The establishment of the primacy of righteousness in the life of the believer

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with aionios destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power

I want to begin with this quote from 2 Thessalonians because it places a particular importance on obedience to the gospel.  This should give any Christian pause because of the penalty associated with a neglect of this verse is quite severe.  In our first installment we examined what the church today calls the gospel and compared it to what Jesus determined to be the actual gospel.  Sadly the two are not the same thing.  This is reason for concern; since God places so much emphasis on the gospel and our obedience to it then it behooves us to get this concept right so as to fulfill our obligation to him.

We established the gospel firstly as the gospel of the kingdom of God.  We further defined it as the ideas, principles and precepts, taught by Jesus; taking over the life of the individual thus producing a person under the direct influence of heaven (God) on the earth.  Our understanding of this is paramount because if we do not clearly understand what the gospel is then we can have a false sense of security.  Consider if one believes that the gospel is a belief in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and or the born again experience (remember I said these were essential truths but were NOT the actual gospel).  What would happen if a person was to hold onto such teachings, and he establishes his own safety by being in compliance with our opening verse based on this distorted view of the gospel?  His confidence would be badly misplaced because his understanding of the gospel is erroneous.   Sincerity you say is of utmost importance, but one can be sincerely wrong and in such instances sincerity counts for nothing!

What does all of this have to do with establishing the primacy of righteousness in the life of the believer?  It has everything to do with it.  You see once we understand the true gospel of God then we can correctly go on to being obedient to it and that obedience is called righteousness.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God [The Gospel] and his righteousness… (Matthew 6:33a)

Jesus, while speaking to the crowd, instructed them to seek first the kingdom.  This ‘seeking first’ involves making the gospel of the kingdom your primary goal in life.  To understand it should be your utmost quest; its pursuit and elucidation should be the overarching theme of your life.  Consider a parable of Jesus:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Mathew 13:44)

Jesus is giving us one of his ideas so that we can understand the importance of the kingdom of God.  He says when you find it; it is worth all that you have, because if you could just get a hold of this one thing then all your life will be right.  This is the mystery of righteousness.

We are commanded to seek first the kingdom of God; then Jesus says we are to seek second the righteousness of God.  But what does that mean?  To understand this we must clarify just what is righteousness.  Righteousness is simply a state where one is rightly aligned or in right standing in regard to a particular thing.  A perfect example can be seen in why we wear clothing.  Everyday we go out of our homes into our communities, but before we do we adorn ourselves with pieces of cloth -- some less than others.  Have you ever wondered why, and no the answer is not to cover unsightly fat!  We cover ourselves because our societal norms demand it.  Our western societies say that when out in public one should be properly clothed; so in order to comply we cover ourselves.  This compliance is considered righteousness.  We are in right standing with society if we clothe ourselves.  Take another example, what if you were to walk down the street on a hot day and you came across a car with the keys in the ignition but unmanned.  What if you jumped into the car turned on the air-conditioning and proceeded on your merry way.  What would that be called?  Well according to society you would be considered a thief because the car is not yours.  You would not be in compliance with the rules of society and would be considered a thief.  You, in essence, would be acting in an unrighteous manner.  So it is with our obedience to the kingdom of God.

Jesus gave us ideas, principles and precepts that he called the gospel of the kingdom.  He expects our total obedience to this gospel.  When we obey the things that he said we are called righteous; i.e. we are in compliance with what he says.  When we do not do the things he says or are not even interested in finding out what he says then we are considered unrighteous.  It is as simple as that!  So our primary task should be to find out what the gospel of the kingdom says and to seek to comply with its standards.

Why do we make such a mess of life?

Have you ever wondered why we humans, Christians or not, make such messes of our lives?  Teenage pregnancies, adulteries, broken families, truce breakers, fornicators and that is just in the church!  You would faint to consider the full depravity of what takes place in the rest of the world.  Why do we make such a mess of life?  I am talking primarily to Christians who should know better?  Those who are on the outside are blind, but you who carry his name what is your excuse? It is because we make decisions based on our wisdom (on what we think is right) that in doing so we destroy ourselves partaking in things Paul talks against in Ephesians 5:3:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. 

Consider the words of God to his called out ones:

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7)

Listen then to what he says of them in verse 9:

The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?

God says since you rejected the word of the Lord, and for our purpose that is the gospel of the kingdom, he asks what kind of wisdom do you have.  Well he answers it in James 3:14-16:

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Who was James talking to?  Not some heathen or pagan, but to the church is this discourse aimed.  If you reject the wisdom of God the wisdom of the world is what you have left.  And what is this wisdom from God?

