A spear with no blade is nothing more than a stick. A bullet with no projectile is a blank. While the stick can injure and the blank can scare, neither really does what it’s counterpart can. Neither of them can pierce as a spear and bullet is meant to pierce the object of its attack. In battle, the stick and the blank would prove inferior weapons indeed!
Such is the case with a sermon without the gospel. The Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In other words: He came with the gospel.
A sermon without the gospel can sound great. Blank bullets sound like the real ones. A sermon can even hurt or “step on toes.” A blow from a good stick will leave a bruise. Yet, if the sermon lacks the gospel, it cannot pierce the heart of a believer and lead them to salvation. A.W. Tozer expounds on this point in his book “The Crucified Life”:
According to the testimony in Acts 2:37, the result of Peter’s preaching was that men “were pricked in their hearts.” The word “pricked” here simply means pierced lightly. Pierced lightly and yet so deep that the original Greek word had a qualifying and intensifying prefix on it. When the Scripture says they pierced the side of Jesus with the spear and found that He was already dead (see John 19: 34), the word “pierced” is translated from one word. The original word used in Acts has a qualifying and intensifying prefix to it, indicating that the words of Peter went further into the hearts of the hearers than the spear of the soldier went into the side of Jesus. So the Holy Spirit carried the spear point of truth into the hearts of the people and they cried, “What shall we do?”
A sermon without the gospel cannot pierce the heart of unbelievers no matter how great it sounds or how hard it steps on our toes. Just telling someone they need a relationship with Jesus or that they will spend an eternity in hell is not enough. It’s a bullet with a bang but no bite. It’s a wasted sermon.
We need to share God’s Design – How God created all things including people, how He created people to live in harmony with Him and with one another. We need to share mankind’s brokenness and need of a Savior – Sin broke that harmony in which the world was created. Because of sin, our lives our broken. It cost us joy and fellowship with God and instead brought deserving judgment. Tragically, there is nothing we can do to fix it. All our attempts fail. We need to share the good news, the Gospel – By God’s grace and mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us. Jesus lived a perfect life, willingly died for our sins, then rose from the grave, sharing His victory over sin, death, and the grave with those who would trust in Him. All people are then called to believe on this ‘Good News,’trusting in Jesus’ saving work and repenting, turning from their sinful ways and embracing the life Jesus calls us to live. When Jesus saves us, His righteousness becomes ours, and the punishment for our sins is absorbed fully by His death on the cross.
We are sinners. He is not. He died and then rose. These are the essential truths of the Christian faith. If one part is left out, the gospel has not been preached. Sadly, this is often the case. Many sermons tell people they need to make a decision to follow Jesus without ever telling them the reason why they need to follow Jesus. Yes, it’s our only way heaven. Yes, it brings us joy. But these are not the real reason we trust Jesus. A person cannot be saved if he/she does not hear that he is a sinner in need of salvation. Many times we leave out vital parts of the gospel because we assume that the hearers already know it. This is a foolish mistake for two reasons: 1) Even those who are in the “Bible Belt” and many who are on church membership rolls don’t know the gospel. 2) Those who do know the gospel need to hear it as much as those who don’t. We need to be reminded of the beauty of the gospel and God’s relentless grace.
To my preacher friends I say, preach the gospel. Sure, preach about how to have a good marriage or how to have a good prayer life. These are beneficial things about which the Word of God speaks clearly. However, unless the gospel is preached, we cannot in good conscience give an invitation. I urge you, brethren, sharpen the tip of your spear and wield the weapon of the gospel with truth and grace, for we are surely in a battle for the souls of men. To those in my faith family who are faithfully seeking to have gospel conversations, make sure that your message, the full message of the gospel, hits its mark. I am praying for you, and I am confident that souls will be saved as you patiently proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By His Grace
Pastor Brian