What guides the content of our message? Imagine if someone came to your door and told you a guy paid a $20,000 speeding fine on your behalf. You would think they are crazy. You’d be asking, “What fine?” “What did I do wrong?” It wouldn’t make sense and you wouldn’t be at a place to be grateful that your debt was paid because of such confusion. Beyond that the person would be accusing you of wrongdoing when as far as you’re concerned… you’re entirely innocent. Similarly one of the average gospel presentations today is to begin with “You are a sinner” moving to “Jesus died for your sins” and then to “accept Jesus into your heart.” To tell the average person in America they are a sinner without explanation or clarification amounts to little more than name-calling. If your child is misbehaving you wouldn’t look at them and say, “Honey, all children disobey their parents.” In the same way we quote Romans 3:23, “All have sinned…” without any of the rest of what Scripture says about that.
Now imagine the police knock on your door and say, “On the way to work today an officer clocked you at driving 55mph in a school zone and you’ve incurred a large fine for your disregard for the law. We were going to process your crime and appropriate punishment, but someone you don’t even know paid that fine this afternoon.” It would make more sense if you were told what you’d done wrong first. To do this we use the 10 Commandments (the Law of God) to show someone their sin and need for the Savior before presenting the gospel. Consider the following; “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” –Galatians 3:24. “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." –Romans 7:7. “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;” –Romans 3:19. “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,” -1 Timothy 1:8-10. God’s law is not a list of moral guidelines for humanity. It’s not a way to try pleasing God and hopefully get to heaven. It’s a mirror to see ourselves in truth. It is a mirror to show us that we have sinned. It doesn’t help us… it just leaves us helpless.
Consider also the following illustration: Two people on an airplane are both given a parachute. Passenger A is told the parachute will improve his flight. He believes the claim and in an experimental fashion puts on the parachute to test the claim. Eventually the parachute becomes uncomfortable in his seat and the other passengers begin to laugh at him for wearing a parachute on a plane. They make fun of him even. He becomes discouraged and disillusioned, throws the parachute on the floor, and is angry at those who gave them the parachute because he was promised a better flight and only got trials, persecution, etc. Passenger B is given the parachute and told that the plane is going to crash and he is going to have to jump. He gratefully receives the parachute and puts it on. He ignores the discomfort in his seat and withstands the mockery of those around him because his mind is consumed with the thought of what would happen to him if he jumped without that parachute. Later a flight attendant even accidentally pours hot coffee into his lap. It burns. Does the man then pull the parachute off his back throw it to the ground in anger? No he doesn’t. The coffee has nothing to do with the parachute or the jump to come. Another common thing to say in many gospel presentations is that people should come to Jesus because He will bring them peace, joy, fulfillment, and lasting happiness. Is this true? Absolutely… these things are the fruit of salvation. It’s not legitimate however to use the fruits of salvation as draw cards for salvation. Why? This usually ignores the promise of trials, temptation, and tribulation that come with salvation. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” -2 Timothy 3:12. This makes salvation look better, but people need peace with God in salvation before they can ever experience peace because of God.
More importantly this may produce “decisions for Christ,” but does it really produce salvation? When we give people the wrong motive for coming to Christ they will appear to come, but will be looking for a better lifestyle or to merely add Jesus to what they’re already doing. When they begin to experience problems and when their life doesn’t get better as promised they reject all of it and grow bitterly into what we usually call “backsliders.” These often in fact become the hardest people to witness to because they feel they’ve gone through the motions, they’ve “been there and done that,” but pragmatism prevails as it didn’t “work.” They’ll be able to recount stories of going to church, going to small groups, and attending seminars that amounted to nothing. It was all because they didn’t understand the foundation of the gospel. When people come for the right motives they will be able to withstand the hard times and the circumstances of life to press on by the strength of the Holy Spirit. They won’t reject Christianity entirely when life doesn’t go their way. They will undeniably be a “new creation” that views the world through new eyes as the Bible teaches. This kind of transformation can only come when someone understands the essentials of the gospel and comes to Christ in true repentance and faith toward Christ. “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” -2 Corinthians 7:10. When someone realizes the fact that they will one day die (jump from the plane), their need to flee the wrath to come, and recognize their sin as truly sinful they can say with Paul that the law was, “effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.” -Romans 7:13. This is precisely what will make the grace of the gospel make sense and the desire for the cure will be driven from motives that are informed, honest, and pure. For a further explanation on this in sermon form you can visit www.hellsbestkeptsecret.com or www.livingwaters.com.
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