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God… (1Corinthians 1:30a)

God sent us wisdom, he packaged it in his Son, who spoke it for 3.5 years and called it the gospel of the kingdom.  If we obey this gospel, God says that our lives would be fruitful and will bring Him praise and glory.

What then are the elements of righteousness?

If we are to be rightly aligned with the gospel of the kingdom of God then we must understand what righteousness entails.  What then are the elements of righteousness?  Righteousness has two components:

1. Personal Modification
2. A Commitment to Act

Personal Modification

When I talk of personal modification it involves rightly aligning one’s self to the tenets of the gospel of the kingdom, and it pertains to correcting the way that you think and operate; modifying your ways to conform to God’s way as outlined in the gospel.  To examine this we must acknowledge the paradox of salvation: Salvation occurs in an instant, but is also an ongoing process.  Consider the following:

…praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  (Acts 2:47)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  (1 Corinthians 1:18)

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  (2 Corinthians 2:15)

Salvation as described in these verses is depicted as an ongoing process.  2 Corinthians 7:1 bears this out; Paul addressing our lifestyles said:

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

No one can claim this happens in a day, but all can say that this is an ongoing process that God has designed to make us spotless before him.  Peter says that we achieve this state of spotlessness through diligence:

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:14)

So this personal modification is essential to the completion of our purification on the earth through the washing of the word of the gospel. 

How then are we to be righteous? We have to find out what the gospel of the kingdom says and then DO what it says ALL THE TIME.  Here are some examples how the gospel is designed to modify are person:

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31)

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

What would happen if we did this?  What would happen if we were always rightly aligned with these verses? Well, are you?  If not then you are disobeying the gospel!

Consider these verses:

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. (Luke 6:27-29)

The gospel tell us to love, we are to love EVERYONE ALL THE TIME!  No exceptions!  Are you doing this?  If not then you are NOT righteous!

Ok, maybe you are in compliance with the following:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5: 38-48)

Well now, how are you doing?  Do you see yourself as a shining example of this verse?  Do not deceive yourself, he knows who you are?

These are just some of the examples found in the gospel of the kingdom.  Righteousness is only found when we are in compliance with theses tenets.  He demands nothing less.  That said you must know that his word is not optional.  If you are his then you are required to live as he did!

Do you know what it means to ‘deny the Son’?  Consider the following:

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 4

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us. 2 Timothy 2:12

How do we deny the Son of God?  We do so by our refusal to allow his words to govern our lives.  It is the gospel of the kingdom which is comprised of guidelines and principles that should determine our behaviors.  When we disallow these words to change us then we have denied him as these verses say.

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Titus 1:16

Do you see what this verse is saying?  He says that by their deeds they deny him.  Some would think that denying God has to do with not standing up and being counted as a Christian.  Paul says no, it is when we profess that we know him but deny him by continuing to live as we please.  Rightly aligning yourself with the tenets of the gospel of the kingdom is not only demanded it is required.

Excuses

Ah excuses, I can hear them now:

• I am only human, born to make mistakes
• God understands

Are you serious! Do you see what he says at the end of the verses in Matthew 5?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

He expects us to be perfect (whatever perfection entails) the same way our Father in heaven is perfect.  And in regards to finding refuge behind evoking the classic ‘God understands’ consider the following:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

These excuses are common among the body of Christ, because there is demonic thought that exists that declares that it is not possible for us to live a sin free life.  Unfortunately Satan has deceived us into thinking that we will always fall and continue to stumble until we die.  This is utter rubbish!!!  If this were so would Jesus be able to tell us be perfect as God is perfect?  Or consider the following:

But as HE which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  1 Peter 1:15-16

Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God I speak this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34

Sin is always a choice it is never forced upon us, and neither do we fall into it.  Every time we sin it is our choice.  From the above verse we can see that God expects us to live holy, and it is possible to live life without sin.  Consider what Jesus said:

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. John 5:14

She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:11

Do you see these verses?  Jesus was addressing people who were sinners.  THEY DID NOT HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.  What does he say to them?  Go and sin no more.  Could Jesus tell them to go and do something that was impossible for them to do?  It is therefore possible and expected that we do likewise. Obey the gospel!

A Commitment to Act

The second element to righteousness involves our service to God.  This is often an overlooked part of righteousness because most of us think that we stand right with God because we regularly attend a Sunday morning service or when we hold some position in a church.  This is not so!  In fact you can go to a church service for years on years and still not be righteous!

