A short teaching block from our weekly Friends of BPC email. Updated each week.
Keeping the main thing the main thing
Sharing the gospel needs to run through every part of our life together: our Sunday gathering, our Bible studies, and our ordinary weeks. The main thing, the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection, must always stay the main thing.
In 1 Corinthians 14:23–25 Paul makes clear that our meetings aren’t only for Christians. He pictures an unbeliever who “does not understand” coming in. Paul wants our meetings clear enough that this visitor hears the gospel, is convicted, and turns to worship God. The gospel must be clear and central when we gather. Being reminded of the great gospel of Christ is exactly what encourages believers too, because we all grow by hearing the good news of Christ again. So it’s worth working hard to make our gatherings genuinely welcoming to newcomers: explaining things clearly, avoiding jargon, and making sure our hard work in sharing the gospel with friends isn’t undone by a church that’s hard to walk into.
Read about it for yourself: 1 Corinthians 14:23–25
Adapted from MTS Ministry Paper 4.01 Personal Evangelism. mts.com.au/resources/ministry-training-papers/