is not cleaning the outside of the cup and platter. Godly obedience is heart repentance toward God and heart faith in Christ. It is the same message of Christ that will cause a believer to walk in obedience to the revealed will of our heavenly Father. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me. The same message that feeds God’s sheep saves the lost.

It was to save sinners that Christ Jesus came into the world. He did not come to help them to save themselves, nor to induce them to save themselves, nor even to enable them to save themselves. He came to save them.

William Hendricksen

CHRIST IS THE GOSPEL!

The Lord Jesus Christ commissioned His ministers to “preach the gospel” or good news (Mark 16:15). However, in the New Testament we generally find them preaching Christ (e.g., Acts 5:42; 8:5; 9:20; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 1:19; 4:5). Is there a disagreement here between preaching the gospel and preaching Christ? There is absolutely no disagreement here.

A faithful gospel preacher declares to those converted under his ministry that “the gospel which I preached to you” is the good news “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that Christ was buried, and that Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that Christ was seen” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
The Holy Spirit says the “gospel of God” is “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord”, and equates it with the “gospel of Christ, the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:1-4, 16). This is good news indeed! Christ is the gospel or good news! The good news is Christ!

Accordingly: We preach the “glorious gospel” (1 Timothy 1:11) by preaching the glorious Christ. We preach the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) by preaching Christ, who is Himself the “the grace of God that brings salvation” (Titus 2:11). We preach the “gospel of peace” (Isaiah 52:7 /Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15) by preaching Christ, who is Himself our Peace (Micah 5:5; Ephesians 2:14-16; Judges 6:24; Isaiah 9:6). We preach the “gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13) by preaching Christ, who is Himself our salvation (Luke 2:25-30; Psalm 27:1). We preach the “everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:6) by preaching the good news of the eternal Christ and the eternal salvation found in Him.

If a preacher does not preach Christ, he thereby indicates that he either has no good news for you or that what he preaches instead of Christ is better news than Christ.

As for me, I confess “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16) – and CHRIST IS THE GOSPEL!

Missionary Daniel Parks

Those who WEARY of hearing the Gospel, who LOSE INTEREST in hearing the Gospel, and LOSE THEIR NEED of hearing the Gospel of Christ, and His redeeming love and grace, have never REALLY heard the Gospel at all. If one can leave Christ he has never truly met Him (John 6:65-69).