Why must we commit to action in order to fulfill righteousness?  It all came about because of the command that Jesus gave to the church:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:18-20)

We call this the great commission.  I will talk later in another paper on how the power of this verse has been lost, but let us now just examine our part in this affair.  Jesus expects all of us to comply with this verse.  Let us scrutinize the key element here:

Teach – what does he want us to teach? He did not leave it up to our imagination to figure it out.  We are to teach observance to all things that he commanded them.  Well what did he command them?  The gospel of the kingdom was his only message. 

This tells us that we have a job to do regardless of our station in life.  When we think of this verse today we instinctively think about going up to someone and telling them about how Jesus died for our sins and how they can go to heaven by being born again.  By now I hope you see that this is not the gospel, and that is in fact not what he is saying here.  He is telling us to proclaim to the world a new way of life. (In fact the early church was called the followers of the Way!)  This should be our message, for this is what the world needs to know.

But what of our responsibility?  How pray tell am I to do what you are saying without a backwards collar, a twenty pound bible and a pulpit?  How ever shall we obey God?!  We do it by finding out the purpose that he has established for each of our lives, and we approach the world on this basis.  I will address it in its fullness when I talk of the illegitimacy of the clergy but consider for a moment:  We have essentially cast off our individual purposes and left it to the church.  We pay them to work for us!  More on this later.

How do we fulfill the purpose element of righteousness?  The answer is found in the commission.  Teach – teach them what—all the things he commanded us. Each of us should have some way in which we are doing this every day.  The world is in a mess and we Christians have the answers to that mess.  Where is it?  In the gospel; that is why he says to you teach them what he commanded you.  Your purpose entails spreading the gospel throughout your sphere of influence.  If that means opening a preschool or a computer technology store, working in government or establishing a medical practice                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               the end should be to teach what he commanded.  Please do not misunderstand me.  This command is not satisfied with a ‘Jesus loves you’ bumper sticker or an ‘I love Jesus’ pin.  It requires that we instruct those who are without about the true gospel of the kingdom.  That is his plan and that is his way.  Look at what he says:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry… (Ephesians 4:11-12a)

There you have it; God’s design is to perfect his people for works of service.  What are these works of service?  To the person following the gospel and being obedient to it their life will bring forth a good reputation that can not be denied.  Quite frankly the gospel will cause you to shine like a light bulb in this dark and dreary world:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

This is the work of the ministry that we are prepared for.  Our acts of righteousness produce the good works that will in turn cause our light to shine among men.  Jesus is our example so let us see how he handled his purpose:

I have brought you glory on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do (John 17:4)

How does one give glory to God?  Here is your answer.  Jesus says you give glory to God by doing the work that he gave you to do. 

It never ceases to amaze me how many people quote ‘well done thou good and faithful servant’ as they fantasize about hearing these wonderful words from Jesus on their arrival into heaven.  But let us look at the passage in context:

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:23)

Did it occur to the pious that this verse is pointing towards people who actually do the work that God has given to them?  Not the work some preacher or prophet tells you to do, but God.  God does not hand out these words because you said a prayer fifty years ago.  For those who think they can get by on this notion consider what he says:

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. (Luke 12:47)

It is incumbent upon us all to find our own particular purpose for which he has called us and act accordingly.  Attending church is not it!  That is not fulfilling his will!  What happens when we walk in this element of righteousness?  Jesus tells us:

… men will see your good works and glorify God

Do you see that?  These men who do not know God will come to know God through your fulfillment of righteousness, both in your life and in the purpose for which you have been called.

I would like to make one final observation on this section on the importance of finding and doing the purpose (will) of God for your life.  Consider the following:

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'  Matthew 7:21-23

This verse is a stunning wake-up call to anyone who understands the word of God.  Look carefully at what it says to us.  He is addressing the judgment of the people of this world.  Do you see what he says?  Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Please try to understand this verse.  He is saying that your rejection into his heavenly kingdom is based upon your compliance with the will of the Father here in earth.  This is a sobering thought because for the most part people – so-called Christians – do not even give a second thought to the will of the Father or doing it.  They go along their merry way seeking out their own lives and neglecting his call for them.  To what does he say to them? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'  Well now, I think that this is a bit serious don’t you?   He is proclaiming that he only knows those who do the will of the Father!!!  My advice to you is ‘If you do not know you had better get to finding out’.

To what do we look for righteousness?

Our understanding of words is very important.  Words communicate our thoughts and intentions.  The problems we face in communication occur because of our failure to understand the words that are being said to us.  This particular concept of righteousness is no different.  What do we as believers today look to in order to satisfy our vague ideas on righteousness?

