For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

Individually as believers, and collectively as the Church of Jesus Christ, we have but one message to proclaim. That message is Christ and the gospel. Seems like a “no-brainer,” huh? Except not for everybody.

I was in my car for a little while the other day and KDAR (the local Christian radio station) was on the radio. The preacher took one word out of one verse in Jeremiah and proceeded to explain how we can overcome feelings of inadequacy based on his explanation of that one word. The problem was that the man’s explanation of that one word is not what the word means. It is not what the context of the verse means. It was not even compatible with the message of the Bible—much less the message of Christ and the gospel! It was rather a sloppy pop psychology talk about how we can overcome feelings of inadequacy. Utter nonsense and a classic example of what Michael Horton calls “Christ-less Christianity.”

I do not bring this up to bash the individual, but to:

Warn the flock of God not to fall for this kind of thing as though it is biblical preaching.
Remind myself that I must never deviate from preaching Christ and the gospel.
And to charge the members of Grace Bible Church not to allow our church to fail to preach Christ and the gospel—not now, and not ever!

Not every sermon is exclusively evangelistic. But all instruction about living as Christians must be tied to Christ and the gospel. It is only as we are “in Christ” by God’s sovereign grace, received exclusively through faith in Jesus, that we can and want to follow Christ. Without Christ and the gospel, the commands and instruction found in God’s Word are nothing but legalism and moralism.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.