My sister-in-law coached several volleyball teams to state championships in Michigan, and several teams that came close.  I once asked her what the difference was between the champions and the almost champions.  Her reply had a gospel ring to it.  She said the champions were better at focusing on the next play after making an error.  Everyone makes mistakes in sports – a flubbed set, a bad spike, a serve too long or short in volleyball; a missed layup or errant pass in basketball; a dropped pass or missed field goal in football.  A champion has a short memory for mistakes and is able to focus on the next play in the game.

The refocusing is good, as is striving to do better on the next play, but there is nothing any player can do to eliminate the statistics on missed serves, shots or field goals. Similarly, we all make mistakes in life: we are mean to others; we don’t keep our word; we lie, cheat and steal; our minds are filled with hatred and lustful thoughts; we take great pride in our own achievements and fail to honor the creator of the whole universe who gave us the tools to do those good things.  We can refocus after making mistakes and strive to do better next time, but there is nothing we can do to eliminate the stain caused by our sinful actions.  In the eyes of a holy and just God, the guilt of our sins must be paid for.  The good news of Jesus Christ is that his death on the cross brings a substitution and redemption.  Christ pays the penalty for our sins and washes us whiter than snow when we believe in Him (John 3.16). Champions in eternal life are those who acknowledge their sin by repenting and accept the gift of salvation by believing.

 One of the great benefits of knowing that Jesus Christ made a substitution for us on the cross, taking our sins onto himself and giving to us his righteousness so that we might be sons and daughters of God is that the joy of that fact bubbles over at surprising times.  The righteous man meditates on the word, the word is wonderful, the righteous man is overwhelmed with joy and amazement.  Check out Paul in 1Timothy 6.11-16.  He is ramping up and getting excited about the way his disciple Timothy ought to live. Avoid all these bad things!  Do all these good things! Remember that all those to whom you confessed your faith know you are capable of great things.  And you know that God and Jesus are with you right now, and Jesus will come back at just the right time…

And then, all of a sudden, Paul is just so overcome by all of the great things that Jesus has done and will be doing, that he breaks into a delightful doxology – a description of the grandeur of God –

 “ …he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” 

 Paul does not miss a beat.  His interlude in the spirit ends and he lands back in advice mode – this time about how to deal with rich folks.  But for that short sentence, Paul is sharing a brief glimpse of what heaven will be like – the re-created heaven on earth, in the presence of THE King, the One True God, the only Sovereign, whose unapproachable light will be all the lamp that is needed.

 

One of the earliest creeds, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, testifies to both the scriptural and historical integrity of the gospel. 

 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

 Two events are key – Jesus died and he rose again.  Both happened according to the scriptures, which roots them in the understanding of the One True God of the Israelites.  If “the scriptures” is referring to just one passage, it might be the afflicted lamb of Isaiah 53.  But what a glorious realization it is that ALL of the Old Testament that points to the Messiah – the redeemer; prophet, priest, and king; the promised seed and blessing; the great I AM  – all are achieved in Jesus.   He himself claims to be the fulfillment of all the law and the prophets as He miraculously opened the minds of His disciples to understand the scriptures (Luke 24.44-47).

 Just as the whole of God’s recorded plan points to these two events, real-life proofs anchor them in history.  When Jesus died, he was buried.  You don’t bury live people; He was dead. He was a real person, and he really died. Then Jesus astonishingly rose from being dead.  The proof was that he appeared not only to his best friends but also to hundreds more.  He rose from the dead, he is alive, and the Corinthians were invited to interview any of hundreds of eye witnesses who saw and talked to Him.  It’s the truth.

 

We leak.  We forget.  We lose focus. Regularly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to yourself is a good way to stop being robbed of joy by the pressures and weeds of everyday life.  Preach it strong; repeat if many times every day.   The good news is meant to inspire gratitude, obedience, worship, and praise!

The guidelines for A. Knapp Gospel Messages are

1. The message must be Berean-worthy.  Those noble men in Acts 17.11 would examine the Scriptures to see if the new information were so.  Like Paul’s gospel presentations, these messages need to fit with the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.
2. Each gospel message should clearly tie to Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
3. Each message should be short-ish, between 250-350 words.

How might a quick gospel presentations be used?

–          I fit them into my daily devotions.  I start with the Lord’s Prayer or some other recognition of the Lord’s magnificence, which should and sometimes does lead to confession of sin. One of my best ways of accepting the forgiveness offered for confession is then to preach the gospel to myself, which naturally leads to lifting up a several friends and relatives who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

–          The phrase “elevator pitch” is a marketing concept for covering the basics of your product in about the time it takes for an average elevator ride.  Marketers say to always be prepared, think about how to convey excitement, keep the material fresh, adjust the message to the listener – good advice for anyone who needs to be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove.

–          Use the gospel  when visiting the sick, elderly or hurting while doing elder-type work

–          Be alert during conversations.  Phrases or thoughts will remind you of a “story” about the gospel. 

–          Memorize some passages, creeds, catechism questions and answers, hymns, or gospel messages to mull over in your heart and mind, especially when your smart phone has no signal.