• Regular church attendance
• Giving money to some church organization
• Singing and praising God

These, and concepts like them, are all distortions of our misunderstanding of righteousness.  God did not leave us in the dark for he has shown us the things that will please him.

Glorifying God: The way to attain righteousness

The concept of righteousness is so important that Jesus tied it directly to the gospel of the kingdom.  But why does God want us to act righteously?  It is because in doing so we bring glory to God.  The word glory means the true nature of a thing or what a thing is.  Consider the following:

And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. (Exodus 33:17,18)

Moses here has found favor with God so his request is for God to show him his glory.  This is important to note because we feel that glory has to do with singing and worshipping God, but from this passage God shows us what it really is:

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. (Exodus 33:19)

There it is, God did not only define what glory is but showed his glory to Moses.  And what was his glory (true nature revealed)?  His glory is goodness.  Moses asks to see God’s glory and God said I will show you my goodness.

So what does this all have to do with the believer?  If you are to obey the gospel we are then called to walk in righteousness.  But what does this righteousness call us to do?

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

There you have it we are called through the inheritance given to us through the gospel to be the praise of his glory.   So in this light Matthew 5:16 makes more sense:

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

And in another place it is written:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service (Ephesians 4:11,12a)

These good deeds bring praise to God from the people of the world but what exactly are the people of the world seeing.  If we live in accordance with the gospel then they will see the good works inspired by the gospel that Jesus brought to us.   And Jesus said that if you see him you see the father; so what we are displaying is the glory of God which is called goodness.  That is the end result of our righteousness; to show the world the goodness of God through the works of service that the gospel leads us to do.    Let us see this expressed in another passage.  Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 was preparing to accept financial aid that the church at Corinth was accumulating for their impoverished brothers.  Look at what he says:

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

What is interesting here is what Paul tells them in the very next verse.  He shows them that their righteousness that is part and parcel with the gospel brings forth fruit:

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

Paul here tells them that their righteousness in accordance with the gospel led them to give.  What then happens to those who received the gift?  Paul said they glorify God.  They praise God on their behalf!  Why, because the nature of God had been revealed to them.  And what is that nature?  His goodness. And what is his plan to display that nature in the earth? It is your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ.

Our world today is full of corruption and a good deal of it is coming from the body of Christ.  How can we hope to reach the world if we ourselves do not obey his gospel?  There is no distinction in our midst.  Divorces amongst our leaders and the stench of greed permeate our very core.  These are all things that obedience to the gospel is supposed to prevent, but sadly because we do not walk righteously in accordance with the gospel this filth has overtaken us.  I admonish all of you, obey the gospel it is the only thing that will purify us and keep us pure before God.

The apostles gave this admonition in one of their talks to the people:

"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:30-31

They said that God calls everyone to repent.  Remember that repentance has to do with changing your mind and subsequently your behavior.  He calls us to repent, but why does he do this?  It is because he has set a day when he will judge the world in righteousness.  Do you see the word righteousness?  He will judge the world in righteousness, but what is this righteousness and on what basis does it come?  It comes through Jesus Christ the one who came with words of life that were designed to cause us to live as God would have us live.  We all will stand before him and he will determine our worthiness not based on what we achieved or how many people we preached to.  No, he will determine it by comparing our lives to Jesus’ life.  To be qualified we MUST walk as he walked in complete righteousness which is based on the gospel of the kingdom.

Obey the gospel of the Kingdom of God and walk in his righteousness.

Reformation Redux:The realization and recognition of the true gospel

In this paper we will examine the first aspect of the Reformation Redux.  It is fitting to examine the Gospel at the onset because this teaching was pivotal to the life of Jesus Christ.  One cannot speak of Jesus and not talk about the thing that consumed his life.  Jesus spoke for 3.5 years on this subject, and in one instance speaking of the gospel he said “I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43b).  So why should we focus on this particular subject and why do we need reformation?  The truth of this message has been lost through the ages, and has been replaced with another true but misplaced concept. This new distortion diverts the body of Christ from the true meaning of the life of Jesus.

I must state from the onset that Satan is the author of confusion, and Jesus calls him the father of lies.  This means that he is the source of any kind of lie that exists today.  When we examine a lie we only view it from the aspect of information that is untrue, but this is only half true.  When you have the replacement of something true by something that is equally true but out of place you have indeed encountered a lie.  For example let‘s say I invite you over for ice cold milk and warm brownies.  You are so taken by the flavor of the brownies you ask me for the recipe.  Unknown to you the recipe has been cherished by my family for generations and was always considered a prized secret.  But because I do not want to refuse you I write you a recipe that is altered from the secret original.  Now will this altered recipe make you brownies?  Yes it would and probably some very good ones.  But is it the recipe that you had requested?  No.  This then is in effect a lie, because I passed something off as genuine when it was an alteration of the truth even though it potentially makes a delicious brownie.  This is the type of error that exits today in regards to our teachings about the gospel. 

