The Appeal of the Gospel

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beliefeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  The Gospel is the only power God has to save men.  If this won’t appeal to men, God insn’t going to reach them.  ”For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God..”  I Cor. 1:18.  In this issue we will study why people are not reached by the gospel.
PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE!
Every organization and institution in the world, just about, wants to reach people.  The Boy Schouts, the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Clubs, and all religious bodies in the world want to reach all the people they can.  There are many in the Chamber of Commerce who are not in religious bodies.  Obviously, Lions Clubs, Boy Schouts, etc attract and have some attraction for some people that regigious bodies do not have.  People usually know what they are looking for in life and seek to find it
WHAT APPEALS TO PEOPLE?
Many people like coffee and donuts and seek organizations where these are served.  Some like hiking, fishing, or bowling and seek organizations to join where they  can participate in these.  Many “religious bodies” now days know what people like in life and have some of the secular to please, thus mixing the religious with the secular.
OTHERS WANT TO HELP PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD
Still, many other people are good moral people and desire most of all to help people in and for this world.  Surely every human should be interested in the welfare of all humans.  Most people have a lot of good in them and should they see a car wreck that just happened, they would stop to see if they could help in any way.  People are interested in helping people.  Some religious bodies emphasis the as a part of their work, and teach secular courses to help people.  Every person ought to help others in any way that he can, yet the work of the church is spiritual in spreading the gospel.  See Phil 1:5; I Jn 1:7
THE PURPOSE OF JESUS’ CHURCH
Many religious bodies realize that because all Americans want to help people in this life, if they will let that be the primary purpose of their religious bodies, naturally all people will be somewhat impress with their work.  The real question is the is: IS THIS the purpose of the church for which Jesus died?
EITHER— 1.  The purpose of the church you read about in the Bible is primarily help people in and for this life.
OR —2.  THE primary purpose of Jesus’ church is to help people get ready for the next life, the hereafter.
If a religious body places the emphasis upon getting people ready for the next life, it surely should draw people who are the most concerned with their souls.  IF, HOWEVER, it places the emphasis upon helping people in and for this life, it would be more appealing to people more interest in such.  HOW CAN WE DECIDE WHERE THE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED??
LET THE BIBLE DECIDE
“For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Lk. 19:10  All men have sinned and been lost-Rom 2:10, 23.  The purpose of Jesus was to seek THE LOST.  Jesus being the head of the church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22f), the PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH MUST BE THE SAME AS ITS HEAD.  NOTE THESE SCRIPTURES:

1. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Matt. 28:19.
2. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”  Jesus in Mk. 16:15.
3. “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things thar are upon the earth.” Col 3:2
4. “Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life..”  Jn 6:27.  Note:  Here Jesus plainly teaches the importance of spiritual food over carnal.

In Lk. 10:38-42, we have a record of Jesus in the home of Martha and Mary.  Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and heard His word, but Marth was cumbered about much serving.  Martha said, “Lord , dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone?  Bid her therefore that sh help me.  But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and broubled about many things; but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
In this the Lord plainly tells that the SPIRITUAL, should take place and EMPHASIS over the MATERIAL  If we cannot see where the emphasis should be placed from these Scriptures, it surly isn’t the Lord’s fault.
THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN
The Christian is commanded to “do good to all men, and especially unto those in the household of faith.”  Gal 6:10

1. What is good?  I Tim 4:8 shows bodily exercise is good.
2. Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, favor with God and men – Lk 2:52.  To encourage intellectual development, physical development, and social as well as spiritual development surely is good.  Every Christian should do this in both word and deed.

Individuals can work on worth causes whether social, benvolent, physical, or other. (Cancer society, Red Cross, March of Dimes, etc)
THE CHURCH
Since Jesus did build His church (Mt. 16:18) like He said He would, and the only organization of such  is just the LOCAL CHRUCH which can operate, all the organized spiritual work of Christians is through the local church.
Truth In Love, February, 2014, Vol. 7, No. 2