Expository Preaching
J. Michael Shannon and Robert C. Shannon
(c)opyright J. Michael Shannon, 1982
THE GOSPEL DEMANDS PROCLAMATION
"News Too Good to Keep"
Ephesians 3
Introduction:  When we receive really good news that affects us personally, we cannot keep quiet about it.  The gospel is this kind of news, for it is about Christ and His blessings.

Proposition:  When someone really understands the implications and urgency of the gospel, he can't help but share it.

  I. A MYSTERY TO BE REVEALED

A. A truth, vs. 1, 2
B. A revealed truth, vs. 3, 5
C. A welcome truth, v. 6
 II. A COMMISSION TO BE OBEYED
A. A divine Commander, v. 7
B. A humble servant, v. 8
C. An eternal purpose, v. 11
III. A BLESSING TO BE IMPARTED
A. The blessing of support, v. 16
B. The blessing of presence, v. 17
C. The blessing of insight, vs. 18, 19
Conclusion: We should spread the gospel because it is both a responsibility and a privilege.

    Someone said, "You cannot see God's face and live."  An old saint said, "Then let me see God's face and die!"  In Scripture, God has revealed himself to us.  He has not revealed His face but something more important than that.  He has revealed His character - and His love.
 

    In Kenya, Africa, among the Masai, is a Christian named Kimiti Ole Rerente.  He has never been to school, but he has memorized great portions of Scripture.  He preaches the gospel in neighboring villages.  He teaches children.  He has won his whole family to Christ.  He assists the missionaries in their tasks.  He is a Christian who has truly found the good news too good to keep.  Oh, one more thing: he is blind!
 

    It is almost impossible for anyone to see a rainbow and not point it out to someone else.  Did you ever notice that?  It's the kind of thing that just must be shared.  You see one, and you want to tell someone about it at once.  If you have ever been by yourself and seen a rainbow, you probably found it frustrating.  There was no one to whom you could say, "Look! See the rainbow!"  The gospel is such a beautiful expression of God's love that it just must be shared.
 

    There are two kinds of books that always sell well - mysteries and love stories.  The gospel is both.  It is a mystery, long hidden, at last revealed.  It is a love story in the finest sense of that word, for it unveils God's love for the world and for us.
 

    Islam, the religion of the Moslems, is built about a stone that is said to have come down from Heaven.  It is kept in a sacred building, the Kaabala, in a very sacred city, Mecca, where no non-Muslim is allowed to go. We believe it was not a stone that came down from Heaven, but a message, a word, a gospel!
 

    Letters are ended with a phrase that English teachers call a complimentary close.  Nowadays, it s usually one word, like "Cordially" or "Sincerely" or "Fondly."  It used to be that such letters always closed with, "Yours truly," and before that the odd phrase, "Your obedient servant."  That's the way our prayers should close!  That should characterize our attitude to God: "Your obedient servant!"

The Gospel Brings Change (Eph. 2)
Table of Contents
The Gospel Issues a Challenge (Eph. 4:1-17)