Initially you may say well how much harm can there be if one truth is replaced by another truth.  The danger comes about when we examine Jesus’ words in regards to Satan:

He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie; he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father [source] of lies.  (John 8:44b)  

If we have something that is not true, or a truth that is misplaced then we have a lie.  And if we have a lie then the source (father) of that lie is the devil.  This is the problem, because the devil’s purpose is not to aid God’s people with revelation but to confuse and distort the word of God with heresies and doctrines of demons.  A perfect example of this can be seen in the temptation of Jesus.  The devil came to Jesus with a proposition from the word of God.  On its face it seems plausible, but look closely and consider the lie shining through his distorted logic:

Then the devil took him into the holy city; and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the son of god throw yourself down; for it is written ‘He will give his angels charge concerning you’, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4: 5, 6)

Is this a promise of God?  Why yes, it is found in Psalms 91:11.  Did the devil quote it accurately?  Yes again, this is exactly the way that it was written by the Psalmist.  Then what was the problem?  We have a promise given to the righteous by God, why did not Jesus take the opportunity to receive the benefit of this promise.  This would have been an excellent way to showcase his faith in God.  So why didn’t he?  It is because a closer examination of this verse shows that while it is rendered correctly it does not concur with the devils request.  The promise is that God would perform this word if the righteous were to fall or trip. Satan’s request was for Jesus to JUMP!  So in this passage the word jump was transposed for the word fall or stumble.  This is the way of the devil; his devices are crafty and devious.

The previous example is a perfect illustration to what happened with the gospel that Jesus preached.  Through time its true meaning was replaced, not by a lie but with another truth.  The trouble is that the true gospel has now become lost to the body of Christ, and as such we are found wanting in our understanding of the message of Jesus, and we are at a loss for the benefits that he came to bring through our understanding of his words.  Through this replacement the devil has doomed to confusion and frustration billions of Christians through the ages.  Our understanding of the Gospel is very important because our obedience to God is directly tied to how we handle his word.  One cannot hope to be obedient, no matter how sincere, if we follow an erroneous instruction.  We can grasp the importance then of obedience to the truth by his final statement in Matthew:

Teach them to observe all that I commanded you… (Matthew 28:20)

If we lose sight of just what indeed he has commanded us we can never truly be in compliance with this scripture.

Just in case you still do not see why it is so important to get this issue of the gospel correct consider what Paul says will happen to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord:

And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His Power, (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

I think the weight of the scripture then warrants that we get the substance of the gospel right.

The Transposition

Transposition describes an event or act where one thing is substituted for another.   This I contend is what we have today in regards to the gospel.  To understand this we must examine what we have today and we must come to see just what we are indeed calling the gospel.  Here are a few questions to ponder:

• What is the definition of the term Gospel?
• What is the gospel message of the modern day church?
• What is the basis of the teaching of the gospel as accepted today?
• Are there two gospels or just one?
• Is the Gospel we preach today the same that Jesus preached?

We will work through these questions in our quest for truth and as a result the sure purpose of God will stand.

What is the definition of the term Gospel?

This simple term ‘gospel’ comes from the Greek word that means ‘a good message’.  It was a term that meant good news.  When one heard news that was considered auspicious and delightful this was called gospel.  From the onset it is clear that this term can have a variety of applications.  If you go to the doctor and he tells you that you have a clean bill of health the information is considered gospel.  If your boss calls you into his office and tells you that you are being promoted, that is considered gospel.  What if a police officer knocks on your door and tells you that your son has been in a traffic mishap, but he is fine, that is considered gospel.  By the way in all these instances, the doctor, the boss and the police officer would be considered an evangelist which is simply the herald (bringer) of good news!  I used these examples to demystify the term gospel.  In Christendom we have a way of mystifying certain terms in an effort to add substance to what we say, and oftentimes this process clouds the truth.  The way that the word gospel is used today one would think that it had originated from Jesus and should only be uttered in religious contexts.  This is not so.  Gospel simply means good news and the persons who bring this good news are evangelists, and it was used in many contexts throughout the ages.

What is the gospel message of the modern day church?

