What's the gospel? I'll put it in a sentence.
The gospel is the news that Jesus Christ the Righteous One
died for our sins,
rose again eternally triumphant over all his enemies,
so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe
but only everlasting joy.
That's the gospel.
Never, you never -- now, listen to this --
you never, never, never, never, never,
never, never, never, never, never, never
outgrow your need for the gospel.
Don't ever think of the gospel as
"That's the way you get saved
and then you get strong by leaving it and doing something else."
No!
We are strengthened by God through the gospel every day till the day we drop.
You never outgrow your need to preach to yourself the gospel.
I'll close with one illustration, and you all remember it if you were here.
And I use it not because it's any big deal to speak from my life,
but because it's what I've walked through
and where I most pointedly in the last year experienced
the power of the gospel to make me strong.
Many of you are walking through things much heavier than prostate cancer, much heavier.
You remember the verses that I shared with you back in February
that were just almighty for me?
It was that moment right after the biopsy comes back,
the doctor is sitting there,
I mean, actually, he was on the telephone,
but it was the way he said, "I think we need to do a biopsy,"
at that moment, when the stab of fear comes.
It didn't last long, mercifully,
and then came what? 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
It's just as pure gospel as you can get:
"He has not destined you for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
who died for you so that whether you wake or sleep you will live with him."
Settled. Peace like a river.
That's just gospel!
Perfectly timed, perfectly applied, perfectly suited to my need.
That's why the Bible is so thick,
is because there are so many different needs that you have
and there are suitable places where the gospel is unfolded for you,
so that if you immerse yourself in the whole book,
always with an eye to what Christ has wrought for you and purchased for you
in this thick, glorious history of God's interaction with people,
he will give you what you need.
Therefore, everything in me says and hopes to say till the day I die,
"Now unto him who is able to strengthen me according to Paul's gospel,
to him, to that God, be glory forever and ever."
God came into history in Jesus Christ.
He died in order to destroy the power of hell and death and Satan and sin,
and he did it through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, I know that there are people watching this video and in this room
who are not trusting Jesus Christ,
and therefore can only expect condemnation.
And so I'm just going to plead with you here at the end,
lay down that rebellion. Lay it down.
And simply embrace the gospel that Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, the Righteous One, died for your sins.
He was raised on the third day, triumphant over all his enemies.
He reigns until he puts all of his enemies under his feet.
Forgiveness of sins and a right standing with God
comes freely through him alone by faith alone.
And therefore, I plead with you, don't try to be strong in your own strength.
It will not be there when you need it.
Only one strength will be there when you need it:
the strength that God gives according to the gospel.
Don't put it off.