The Gospel Is the Good News
The gospel is the good news of Christ's glory, and we must preach it in a way that honors Him and calls sinners to repentance and faith.
William MacDonald emphasizes that the gospel is fundamentally the good news of the glory of Christ, who is no longer on the Cross or in the Tomb but has risen and is glorified at God's right hand. He critiques the tendency to present a diminished view of Christ, urging that we should proclaim Him as the exalted Lord of life and glory, deserving of all honor and reverence. MacDonald reminds us that the true message of the gospel calls for repentance and faith in Jesus, the only way to salvation, and challenges us to have a fresh vision of His glory. He calls for a return to the apostolic message that acknowledges our guilt and the necessity of turning to Christ. Ultimately, he longs for a revival of awe and reverence for the glorified Christ among believers and seekers alike.
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Â"Â...the gospel of the glory of Christ.Â" (2 Cor. 4:4)
We should never forget that the gospel is the good news of the glory of Christ. True, it concerns the One who was crucified and who was buried. But He is no longer on the Cross, no longer in the Tomb. He has risen, has ascended to heaven, and is the glorified Man at GodÂ's right hand.
We do not present Him as the humble Carpenter of Nazareth, the suffering Servant or the Stranger of Galilee. Neither do we present Him as the effeminate do-gooder of modern religious art.
We preach the Lord of life and glory. He is the One whom God has highly exalted and given a Name which is above every name. At His Name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Him Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is crowned with glory and honor, a Prince and a Savior.
Too often we dishonor Him by the message we preach. We exalt man with his talents and create the impression that God would be lucky to have such a man to serve Him. We make it sound as if man were doing a colossal favor to the Lord by trusting Him. That isnÂ't the Gospel which the Apostles preached. They said, in effect, Â"You are the guilty murderers of the Lord Jesus Christ. You took Him and with wicked hands nailed Him to the tree. But God raised Him from the dead and glorified Him at His own right hand in heaven. He is there today, in a glorified body of flesh and bones. His nail-scarred hand holds the sceptre of universal dominion. He is coming back again to judge the world in righteousness. And youÂ'd better REPENT and turn to Him in FAITH. There is no other way of salvation. There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.Â"
O, for a fresh vision of the Man in the glory! And for a tongue to tell forth the myriad glories that crown His brow! Surely then, as at Pentecost, sinners would tremble before Him and cry out, Â"Men and brethren, what shall we do?Â"
Sermon Outline
- I. The Gospel is the Good News of Christ's Glory
- A. Concerns the crucified and buried Christ
- B. But Christ has risen and ascended to heaven
- C. He is the glorified Man at God's right hand
- II. We Preach the Lord of Life and Glory
- A. He is the One God has highly exalted
- B. At His Name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Him Lord
- III. The Gospel is Not About Man's Talents
- A. We should not exalt man with his talents
- B. The Gospel is about Christ's glory and dominion
- IV. The Apostles' Message of Repentance and Faith
- A. They preached the guilt of sinners in taking Christ to the cross
- B. But God raised Christ from the dead and glorified Him
Key Quotes
“We preach the Lord of life and glory. He is the One whom God has highly exalted and given a Name which is above every name.” — William MacDonald
“At His Name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Him Lord to the glory of God the Father.” — William MacDonald
“O, for a fresh vision of the Man in the glory!” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- We must have a fresh vision of Christ's glory and tell forth His myriad glories.
- We must not exalt man's talents but preach the gospel in a way that honors Christ.
- We must call sinners to repentance and faith, for there is no other way of salvation.