What then is our modern-day answer to the question of what is the gospel that Jesus preached?  Ask any church leader or learned Christian and you would get any one or combination of the following explanations of what the gospel is:

• John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
• John 3:3-7 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
• Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin. He freely laid down his life and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He was buried and rose again on the third day.
• The New Testament
• The death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus followed by his ascension
• The life (person) of Jesus
• We have been granted favor from God through the forgiveness of sins
• That Jesus Christ is the Messiah

Is everything that I have written here a statement of fact?  Yes indeed, all of these statements are bible-based. Is this the gospel that Jesus preached? We shall see.

What is the basis of the teaching of the gospel as accepted today?

Can there be a thread that wraps all of the teachings of the modern-day church on the gospel together; one concept that connects them all?  Look at the aforementioned points and you can find it.  Everything that we declare to be the gospel emanates from this two-fold cord:

• The gospel is about Jesus
• It involves being born again

Together these form the basis of what we deem to be the gospel.  For most, the crux of the gospel could be found in Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus and in particular the statement of Jesus ‘You must be born again’.  This is our foundation stone for our understanding of the gospel, and it has become the go-to verse for every so-called evangelist of today.  In the effort to obey Jesus’ command to preach the gospel we proclaim this verse as the basis of our sermons and spew out this phrase incessantly.  Would it surprise you that this particular phrase (born gain) is only mentioned once in the entire canon of scripture?  Would it further interest you to know that it was only uttered in a private conversation with Nicodemus and never to the crowds that Jesus preached to daily?  Oh it gets even better!

Are there two gospels or just one?

This may seem an absurd question but bear with me.  Is there more than one gospel in the context of Christianity?  Any sane, learned and devoted Christian would say most definitely not.  Why?  I am glad you asked, well it is because of Paul’s admonition found in Galatians 1:8

But even though we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

And in case you did not hear him the first time he repeats it in the very next verse.  Who do you think inspired Paul to write this?  In another place he declares that all scripture is God-breathed or inspired.  Well then would Paul himself preach a gospel contrary to the one that he received knowing this pronouncement?  I think not.  So therefore we can confidently conclude that the New Testament only declares one gospel. 

It is interesting to note that by the time of Paul’s writings Jesus had just been dead and resurrected but a few decades, but Paul is here already having to defend the purity of the gospel message in the early church.  In fact he says that they had turned away from the truth to a different gospel.  There was a distortion about, that turned the people away from the true gospel to what they had now embraced.  Paul recognizes this as deadly, because the gospel was the central theme of the life of Jesus and had to be preserved at all costs.

Is the Gospel we preach today the same that Jesus preached?

NO!!!  The Gospel we preach today is not the gospel preached by Jesus or his apostles.  The truth of the gospel has been transposed by another truth, and the substance of the gospel has been sidelined. 

What is the true gospel?

What is the gospel that Jesus preached?  Let us begin by looking at what Jesus did not say was the gospel. Please note that Jesus is the author of the gospel and whatever it (the gospel) may be, in order for us to understand it all things must be interpreted through the words he said.  If it seems that there is a contradiction at times in the scriptures I assure you there are none.  In regards to the gospel Jesus came with the message; so the clarity of it lies with Jesus, and his words should be the lens we use to see what his followers meant when they spoke.  Therefore we must let scripture interpret scripture.  That said consider these few points:

• Jesus preached the gospel to the crowds for three years and never once did he talk to them of his death, burial and resurrection.  Yet he preached the gospel!
   
• Jesus, coming down to the time when he was to be crucified, told his disciples only of his impending death and warned them not to tell anyone yet.  Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day; Mark 8: 31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.   (Keep in mind that before then he had already sent them out to preach the gospel!)
  
  
• The scriptures clearly said that when he told them that he was to die and would be resurrected (a key tenet of what the church claims as the gospel) they did not understand or believe it. In fact Peter rebuked him.  Why?  It was because this was foreign to them they had not heard it before, yet Jesus preached to them everyday before that the gospel.
  
  
• When Jesus talked about the gospel it was always in reference to the Gospel OF the Kingdom.

• Paul at the end of Acts (28:31) clearly states that he preached the kingdom of God and he taught concerning the Lord Jesus. To him they were two different things.

These are just a few of the inconsistencies that exist if one is to take the teachings of the church as.... gospel (pun intended).

