The Proclamation of the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the bling, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
-Luke 4:18-19
The Great Ends of the Church are 6 statements found in the PC(USA) Book of Order. They are guiding principles for the church. The first Great End is “The Proclamation of the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind.”
Preaching and Teaching the Word of God have many similarities. The “Proclamation of the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind” is more than just a lecture about the history of Bible times. Although historical criticism and language studies are extremely helpful in giving context clues and adding to the full picture and understanding of a particular passage, they are not the proclamation of the gospel.
Proclaiming the gospel for the salvation of humankind is the act of leading people to an understanding of God’s love and forgiveness. This involves teaching, but also the application of God’s word into our daily lives. There are times when we hear a “teaching” sermon. These can be extremely helpful in giving background and information for better Bible study. Lectures about the Bible are not sermons, however. A sermon which truly proclaims the gospel compels the listener not only to a deeper understanding of Scripture, but also leads them to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Proclaiming the gospel is crucial to our act of worship. It is the center of our time together every week.
As your pastors, we take the task of preaching very seriously. Our desire is not only to give information, but to grow in faith. We want people to leave a service having been informed, challenged, and encouraged to grow. We use all the resources at our disposal: humor, emotional connection, thoughtful stories, and personal anecdotes. There are times when we do this better than others. Some sermons, no matter how much preparation has been done, fall flat. Others take people to new heights in their relationship with God. We keep preaching. We keep growing. We keep learning. I ask you to keep praying for us, your pastors, as we strive every week to faithfully proclaim the gospel for the salvation of humankind.
You call us to come and see, and then to go and tell. So often we are looking the other way—away from your image shining in the face of another, away from your people in need, away from the things we would rather not see. So often our words are not of grace, justice, love, and peace, but rather words of hurt, exclusion, and fear. Forgive us for praying for vision while holding our eyes closed. Forgive us for holding firmly to the logs in our own eyes even as you offer us lenses to see what you see. Forgive us for keeping silent, and for speaking our own desires rather than yours. Give us courage to witness your glory and testify to your good news. Give us grace to admit our shortcomings and still point to you. Give us strength to follow you, wherever you might lead. You call us to come and see, then go and tell. Help us to follow in faith. Amen.
