“But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12, NIV84)

I sense that many Christians today think that the Gospel message is a little out of date. I get the feeling they think it needs to be redefined or repackaged. I think we are so worried about being modern and politically correct that some of us are guilty of altering the message to be more appealing to the current generation. So much emphasis is placed on proper living in this world, I think we are losing the primary focus of the kingdom of God.

Yes, we are called to deliver a relevant message, but the message still needs to be about the kingdom of God. We must consider that John the Baptist began his ministry with a call to repentance because the kingdom of God was near. Jesus began His ministry with the very same words. Throughout His ministry, He spent more time talking about the kingdom of Heaven than any other topic. It seems we constantly hear from Jesus that “the kingdom of Heaven is like…”  After His death and resurrection he continued to teach His disciples about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). And now, in this verse we see His disciples going out and preaching the “good news of the kingdom of God.”

So here is what I conclude. If the message of the kingdom of God was good enough for John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, and centuries of Christians who have gone before us, then it is good enough for us. May God’s kingdom predominate our thoughts and discussions.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church