So what is the gospel as far as Jesus is concerned?  Jesus, whenever he talked about the gospel he connected it to the phrase the kingdom of God.  Remember what we said the word gospel meant.  It means good news; therefore Jesus came to bring us good news.  But news by its very nature must be about something.  If someone comes up to you and says I have good news for you your first inclination is to ask them what the news is about.  What if their answer to you was ‘Oh it is about nothing its just good news’?  This would not make much sense.  Jesus came to bring us good news, and that good news (gospel) was about The Kingdom of God.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23a)

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 9:35a)

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (Mark 1:14)

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:15)

So here we see that the good news was about the kingdom of God, so whenever we see the word gospel in the bible we must acknowledge that it is about the kingdom of God.  So now your question must be what then is the kingdom of God?

Defining the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached

The Kingdom of God is a compilation of the ideas, precepts and principles outlined and explicated by Jesus in the New Testament; incorporated into the elements of an individual’s life resulting in the shifting of their core belief system; impacting all areas of that person’s attitudes, behaviors and relations toward their fellow man.  Effectively creating a life submitted to God, while providing a structure that ensures continuous prosperity in every aspect of life.

Let us examine this statement line by line to determine its veracity.

The Kingdom of God is the compilation of ideas:

Throughout his teaching to us the phrase ‘the kingdom of God is like a…’ is repeatedly used to introduce to us new ideas.

Then said he, unto what is the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it? (Luke 13:18)

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field (Matthew 13:24)

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. (Matthew 18:23)

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1)

And he said, whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? (Mark 4:30)

And again he said, whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? (Luke 13:20)

These statements show that through his teachings Jesus was introducing to us ideas about the kingdom of God to aid us in our understanding of what it is and how we can relate to it.

Precepts:

Precepts are rules intended to determine actions and conduct.  Jesus’ first command to us is repent.  The word ‘repent’ means to change the way you think.  Why was Jesus so concerned about how we think?  Your thoughts determine your actions.  The book of James bears this out when he talks about how we come to sin (See James 1:14, 15).  So Jesus knew that sin begins in the mind of man (heart) and therefore he brought rules and regulations that if we adopt would free us from the wickedness that dominates the world.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:21, 22)

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. (Matthew 5:33-35)

These precepts or rules are designed to help you to change the way you think.

Principles:

Principles are fundamental laws or truths that can provide benefits to ones life.  So does the gospel of the kingdom speak of basic laws that provide benefits to your life? 

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38)

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29,30)

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7)

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24)

These principles and more like them provide a firm foundation upon which we can build our lives.

…incorporated into the elements of an individual’s life resulting in the shifting of their core belief system; impacting all areas of that person’s attitudes, behaviors and relations toward their fellow man:

There was some confusion among the disciples and the people to whom Jesus spoke the kingdom of God.  They were of the view that Jesus would bring about this kingdom through a violent uprising against Rome (their current day oppressors).  But that was not Jesus’ intention.  Remember the kingdom of God is the gospel.  He essentially was saying to them here is a new way to live.  This new way would make them a part of the kingdom of God.  So on earth we would act just like we were in heaven under the direct leading of God.  But the question was how to bring this about.  Do we use armed conflict and set up a physical kingdom in the earth.  That was not quite God’s plan.

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, the days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. (Luke 17:20-22)

God’s design was not to set up a physical government in the earth but to have people living all over the earth obeying the gospel of the kingdom and essentially living the way he intended.  Together they would constitute the presence of the kingdom of God on the earth.

Effectively creating a life submitted to God, while providing a structure that ensures continuous prosperity in every aspect of life.                                      

What then would happen to such people who have been imbued with the gospel of the kingdom and living thereby?  The result would be a change in the world!  God wants to connect with mankind.  The conduct of mankind was sinful.  God needed to correct man’s conduct so that he could once again find favor with God.  Jesus came with a message that you can find favor again with God by adopting the principles, precepts and ideas spoken by Jesus in the New Testament.  So now man has a way to reconnect with God and commune and find favor with him.  Wow, now that is good news!  This I declare to you is the gospel that Jesus preached.

Under this definition the following scriptures finally make sense:

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1Peter 4:17)

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Luke 4:18)

The gospel of the kingdom of God is not some one time act, but it is a continuous dynamic that requires our continual obedience.

What then are the benefits of the gospel?

Understanding the truth of the gospel is paramount because one cannot hope to gain the benefits of a thing without understanding the thing.

1. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation:  Paul says as much in Romans 1:16.  He continues, ‘For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith’.  The gospel reveals the righteousness of God as it declares what we must do to live in his presence.
2. It purifies us: In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; (Colossians 1:22-23)
3. It brings us immortality: But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10)
4. It is the basis of a better covenant.  This gospel is the basis for which we can now experience a better covenant based on better promises.  Through the gospel, therefore, we can live life and life more abundantly.

