When Jesus preached his first sermon, it was a simple message of “Repent, and believe the gospel.”  (Mark 1:14-15)  It was obviously an invitation to the lost; Jesus the evangelist inviting souls to get saved.  So the question is, why do Christians need to keep hearing the gospel? 

1) There is a lot of bad news out there.  One doesn’t have to watch the t.v. news but a moment to be reminded that we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afganistan, and may soon have to fight Iran, North Korea and Russia.  Children are starving in the Sudan.  U.S. unemployment is currently 6.5%.  The gospel is good news, and we need to exhort and encourage one another.  We seek a kingdom not made with hands.  God is good and merciful, and we need to not loose sight of that.

2) There is a temptation to return to the Law.  Paul writes to the Galatians (2:15-16) and to the Philippians (3:8-11) about how salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not by the law.  The Law only makes us more guilty; is cannot make a person righteous.  It is tempting, even for the Christian believer, to fall into keeping commandments.  Where there is genuine faith, there will also be works.  But we must not fall into the mind trap of thinking we earn our salvation by our works, or that living clean lives makes us righteous.  The righteousness of Jesus Christ (freely given) makes us righteous; and that’s all.

3) You will be presented with false gospels.  Jesus warned his disciples that many would come in his name, and some would claim to be him.  When Paul returns to the Galatian churches (1:6-9) he is surprised they have so quickly left what they believed for another gospel.  Legalism is just one type of “other” gospel.  Health and Prosperity is another.  Your Best Life Now spent weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.  The message that Christianity is about having the best this life has to offer; that’s not the gospel.  Look at the life of the Apostle Paul.  He lived the godliest life of any Christian in the Bible.  He wrote 2/3 of our New Testament.  But God plainly says “I will show Paul what things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”  Paul asked 3 times for the thorn to be removed from his flesh, and God never did.  If Paul was not given everything he ever asked for, why should we expect so much?  Christianity is not a tool to manipulate God to give us stuff.  Anything that adds to or takes away from the gospel preach by Paul and Jesus himself is not the gospel.

4) We need to spread the Gospel.  The Good News of God is the best thing the church has going for it.  Your Sunday School, youth program, Wednesday Bible Study, or Saturday Outreach may all be great, but if we get wrapped up in promoting our programs, we can neglect spreading the gospel.  If a church is caught up in internal conflict, the whole operation is in jeopardy.  We need to glory in the gospel, exhort (build up) one another, and encouraged each other to good works.  We need to preach, teach and live the gospel so that we know the gospel when we hear it and can share it with others.  We need to be seen imitating Christ. 

In every message preached from the pulpit, the gospel needs to be plainly visible.  The gospel is more than inviting sinners to repent; it is the central theme running throughout the entire scripture.  Christians and unbelievers alike need to hear the gospel.