You’ve probably heard the old quip many times before:
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
That raises a couple of really important questions:
- ‘what is the main thing?’
- ‘why is it important to keep it the main thing?’ and lastly,
- ‘how do we keep it the main thing?’
Here’s a couple of key verses to answer the ‘what’ question: Paul to the Ephesian elders “And now I commend you to God and the word of his grace…” Acts 20:32; Paul to the church at Corinth “Now I would remind you brothers and sisters of the gospel I preached to you…for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received…” 1 Cor. 15:1,3; Paul to pastor Timothy “I charge you…preach the word!” 2 Tim 4:2.
And ‘why’ is it important to keep the gospel central not peripheral to what we are on about here? Because the message of the gospel glorifies God, saves lost people and builds up believers. Any other message put forward as the central message will glorify someone other than God, have no saving power and will entangle, oppress and infect the believers.
Lastly, ‘how’ do we keep the gospel as our focus? Paul told Titus ‘I want you to insist on these things’ Titus 3:8. So, let me insist!
Pastor Paul