What about…?

“Ye must be born again”. 

Does not one have to be born again in order to receive salvation?  The born again experience, while necessary to the gospel, does not constitute the gospel.  Jesus himself tells us exactly what is the purpose of the born again experience

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

Did you see that!  Jesus distinctly separates the gospel from the born again experience.  Does this make it insignificant, no, on the contrary this places the born again experience as a precursor to understanding the gospel.  What Jesus was saying was not that the born again message was the gospel but that one must be born again in order to understand the gospel.  These are two distinct concepts.  The transposition made the doorway to the house the actual house!  One cannot see the gospel if one is not born again but the important thing is the gospel of the kingdom.

Jesus himself

You may ask well what about Jesus; isn’t the teaching about Jesus and his life the same as the gospel?  In essence aren’t Jesus and the gospel one and the same?  Consider the following:

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God AND tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. Acts 28:23

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, AND teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. Acts 28:30-31

But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Acts 8:12

These verses are very important.  It is essential to know that the words that comprise these verses are not arbitrary, and as such each are important to our understanding of the gospel.  Notice the place of the word ‘and’ in these instances.  The reason why Luke described these scenes in this way was because he wanted to show clearly that the gospel of the kingdom of God and the message of Jesus were two completely different concepts.  This is written in such a way that it would have been possible for Paul to speak about the kingdom of God (the gospel) and not mention Jesus, and at the same time he could have talked about Jesus and not mention the gospel of the Kingdom.  (Please do not misinterpret what I am saying; it was Jesus who came to enact and initiate the gospel of the kingdom, and as such he is its author.  It just must be clear that the gospel and Jesus are two distinct teachings.)

The disciples’ teachings and preaching in the book of Acts

Acts has many occasions where the disciples after the day of Pentecost preached to the people.  Most of the sermons were about Jesus.  Can we use this as proof to say that the gospel is indeed about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus?  No we can not!  In the book of Acts the disciples talked a great deal about Jesus because their primary target throughout this book was the Jews.  What they were in effect trying to do was prove to them that Jesus was indeed the Christ.  This is an important fact to know because if one does not come to this realization then the words of Christ i.e. the gospel would have been just like any other leader’s words that go the way of obscurity. 

They also had to prove Jesus was Christ because to the Jewish mind Christ was the one to bring deliverance from their oppression in the world.  If the disciples could prove this then they could easily show that the words of Jesus (the gospel of the kingdom) were indeed the way to escape their oppression.  They knew that the Messiah would bring the promise of God through Jeremiah:

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

This new covenant embodies the gospel and is the establishment of a New and Living way talked about in the epistles.

The book of Acts also shows that the disciples had an understanding of what the gospel of the kingdom was all about.  Do you remember their question to Jesus before his ascension?

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:6-8

They were looking for this kingdom of God to be initiated by Jesus taking some leadership role, but Jesus had a different way to institute his kingdom.  The error of their thought was in HOW he would do it, not in the substance of what he would do.

1 Corinthians 15

You may ask doesn’t Paul explicitly say that the gospel is the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ?  Let us examine the text to determine what Paul said:

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

There you say, doesn’t this blow your theory out of the water?  Well what exactly did he say?

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Well that is all in line with what I am saying the problem that most overlook is the very next statement:

For I delivered unto you first of all…

This statement shows that he is not yet about to tell you what the gospel he preached was, but what he is about to tell you is what he said before he spoke to them the gospel.  The verse that follows is simply Paul taking many words to say what Jesus said in one sentence in John 3:3 First one must be born again then one can see the gospel.  Paul does not introduce the gospel until verse 24:

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

He says ‘then comes’ the end when he will deliver the kingdom to God.  What kingdom? The gospel that had taken root in his followers on earth who are now living out the things (ideas, precepts, principles) he had said.  This is the gospel!!!

It is incumbent upon us to understand the true gospel of the kingdom of God.  Why is it so important for us to get the true message of the gospel correct?  The reason is that Jesus made a very important declaration at the end of his ministry that requires our understanding:

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.  Matthew 24:14

Do you see this statement?  This is the lynchpin to the return of Jesus to the earth.  He is giving specific instructions on what has to happen before he returns.  In other words he is saying that he will not return until THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM IS PREACHED TO THE WHOLE WORLD.  Do you understand therefore the importance of the message we carry.   Do you see the importance of getting it right?  He did not say that he is waiting for us to go and tell the world about him.  He very specifically says that he wants the world to hear his message on the gospel of the kingdom.  That is the message we need to carry, and that is the message that the world needs to here.