SERMON HIGHLIGHTS: “The Gospel Cycle”
As a young boy growing up in the Pentecostal church, we loved to sing a song entitled, “What Do You Want the Lord to Say?—and the response was—“well done thy good and faithful servant”… taken from Matthew 25:23. In this verse, Jesus promises those who follow Him, that if we are faithful over a few things, He will make us rulers over many things, and we will enter into the joy of the Lord. A joy that goes far beyond human comprehension and experience. When Jesus returns He expects us to be faithful in carrying out the commandment to go and preach the gospel of Christ to everyone. This commandment is so vitally important that the end of this world is tied to when the gospel has reached the ears of every nation (ethnic group), and they have had an opportunity to believe and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. (Matthew 24:14) As a Christian, what do you want the Lord to say about you, when we all stand before Him to receive our just rewards? (II Corinthians 5:10)
As Christians, we have no excuse for failing to preach the gospel of Christ. God has anointed us with the Holy Ghost and power and commissioned us to go and win the lost, as well as perform miracles. (John 4:35-38, 14:12, Mark 16:15-18 and Acts 1:8). I encourage you to go now and preach the gospel and enter into the “Gospel Cycle!” You will see for yourself how these six supernatural events shown below will occur continually in your life, as well as change the lives of many people you encounter—just as the gospel changed lives of the Apostles forever.
“THE GOSPEL CYCLE”
For the next few weeks, we will focus our attention on the first three events (clockwise): Preaching the gospel, people hearing and believing, and the manifestation of miracles. In some cases, like in today’s message, the event of miracles occurred before the preaching of the gospel. In other biblical accounts, the gospel was first preached and then miracles happened.
Let’s examine Peter and John as they ministered within the Gospel Cycle. Acts 3:1-9, records that as Peter and John were on their way to an afternoon prayer meeting held at Solomon’s Temple, they encountered a man who had been lame from birth. The man was laid daily at the gate of the temple to beg for money. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, the lame man asked them for money. In that moment, Peter commanded the man to look at them, and to receive the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and rise up and walk. Peter took the man by his right hand and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. The man began to walk and leap for joy, and praised God as he entered the Temple with Peter and John.
Like in the case of the lame man, who was begging for money, so many times when we as ministers encounter people with problems, they are looking for the resolution of small problems. But God wants to meet and exceed the deepest needs of people, as well as their smaller issues. Just as God did for the lame man, instead of getting a few coins from Peter and John, his health was fully restored! Now he could enjoy life much more freely and work and earn money for himself.
But God had an even greater purpose in mind with the healing of the lame man. Because the man praised God so mightily in the Temple, it caused all of the Jewish people to take note of the man, who they recognized as the lame man at the gate. The people were filled with wonder and amazement and ran to Peter and John on Solomon’s porch. Peter admonished the crowd not to look on them as if the lame man was made whole based on their own power. Instead, Peter began to preach the gospel—telling the people that it was Jesus Christ whom they had crucified, and who was raised from the dead that was responsible for the healing. That faith through the name of Jesus had made this man whole. Peter preached that they needed to repent of their sins and be converted, and in turn the Lord would send His Holy Spirit on them. About 5,000 men heard and believed the gospel that day and were converted. (Acts 3:10-26 & 4: 4) Wow! The healing of one lame and beggarly man resulted in 5,000 persons receiving salvation in one day! God’s plan was not only to heal this man, but that thousands of people would have the opportunity to hear the gospel and be saved through the healing of the lame man.
You never know what God will do when you are faithful to preach the gospel, but it is certain that He will always greatly exceed your expectations! (Ephesians 3:20)